Think You Haven’t Got Space for a Home Office?
Exploiting underused pockets of space and thinking creatively are just two steps to creating a useful work hub at home
Jo Simmons
15 December 2016
Houzz UK Contributor. I have been an interiors journalist since 1995, writing several books on design and numerous features for glossy homes mags over the years. For Houzz, I cover decorating ideas and trends and interview designers and professionals for their insights. My favourite pieces to write, though, are Houzz Tours, as I love exploring and learning about real homes. Call me curious — or nosy!
Houzz UK Contributor. I have been an interiors journalist since 1995, writing several... More
Whether you work from home every day or just need desk space for domestic admin or the kids’ homework sessions, it can seem tricky to fit in a home office. Luckily, there are lots of clever solutions out there that go way beyond simply plonking a desk in your living room. From a brilliantly designed work space integrated into storage to a simple folding desk, it’s possible to carve out a little work hub in your home with limited funds and minimal space.
When it comes to an office chair, the amount of time you’ll spend in it should dictate the quality. If you work at home full time, it’s worth investing in a good design that will help prevent back or neck problems. Stools or dining chairs are only really suitable for short bursts at a desk.
When it comes to an office chair, the amount of time you’ll spend in it should dictate the quality. If you work at home full time, it’s worth investing in a good design that will help prevent back or neck problems. Stools or dining chairs are only really suitable for short bursts at a desk.
Rethink the bedroom
Reconsider how you use your bedroom. Could it also work as an office? Why not lose the space-greedy wardrobe and use a rail instead in order to free up space for a desk?
This room has generous proportions, but the idea could work in all but the tiniest of bedrooms. The key is to relocate bulky clothes storage or just rethink the typical wardrobe to liberate room for working.
Reconsider how you use your bedroom. Could it also work as an office? Why not lose the space-greedy wardrobe and use a rail instead in order to free up space for a desk?
This room has generous proportions, but the idea could work in all but the tiniest of bedrooms. The key is to relocate bulky clothes storage or just rethink the typical wardrobe to liberate room for working.
Repurpose an unlikely room
Thinking about every part of your home, and where you could fit a desk, can throw up some unlikely solutions. This is an unusual combination of work room and laundry, but why not?
So long as there’s space for a desk, leg-room for a chair and maybe a spot for some storage too, then any room can do double service as a home office.
Thinking about every part of your home, and where you could fit a desk, can throw up some unlikely solutions. This is an unusual combination of work room and laundry, but why not?
So long as there’s space for a desk, leg-room for a chair and maybe a spot for some storage too, then any room can do double service as a home office.
Exploit underused space
Tuck a desk in beneath a window to make more of this typically underused pocket of a room. By day, you’ll benefit from the natural light coming in, plus looking up to gaze out at life in the distance is a welcome break for eyes after hours staring into a screen.
Tuck a desk in beneath a window to make more of this typically underused pocket of a room. By day, you’ll benefit from the natural light coming in, plus looking up to gaze out at life in the distance is a welcome break for eyes after hours staring into a screen.
Take a trestle
In this bedroom, a generous desk stretches along the width of the window. It’s constructed from an inexpensive combination of trestle legs and a simple wooden benchtop.
Ergonomically speaking, a well-designed office chair is the best accompaniment to a desk. Here, though, a classic Eames armchair helps the work area blend in with the bedroom.
Where to put your desk
In this bedroom, a generous desk stretches along the width of the window. It’s constructed from an inexpensive combination of trestle legs and a simple wooden benchtop.
Ergonomically speaking, a well-designed office chair is the best accompaniment to a desk. Here, though, a classic Eames armchair helps the work area blend in with the bedroom.
Where to put your desk
Stay slinky
This home office demonstrates how a good-sized work area, storage and shelves can all be fitted neatly into a compact footprint. The trick is to keep the desktop fairly shallow and choose a ‘shelf’-style desk, rather than a freestanding design. This makes better use of space and clears the area below for drawer units.
