ByLydia Geisel,Photos bySeth Smoot,Styling byKendra Smoot
PublishedMar 10, 2026 1:50 AM EST
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Interior designers usually welcome tall ceilings—anything above the 9-foot mark—with open arms. But asLisa le Duc, a U.K.-born designernow based in California, recently discovered while revamping ahome office, there is such a thing as too much airiness. “I wanted to bring the height of the space down to eye level,” le Duc explains of her decision to wrap the room’s pitched ceiling in a large-scale, forest-inspired wallpaper from British brandMini Moderns. “I put it there deliberately to enclose the space.”
The result is an office that feels more like a treehouse perched high in a canopy of Douglas fir than a place to draft emails and take important Zoom calls. “There are tree branches outside that drape over the windows, and beyond that is a nature reserve, so all you see is green,” says le Duc. Ahead, the designer keeps the visual trickery going with one-of-a-kind trim work, oversize lighting, and more.
Wood Worth the Investment
While two walls are lined with windows, raw, unstained plywood cabinets cover the rest, providing a mix of closed storage and open shelving. Though a custom addition, the units were a relatively budget-friendly route compared to traditional oak millwork. “It all depends on the grade of plywood you choose,” notes le Duc. A-grade plywood runs on the pricier side because it’s smooth and accepts paint easily, while D-grade shows more visible flaws and knots. Going with bespoke cupboards let the designer carve out a section of slanted ledges for displaying striking design books. “I don’t want to just see spines,” she says. “It’s just really engaging.”
A Ceiling-to-Floor Optical Illusion
After ripping out the old, dingy carpeting in the office (in its past life, the space was a bedroom), le Duc considered laying down laminate tile. But then she scrapped the idea in favor of a much simpler solution: large plywood sheets, sealed between the seams to create the appearance of a solid floor. The surface was then painted the same taupe-gray color as the wallpaper’s background in a high sheen so it nearly reads as polished concrete.
A Bright Idea for Task Lighting
Photo courtesy of Lisa le Duc
Unless you’re a photographer working in a darkroom, good lighting is essential for any 9-to-5 job. Rather than a lamp that would gobble up precious desk space, le Duc went with a wall-mountedMuller Van Severen fixturefeaturing an exaggerated arched neck so the light pouring from the opaque glass shade is aimed directly over the work zone.
A Swivel Chair That Gets Down to Business
Keeping with the theme of European-designed furniture, le Duc sourced a vintage Arne Jacobsen piece (it’s the Series 7 office chair from the early 1960s) throughAlmond and Companyin San Francisco. The worktop is a custom wood piece paired with basic white IKEA table legs.
A Delicate Edge
While scrolling through Instagram recently, le Duc noticed a recurring motif: scalloped edges. “It was on lampshades, napkins, paint details, furniture,” she says. “I just loved it.” So the designer custom-fabricated a wavy banding to wrap around the window frames. The trim was first digitally designed and then cut using a Sharper Tools CNC router from the same plywood used for the cabinets.
The detailing not only helps offset all of the boxy elements in the space, but it acts as a gentle divider between the graphic wallpaper and the soft off-white walls. “Because it projects about 6 inches, it also creates a nice shell, so you don’t see where the blinds roll up,” she points out. Up on the perch, a black Vitra bird figure keeps a watchful eye over the leafy dwelling.
Lydia Geisel
Home Editor
Lydia Geisel has been part of the editorial team at Domino since 2017. Today, she writes and edits home and renovation stories, including house tours, before-and-afters, and DIY projects, and leads our design news coverage. She lives in New York City.
Kendra Smoot
Seth Smoot
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