When redesigning her husband’s office, interior designer Taryn Leto leaned into New York City’s alluring aesthetic for a masculine and moody space.
“Our strategy was to unify the spaces with a cohesive saturated color palette,” shares Leto.
When it came time to upgrade his office space, Russell Leto called upon none other than his wife and founder and principal designer of Tiny Haven Design, Taryn Leto—who has a serious knack for curating sleek and savvy spaces. A true family affair, the company Progressive Commercial Aquatics (best known for its aquatic landmarks, like, yes, the Texas-shaped lazy river in Houston’s Marriot Marquis) was founded back in 1982 by Taryn’s father, and Russell stepped in four years ago expanding it to a national platform.
The conference room naturally flows into the conversation area
Going one step further than a corporate face-lift, the pair set out on a quest to merge two office spaces into an owner’s suite and an expansive breakout conference room complete with a haute hospitality bar. “He is a classic New Yorker and always dreamt of having a masculine office space,” she shares. “Our mission was to create a space that felt as if you were transported into an executive high-rise office building.”
The top priority? Creating a cohesive space by combining two outdated commercial offices. “We relocated the entrance to the space and added a white oak pivoting door entrance, closed off one doorway to create a hospitality bar, and relocated the entrance to a bathroom to be more accessible to the breakout conference room,” she explains. “Then, we updated all of the lighting throughout, along with LVP flooring.”
In the lounge area, the black-and-white project photo and golden-trimmed bar cart complement the Benjamin Moore Blue Note paint.
When asked about the aesthetic of the space, words like warm, luxe and functional oat around. “The office is fully inspired by a New York City loft,” says Leto. “We added in detailed trim work and painted it a deep navy blue with brass hardware and natural stone and paired it all with rich leather accents.”
Expansive windows illuminate the space
Effortlessly fusing the Lone Star State’s signature brand of comfort with NYC’s opulent style, Leto’s endless creativity is found in every nook and cranny. Framed black-and-white photos of the company’s previous projects adorn the walls, while brass and leather light fixtures dimly illuminate the space—bathing the office in a warm and well-tailored ambiance. Leto’s endless creativity and innovation also work together to maximize the square footage. “Aside from adding in trim work throughout the space we also used brass metal mesh inserts in the new built-in cabinet doors and brass gallery rails to provide an elevated look.” She continues, “There are various conversation areas to meet with colleagues or host vendors and clients, and we even added in a bookshelf, hidden door.”
Iron Abode shelving and a neutral marble backdrop frame the kitchenette
The end result? “It’s the perfect mix of moody and masculine. A place to get work done or sip an old fashioned,” Leto says of the 4-month project. “He really trusted my vision from start to finish and loved the outcome... Especially his lounge area that features a bar and Eames chair!”
The lounge area is professional and posh with furniture from Arhaus, Design Within Reach and Four Hands
Photography by: PHOTOS BY MADELINE HARPER PHOTOGRAPHY
