Noting that the room is square about 3.8x3.8m.

So much depends on how much you will use the room, how much privacy you need, how tidy you are, if you have office visitors, and if you need a nice background for zoom meetings. If you are at the desk for eight hours a day using a computer I would float the desk in the middle, and face the window, to alleviate eye strain. I find that when facing a window you have a better connection with outside, and it helps relieve eye strain when you look up and focus on the view. Facing a wall for long hours is hard on the eyes! You will also need to consider the position of power points with your computer and printer location.

Traditional Home Office · More Info

Focus on making your home office space work for how you work, as everybody works differently before you start thinking about the aesthetics. Once your furniture layout works for you then you can think about wallpaper versus venetian plaster

Best of luck with your considerations,

Dr Retro

of Dr Retro House Calls

and Dr Retro Virtual Visits

Thank you for your thoughts. I do like your logic behind floating a desk in the middle of the room to help the eye. I will be working at my desk for a few hours a day and will need to consider the ergonomic effects.

Yes the desk is best positioned to take advantage of the best view, whether into or out of the house rather than facing house. I would prob face side wall but with desk away from wall that way I wouldn’t have back to people entering room but can still turn towards window when desired. This allows you to connect with both the inside and outside. Take a chair and sit in various positions and at diff times of day and imagine.

Thank you Kate for your thoughts. Another great suggestion! The key is to find the right desk next!

Hi, It is looking beautiful and perfect but you can add some more stuff in it like you can add table clocks or you can add wall clock on it so that. Clocks are the coolest thing which you can hang anywhere. It will complete your home office decoration.

Thank you all! Progress shot so far of my home office. We ended up making my desk as couldn’t find one I liked!

Any suggestions to improve it?

Okay, is this for a show home, or an actual persons home office?
Where is the printer/scanner, wifi modem, filing cabinet etc, etc.
My home office, which is the same size as yours, and has double sliding doors at entrance, and sliding door to outside. Works perfectly. We actually do run our own business. I sourced a buffet which fits A4 lever arch files in the internal shelves. Fits stationary and reports in draws. But doesn't look like a standard office piece.
Desk/computers, on one side, lounge and filing buffet on other side.

Looks good. Agree the lambskin is lost and you do need a rug

Thanks guys I agree I need a rug!
I need to play around with a couple I have for positioning etc.
As for printers modems etc I’m very lucky to have a walk in storage room/WIR. This is a second master bedroom downstairs so the door near the sliding door leads to a storage WIR so I have been able to store the printer, filing cabinets, charging stations, bookcase all in there. Helps keep my office clutter free!

Dreamer I love your office vibe it looks so cozy!!

Thanks house inspect. We have another storage room as well. It is a 300sqm factory. I have always done our accounts from home, since having our children. 24 years ago. I can put the washing in etc, while still working. One computer for me, one for my husband when he gets home from the visiting customers and picking orders for delivery, to do quoting, purchasing. So when we built our new home, we made sure we incorporated a room for a decent sized paperwork area. If we ever sell, it can be a media room or stay as is.

And maybe two prints on wall behind desk. Well done with the desk, if you are going to keep the futon chairs, can you make a coffee tabletop to fit the frame between in that orientation.

Thanks Kate....I’m actually thinking of getting a canvas made of the cover of bathroom yearbook 2018 which featured our ensuite as a bit of a tribute to our building, design and our home. I need inspo in there as I want to get back into design as well.....
Thank you so much all for your input I am so excited to be on here!!

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Well that’s exciting, congrats. But would it be better framed?

Potentially framed actually!! Looks a bit more classy and can match the frames I have in a hallway opposite the room! Thanks Kate!

I'm glad to see you put your desk at right angles to the window, rather than facing it. Despite the comments about reducing eye strain that way, occupational health and safety advice is that the light should be from the side.

Good to know Kath. It’s definitely a very pleasant way to work!

Well done, that is exactly the layout I would have chosen. A rug big enough to fit under desk and under feet of the chairs will look fab.

Thanks Lauren! Any rug suggestions including colours? Polished concrete can throw off colours it’s tricky I’m finding!!

If you can manage, would you mind posting a close up image of the floor?

This is the rug I was thinking? Thanks Lauren!

Hmm it’s a little too similar, I think you need to go stronger either in contrast or colour.

In an office space stimulation is good so contrast and colour can help lift your energy and focus.

I think I need to be brave and introduce colour! I’m loving navy and teal so resonating towards the first couple of rugs.

Your floor has an Olive like green undertone with light grey and navy fleck, if you stick to these colours you can’t go wrong, oranges and nudes will look amazing. A rug that is predominantly teal will clash. Be brave 👌

Thank you so much for the advice and defining my floors. So true!! I did try a charcoal rug in here for a while which also worked but like the idea of colour!

Feel free to update with a photo of what you chose! :)

I love the rug you suggested but agree it might look a bit odd on the terazzo as both appear as small scale patterns.

Thank you all! Love the advice I’ve received.

cool desk did you use alpine ash from bunnings with black legs?

Hi Daniel, it was Victorian Ash from Bunnings with the black legs. Love it so functional too!

Photo update with my frames up 😍

Great. Hope it’s been a good change for you.

My husband used a Bunnings ash hardwood panel for my desk as well. At 2400mm it gives a nice big desk which is what I like. It's 900mm deep so we got Bunnings to use their panel saw to take 200mm off which we will use as an overhead shelf. Instead of legs we're re-purposing base drawer cabinets from a previous kitchen as both ordinary and filing cabinet drawers - though he still has to reface those!

@Kath i did the exact same thing same dimensions as well 2400 x 700 and just used ikea black trestle legs. Ends up being a cheap and stylish desk. What did you coat it in as im thinking of using the same for an outdoor table?

Hi Daniel. We used Evolution hard wax oil (https://whittlewaxes.com.au/product/evolution-classic/) in classic finish - between matte and satin. It gives a beautiful natural finish but I don't think it's designed for outdoors. We used Bunnings black legs and a solid piece of blackbutt timber (from a timber supplier) for a hall table - stylish, in the dimensions we wanted and, as your say, cheaper than we could buy the equivalent.

Post some photos would love to see your projects Kath and Daniel!

@Kath i used osmo natural hardwax oil, i'll prob sand this back at some point as it was too white for my liking but ill need to do that if i ever end up back in the actual office as it takes a few days to dry. I'll look into that oil.

@House Inspect Australia great job on the desk i like how you made it shorter and turned it right angle, if i had the tools i wanted to do that and then put the chest of draws under it.

Here is current state, excuse the mess i was half way through setting this up before i had to rush setting everything up half finished so i could work from home 8-10 hours a day.

IT stull will be relocated to a central location once i tear it all down.

I'm waiting on 2 monitors + office chair i went the ikea Alefjall.

https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/alefjaell-office-chair-grann-golden-brown-20419983/

I'll actually post my own thread as my bits an pieces are due soon and i need to work out layout.

This is a photo of the desk my husband made me from the Bunnings Ash hardwood panel and re-used drawer cabinets from an old kitchen. He's converted the ones on the left to use as filing cabinets but hasn't yet refaced all the drawers. We're thinking painted craftwood.

And this is the sofa table he made with Bunnings legs and a single piece of blackbutt.

@Daniel S, we like the finish of the Evolution clear hard wax oil. It takes a while to dry as well. We tried a hard wax oil from Bunnings but ended up sanding it back and going back to the Evolution product.

Love all these!
Nothing feels nicer than having a space at home you love working in! Particularly if you love your job/business like I do!!
Still trying to work out what rug to put in my home office though!