F22_EdLetter

Kate Berry

CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER @kateberryberry

Because there’s more than one way to make it work.

The New Definitions of WFH

In the span of two and a half years, working from home has gone from unheard of to a pandemic-induced necessity to what it is now: the not-so-new normal. And with that, its definition has expanded far beyond taking Zoom calls in a hastily outfitted guest room–turned–office. There are backyard sheds and down-the-street studios and entire houses that serve as testing grounds for ideas. Our Work & Play issue introduces you to just a few of the many different ways people are designing their at-home workspaces and routines for the long-term. The lines are only becoming blurrier. For me, home is literally work—every table I set and shelf I organize is a potential story for Domino. I’m constantly learning from my surroundings, what they provide for me and how they apply to my job. (A recent discovery: A few sprigs of basil, a single jasmine vine, and a particularly beautiful weed will last more than a month, take root, and maintain their amazing scent all the while.) Even when I’m in back-to-back meetings, my collections of plants and ceramics inspire me—and, honestly, help me get through the day. Because there are definitely moments when I’m trying to read something at 7:30 at night as my daughter, Quinn, and her friend are yelling at the top of their lungs, and I want to scream. Our cover star, food personality Molly Baz, could be the spokesperson for this melting-pot mentality. In her Altadena, California, house, which she shares with her husband, Ben Willett, the butter yellow kitchen is her recipe lab and YouTube video set, but it’s also their friends’ favorite detour. They wouldn’t change a thing. “People feel welcome to come in and know that they can hang, we can work, and there’s always food,” Baz tells us. For others, a little separation is a nonnegotiable—or thousands of miles of it. In 2020 creative director Lydia Pang and product designer Roo Williams left their all-consuming careers in the U.S. to return to the slower pace of their native Wales. Moving into a rambling, 500-year-old cottage on an acre of green opened up a world of possibilities, including starting their own companies from the crumbling garage they transformed into an airy communal office. Photographer Anita Calero’s decision to move home to Cali, Colombia, had been simmering since she was 20-something. After 38 years in New York City, she finally traded skyscrapers and honking cars for tropical palms and the croaks of frogs. “You name it, it’s here: nests, stones, birds, butterflies,” she says—both outside and in. And here’s the thing: Away from the hustle, Calero is more inspired to create, not less. With a little ingenuity, you can sign on (and off) from anywhere. Despite living in a one-room apartment in Manhattan, content creator Candace Marie has managed to carve out corners for each part of her day, whether that’s answering early-morning emails or winding down with a record. In upstate New York, two couples tackled the opposite problem: reimagining an old school—complete with a gym!—into living spaces, bedrooms, and spots for everyone’s hobbies, from music to quilting. “As the months went by, it became clear that we felt better here, happier and more fulfilled,” says writer and photographer Georgia Hilmer. My only question: When can I come for another visit? There was a time not long ago when being at the office until 9 p.m. was just what you did. Working from home is, first and foremost, a luxury—one that many people in the service industry do not have. Yes, I need to wake up at the crack of dawn to clean the crumbs off the table from last night’s dinner, straighten up the books, water the plants, and make Quinn’s breakfast, all so when I sit down at my dining table for my first Zoom call, I’m not totally distracted. But how lucky I am to have that choice. Let’s never forget that.

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SUMMER 2022

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SM22: Home Is Where You Are

Everything But the Desk

We found 26 other things that will make working from home (or back in the office) fun again.