When Rachel Hochhauser, author of the novel Lady Tremaine, welcomed her second child, her home office became her daughter’s nursery. Still, she needed a quiet space to work. So, she and her husband measured an untouched nook at the end of an upstairs hallway. “The alcove was an odd shape but had nice windows,” she says. “We realized we could convert it into a small-but-very-much-my-own office.” Here, Rachel shares the before-and-after photos…
BEFORE
Alcove entrance
The room itself
On getting creative: This was the first time where I sat down and really envisioned how I wanted a room to look, from soup to nuts. Our house has lots of neutral furnishings and white walls, and I wanted my office to feel different. Deciding to drench the room in color felt like mentally claiming the space as my own.
DURING
On parallel projects: I was writing my novel Lady Tremaine in here during construction, when we still had unfinished built-ins. Right after the room was finished, I received my first copies of the book. So, this room felt very emotionally tied to Lady Tremaine’s coming to life process.
On choosing the color: I’m also the co-founder of the puzzle company Piecework, and there’s a murky shade of green in our puzzle Blossom that I’m drawn to. I brought it with me to the paint store and held it up to different chips. After narrowing things down, I went with Behr’s Dried Rosemary.
On wishlists: I had this fantasy of having a nook where my kids could hang out, so we added this built-in bench by the window. Before this process, I had never picked out custom upholstery, and finding the right bench fabric felt overwhelming. For a while, I wasn’t happy with my final choice — it felt too safe. But once I saw it with the paint color, everything felt calm and tonal.
AFTER
On first reactions: I was so happy. With two little kids, our home life is full and chaotic. I’ve found that having a space of my own has been so valuable for my creative process and feeling in-tune with myself, especially in these early stages of motherhood.
Chair: Magistretti. Cowboy print: Daniel Falcón. Vase: Isabel Halley.
On chameleon color: I love this paint because it reads differently throughout the day — it’s pale and milky in the morning, then dark and moody at night.
Side table: “I found this on the side of the road, a few blocks from our house.” Throw: Maison Deux.
On writing: My writing happens during childcare hours, when my kids are either at school or with a caretaker. I feel pressure to use the time well, which I’ve learned isn’t a bad thing. Good creativity can come out of a pressure cooker. You don’t always need some golden sense of inspiration, it’s about sitting down and doing the work.
On family art: My sister is an artist who paints on vintage textiles. She found this vintage handkerchief on eBay, and then painted a scene inspired by 19th-century English pastoral paintings. I begged her for it!
On daily goals: I also aim to write for a certain amount of time each day, versus hitting a word count. Some days I’ll move my project forward a quarter inch, sometimes I take a great, beautiful leap.
Thank you so much, Rachel!
P.S. 10 readers share their work-from-home spaces, and Kate Baer’s home office.
(Office “after” photos by Kiara Rose.)
