The reality we live in is constantly changing—wars, crises, changes in work habits—and the home continues to prove itself as an anchor. Within all of this, the home office has long become a vital component in home planning—not a luxury, but an emotional, professional, and functional necessity.
Working from home has become routine: Not only for those employed in a hybrid model but also for self-employed individuals, freelancers, parents improvising a work routine alongside their children—and sometimes simply as a quiet place to gather, disconnect, or focus within the family space.
"A workspace is no longer something you plan 'on the side,'" says Nirit Frenkel of Frenkel Architecture. "It is planned like any other room in the house—with a deep understanding of the needs, the hours, the personality, and even the soul of the person who will use it. It's a place that needs to convey seriousness but also a sense of belonging to the home. A connection and balance at the same time."
The design changes according to needs: Is there a need for eye contact with other household members? Is the work done at night and requires strict acoustics? Is it creative work, technical, managerial? The workspace can be a closed room, a corner within a public space, a bridge above a floor, or a glass cube—but the common denominator is that it functions, it is present, and it is rooted in the language of the home.
Materials and colors also play an important role: In most projects, calm and grounded tones are used—smoky green, dark blue, natural wood, or matte black—to convey professionalism and focus. At the same time, Frenkel makes sure to incorporate warm and softening materials—textiles, warm lighting, customized carpentry details, and even decorative elements that bring the user’s personality into the space.
For example, a home office designed for a client who works with overseas clients during nighttime hours became a designed "glass cube" with carpentry in light blue, brass combinations, wood cladding, and reddish bricks. In another project, a workspace was placed above the entrance floor, as a small island of quiet—disconnected but not too disconnected, allowing one to be alone but not feel lonely.
In another case, the home office was integrated as part of the master suite—enclosed with a dark Belgian-style profile that preserves privacy and acoustic insulation while still maintaining visual contact with the other areas. Everything was done with the understanding that work does not take place in a vacuum—but within full, ever-changing lives that are sometimes noisy or complex.
Ultimately, the workspace today is not just a place to work—but a space that provides a sense of control within a reality that offers little certainty. It is a point of calm, order, focus, and even healing. Because even when everything outside is changing, inside—there must be a stable place.