This San Diego-Based Boutique Design Firm Brings Functional Style to Home Offices and Beyond
Name: Juaneice Munoz Home Office Space Design
Job Title: Founder and Principal Designer, La Casa Azul Design
Contemporary yet classic remain the keywords when it comes to describing Juaneice Munoz’s signature style. From top-to-bottom remodels and designing custom homes to consulting on interior finishes, she’s worked her magic for countless clients across Southern California and Arizona who adore her elegant (and award-winning) take on everything from Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial to modern coastal design.
As with any feel-good success story, the one behind La Casa Azul Design and founder Munoz is one that stems from adversity. After losing everything in the 2008 recession, the Irvine native and her husband relocated to Arizona, where she retrained as an interior designer. “Anyone can pick out pretty things, but there’s a big difference between decorating for yourself and designing for a client,” says the warm and vivacious Munoz. “l fell in love with the architectural process and method behind making these informed decisions and started my own company after I finished school.” Founded in 2011, La Casa Azul Design quickly made a name for itself, but a move back to Southern California in 2015 left Munoz facing a second career do-over—this time in the crowded Orange County market.
“California is a completely different animal to Arizona. There are a lot of designers here—a lot of good designers—so it was like, oh my gosh, nobody even knows I’m here.” Home Office Space Design
Great taste and an eye for style notwithstanding, Munoz attributes her success over the last five years to caring deeply about her clients. “I’m not a designer focused on status or spending money. Working with people, you’re involved in these intimate areas of their lives—from personal finances to their bedrooms—so being able to create this connection and develop relationships has really resonated.” Munoz says synergy and communication are also crucial when it comes to designing beautiful and functional spaces for a client. “One of my favorite projects was Covenant Hills—the house was dated, dark and the husband and wife had very different (and vocal) ideas on how to approach it. It ended up getting published, which showed me you can often do your best work when clients completely trust in your vision.”
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Munoz counts turning clients into believers as something she loves most about her job—that moment when she’s adding the last pillow and they suddenly “get it”—but it’s good old-fashioned problem solving she considers the most rewarding. “You’re faced with a lot of last-minute changes working in design—concealing HVAC units or pipes that need to be run across ceilings. It’s stressful, but I love figuring out ways to work around these challenges without making them look like an afterthought.” With anywhere from six to 10 projects in the works, Munoz also finds time to curate an online boutique with her team that she fills with furniture, accessories and more. “People who weren’t in the market for a remodel or room design were reaching out, just wanting some pillows or lighting, so I started the store. It’s a great way to add a little piece of La Casa Azul style to your home.”
How to Make: Creating an Chic, Sophisticated Home Office
With remote work set to continue into the foreseeable future, it’s past time to graduate from the kitchen table and create a stylish at-home office with these easy-to-follow tips from Orange County design maven Jaueice Munoz.
Step 1 | Write Down Your Goals
“The first thing we do on any project is to write down the main goals you want to achieve with the space. Like, how do you see yourself using the room in a few years? Will it still be an office? It pays to think ahead.”
Step 2 | Create a Budget Home Office Space Design
“Decide how much you want to invest. This informs where you can go shop and what sort of pieces you will be able to include, such as custom built-ins versus stackable storage. I personally love a high-low mix and am not above a good HomeGoods trip.”
Step 3 | Come Up With a Concept.
“This is where you’re thinking of your color scheme and the elements that you’ll need depending on how you want the space to look, feel and function. Perhaps you want to make it more of a library space, or maybe you’ll put a daybed in there and go more bohemian.”
Step 4 | Design Schematics. Home Office Space Design
“The measuring tape is your friend here! Figure out where the built-ins might be going, what size desk you can fit—I want to stress this part because it’s where most mistakes are made. When you’re designing something, you get excited and start making purchases, but oftentimes, what you buy is too big or isn’t going to fit through the door.”
Step 5 | Finishing Touches.
“You don’t want it to feel like a commercial office, so this is where you can personalize things with art and accents. It’s also the best place to make edits. Either pull back or add things—maybe you need a plant in one corner or another chair to help balance things out.”
Rapid Fire With the Expert
The Next Big Renovation Trend? “Neutral color palettes; black window frames.”
The Trend to Lose? “Overly modern farmhouse.”
Color of 2021? “Azul blue, of course.”
Dream Project? “A boutique hotel.”
La Casa Azul Design
844.328.8188
www.shopazuldesign.com
@azulcasa
Photography Provided By: Reza Allah-Bakhshi
Keri Bridgwater is a freelance writer covering travel and lifestyle. Her work has been featured in Fodor’s Travel, Marie Claire, Matador Network and InsideHook, among other outlets and publications.
