If work is where we spend half our lives, it ought to feel a little more like this.
Tucked inside a quiet Birmingham office building, designer Danielle Balanis has created a space that feels more suited to Manhattan or Mayfair. Saturated in deep sapphire blues, burnished woods, and soft gold accents, it’s a room layered with rich materials and thoughtful details—tailored enough for high-stakes meetings, inviting enough for a scotch at the end of the day.
“He was drawn to Art Deco from the start,” Balanis says of her client. “We wanted to nod to that era without slipping into costume territory.” The result is a study in masculine elegance, where bold patterns, sculptural silhouettes, and jewel-toned textures mix easily with softened upholstery and curated vintage finds.
The inspiration came together almost instantly: a graphic, Art Deco-inspired wallpaper in shades of midnight and gold, a handful of luxe fabric swatches, and an Italian wool carpet in rich lapis blue that grounded the palette. “We laid everything out and realized it just clicked,” Balanis recalls. From there, the design moved from the outside in—starting with wallpaper and wall color, then layering in textiles, furnishings, and accessories that brought patina and polish to the rooms.
At the heart of the space is a sculptural desk from CB2, its fluted oak millwork and warm walnut finish offering a clean-lined anchor against the patterned backdrop. The table and chairs, sourced from Chairish and 1stDibs, add a subtle old-world glamour, their dark-stained frames and tailored upholstery echoing the room’s palette. A television, cleverly framed to blend into the architecture, tucks neatly into the design—ready for global video calls without disrupting the aesthetic.
Throughout the office, texture carries the weight of the design: linen-blend drapes soften the architecture without a hint of shine, velvet adds low-luster richness, and a zebra rug sprawled casually across the carpet delivers a jolt of pattern. “Color choices play a big role in designing a more masculine space,” Balanis says. “Things need a little grain to them, some texture. I don’t like anything too silky.” Masculine design, she notes, is about finding the right tension. “It’s about balance.”
This layered, considered approach reflects Balanis’s own design sensibility. Raised in Tifton, Georgia, she grew up with an early appreciation for beautiful spaces. “I loved walking through homes that were really well done. I just wanted to take it all in,” she says. After studying interior design in college, she moved to Birmingham and worked for an established firm, refining her eye and deepening her craft. When she designed her own home in 2018, everything clicked. “I did it all myself, and friends kept asking, ‘When are you going to start your own firm?’” By early 2019, she had launched Danielle Balanis Design—and hasn’t looked back.
“To see something go from idea to reality, and to know it’s not just beautiful but useful? That’s the reward,” she says. Every space she designs is shaped by the people who will live and work within its walls. “It really is living art.”
Balanis considered this modern office a dream project. The client, for his part, couldn’t be happier. “He was so excited to show his wife when it was finished.”
And while Balanis didn’t set out to spark a movement, the spirit of the space feels like a nudge toward something new: toward personality, toward elegance, toward a modern gentleman’s office that isn’t just a place to work, but a place to live well.
Because style isn’t something you have to save for after hours.
Sourced Locally:
Odette, Design Supply, Alkmy, A Little Rug Shop, Gallery Services
Curated Outside of Birmingham:
Chairish, 1stDibs, Pierce & Ward (Los Angeles), Creel & Gow (New York), CB2, Etsy