Aaron Sorkin's Office Is Better Than Yours Will Ever Be

“Aaron loves that 1940s writer’s atelier vibe, so I designed the space as a cross between a classic Hollywood creative office and the executive suite of a studio powerhouse,” the decorator explains. In practical terms, Bullard translated that précis into an assortment of dark-wood cabinetry and antique furniture—notably an imposing 19th-century partners desk—along with 1940s French leather club chairs, vintage lighting, a striped grass-cloth wall covering, sea-grass carpeting, and a plush velvet sofa that’s ideal for courting inspiration (or taking naps).

Sorkin applied his own stamp with a collection of black-and-white photographs of great American writers such as Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, and Clifford Odets, as well as vintage pen-and-ink sets and other tokens of his craft and framed pictures of his 12-year-old daughter, Roxy.

Of course, no office for a writer of Sorkin’s caliber would be complete without a proper trophy case, and Bullard has obliged with a massive custom-made cabinet laden with all manner of gold and crystal laurels—the Emmy statues alone could fill a wheelbarrow. “If I’m feeling bad,” says Sorkin, “I sometimes look over there and think, ‘I had a hard time when I was writing The Social Network. And, you know, that turned out okay.’”