With homeschooling on the horizon and working from home as the new normal, we all need our homes and our workspaces to function better and serve more purposes. If a hardworking office collection can do that and look beautiful too, even better. Our new Hutton modular office collection has high style details and can be combined in limitless ways to custom fit your needs.
To learn more about the inspiration behind this innovative collection, we sat down with our Senior Merchant for Casegoods Michelle Nicholson and Senior Product Designer, Hillary Park. Together, these two painstakingly designed every detail of this new modular office collection. Learn more about how these gorgeous new pieces came together.
Simplicity and Versatility
Ballard Designs: The Hutton Office Collection is so innovative and has some really high style too. Where did the idea for the collection come from?
Michelle Nicholson: I remember sitting in my office at work trying to think about my space and how I could update the look. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a panel on my drawers where I could add my own fabric or wallpaper? Cabinetry and office furniture is something you invest in, but what if you were able to update your room easily?
Hillary Park: When we started going through the design process, we were really focused on materials and ways to incorporate them into the design. Our two favorite materials were the natural rattan and the antique mirror. They’re so different and create a very different look with the same collection.
BD: What other elements of the design make the Hutton Collection stand out?
Hillary: We haven’t introduced a new office collection of this size in a few years, so we really took the time to think about the details and what elements we’re seeing in design today. We wanted to step up our game a little bit. For example, many of our office collections have a plinth base. For Hutton, we incorporated legs into the design and were really focused on simplicity.
Michelle: The other thing that was helpful during the design process was listening to customer feedback. It was helpful to see what was missing in our other office collections. For example, the Hutton desks are fully finished on all sides and can be cantilevered out into a space. That was something none of our other collections could do. And there’s a modesty panel if you are floating your desk.
Technology and Working from Home
Hillary: Technology has changed a lot since we designed our first office collection, so that was something we were excited to bring to Hutton. The charging cabinet keeps devices handy and organizes cords.
Michelle: We also wanted to create a configuration that would hold your television in a stylish way. A combination of lower cabinets, a bookcase, and hutches make the perfect focal point in a living room and give you much needed storage for media components or even kids’ toys.
Small Details with Big Style
BD: Tell me about the hardware on this collection. The finger pulls are a unique touch and definitely give the collection a more contemporary feel.
Hillary: Often when we’re designing furniture, we struggle to find hardware that makes a statement but also feels cohesive with the overall piece. More often than not, we design something unique.
For the Hutton Collection, we really wanted hardware that wouldn’t take away from the panels. The mirror and rattan panels are the main feature of the collection, so the hardware needed to be slim with a low profile. 
Modular Office Collection
BD: The Hutton Office Collection is a modular office collection that can be combined in lots of different ways depending on your needs. But because there are so many options, where should we start?
Michelle: We do have a guide that you can use to help walk you through the different options in the collection. Of course the first step in any design process is to measure!
Once you’ve measured your space, start thinking of layouts that might work for your room and also the functions you want your room to serve. From there, you can start playing with the different components to come up with a design that suits all of your needs.
BD: The hutches from the collection look so elegant. Talk to us about vertical storage.
Michelle: Obviously vertical storage is hugely important. Everyone wants to make the most of the space they have, and using the vertical space in your room can make a big difference. With the Hutton Collection, you can combine open and closed storage for storing your office supplies, creating a media solution, or even toy storage.
BD: What are you both most excited about with the launch of this new collection?
Hillary: The collection really embodies Ballard’s passion for customization. I’m excited to see how our customer can put their own spin on these pieces with either the natural rattan, mirror, or even by adding wallpaper or paint to the panels.
Michelle: I’m proud of how solution-based it is. It’s a really functional collection. Plus, you could build on it and change the look if you move or rearrange your home. These are pieces you’ll have for a long time.