When you work from home, there’s a fine line between a healthy home office environment and a toxic lifestyle of “coffee in bed and pajamas all day.” I sought inspiration from interior designer Cheri Roberto.

In this quaint house in a gated village, Cheri turned her den into the office of Roberto Design House, also known as R Haus. She officially established this architectural design firm in 2014 with her sister, architect Sharon Roberto, but the creative juices have been flowing for years. “I had my own private ID practice several years before R Haus,” Cheri said.

Her team has designed the spaces of residential condominiums, houses, and commercial establishments such as Neil’s Kitchen, Cake Planet, and Tailor Swift, which I previously featured in “My Space.”

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Upon entering her house, the first thing that greeted me was a friendly rescue dog named Sully, who was later joined by a senior Shih Tzu named Izzy. As I went through the cozy porch and entered the main door, an upside-down installation of furniture made me feel like I was back in Art In Island. Optical illusion, anyone?

The rest of the house is filled with colorful and quirky details, such as a comic book strip covering the office storage shelves and mementos of loved ones used as decorative pieces.

As a work-at-home writer, I learned a major design lesson: Make sure your bedroom area is separate from your workspace. It helps manage your stress levels and promotes healthier sleeping habits. It also helps to have a working space that reflects your personality to keep the ideas flowing.

Visit www.robertodesignhouse.com for your architecture and interior design needs.

November 30, 2016