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Sky-High Style

Multitasking with a view.


With a vista stretching from Petco Park to Point Loma, Hedy Rogers finds living and working in a San Diego residential high-rise to be the best of all worlds. A successful solo practitioner of space planning and interior design, Rogers has a home office on the 16th floor of downtown’s Renaissance, a 22-story condominium tower.

“All the beauty and activity from my windows is a constant source of inspiration, from the rising sun to the sparkling city lights in the evening,” Rogers says. “I don’t really need to go out for a break or change of scenery, because it all comes to me.”

Her 280-square-foot office is a symphony of economy and a lesson in creativity. As her own space-planner, Rogers felt comfortable turning the master-bedroom suite into her office: She wanted the best light and views for her daytime world. The concept for her office grew out of two large windows, which start 17 inches off the floor and tilt outward about 6 inches from the floor toward the ceiling.

“I decided to preserve a narrow walkway between the desk and the window wall and install much-needed space for files and storing manufacturers’ catalogs and samples,” Rogers says. On the seating side of the desk, she also needed drawers, which she built in under a 40-inch-deep countertop, perfect for laying out plans and reference materials that could be accessed from the drafting table, computer and telephone.

The desk’s U shape also provides space for flat files, fax/copier and books. The adjacent “library” area, with two chaise lounges, offers a comfortable space for reading and research.

Lighting throughout was carefully planned to be sufficient for the tasks at hand, while minimizing window reflections that might disturb the peaceful nighttime views. For Rogers’ efforts, she received a 2006 award from the local chapter of ASID for excellence in furniture design.