Sticking to white furniture in a white room helps reduce the visual impact of this work station too.
This home office demonstrates how a good-sized work area, storage and shelves can all be fitted neatly into a compact footprint. The trick is to keep the desktop fairly shallow and choose a ‘shelf’-style desk, rather than a freestanding design. This makes better use of space and clears the area below for drawer units.
Sticking to white furniture in a white room helps reduce the visual impact of this work station too.
Look out for a ladder
This simple, ladder-style desk looks beautifully unobtrusive and slots happily into a small space. If you don’t mind having your computer and work materials on show, this design is a great alternative to a desk in a cupboard, and is less bulky and more space-efficient too.
This simple, ladder-style desk looks beautifully unobtrusive and slots happily into a small space. If you don’t mind having your computer and work materials on show, this design is a great alternative to a desk in a cupboard, and is less bulky and more space-efficient too.
Slide this way
Consider installing a space-smart pull-out desk like this one. Here, a bench built alongside provides seating, or just pull up a chair. A mobile freestanding lamp provides the light.
Standard lamps are back in vogue
Consider installing a space-smart pull-out desk like this one. Here, a bench built alongside provides seating, or just pull up a chair. A mobile freestanding lamp provides the light.
Standard lamps are back in vogue
Fit inside a cupboard
This brilliantly appointed little studio apartment in London, UK, includes a compact office tucked inside fitted storage. Open the double doors and there’s desk space, shelves with power sockets for a printer or other equipment and a stool that stows away neatly beneath it all when not in use.
This brilliantly appointed little studio apartment in London, UK, includes a compact office tucked inside fitted storage. Open the double doors and there’s desk space, shelves with power sockets for a printer or other equipment and a stool that stows away neatly beneath it all when not in use.
Convert an awkward space
If you have a tiny box room, tricky corner or bigger-than-average landing, consider converting it into an office. This small room would barely accommodate a single bed, but with a desk built under the window and shelves along one wall, it makes an excellent office.
Building bespoke furniture will always make the most efficient use of space, and this desk design, without legs, creates a streamlined silhouette.
If you have a tiny box room, tricky corner or bigger-than-average landing, consider converting it into an office. This small room would barely accommodate a single bed, but with a desk built under the window and shelves along one wall, it makes an excellent office.
Building bespoke furniture will always make the most efficient use of space, and this desk design, without legs, creates a streamlined silhouette.
Pull it down …
A pull-down desk can be made very simply with just a piece of wood and a couple of sturdy chains to support it. This desk is built into a larger piece of bespoke storage, but the basic principle would work anywhere.
Read more about home offices
A pull-down desk can be made very simply with just a piece of wood and a couple of sturdy chains to support it. This desk is built into a larger piece of bespoke storage, but the basic principle would work anywhere.
Read more about home offices
… then fold it away
The desk, shown in the previous picture, belongs in a compact apartment in Paris, France. Here, it’s folded away and the coffee table has been pulled out from beneath the bench sofa.
The desk, shown in the previous picture, belongs in a compact apartment in Paris, France. Here, it’s folded away and the coffee table has been pulled out from beneath the bench sofa.
Make use of a corner
You will bag yourself a little more space by building into or across a corner, and have two handy walls on which to fit shelves too. This micro desk belongs in the living area of a tiny US house. It’s not spacious, but there’s enough room for tech, and the windows provide good natural light by day for working.
TELL US
Have you cleverly tucked a home office into your place? Explain how and where in the Comments below.
MORE
Browse more compact home offices
You will bag yourself a little more space by building into or across a corner, and have two handy walls on which to fit shelves too. This micro desk belongs in the living area of a tiny US house. It’s not spacious, but there’s enough room for tech, and the windows provide good natural light by day for working.
TELL US
Have you cleverly tucked a home office into your place? Explain how and where in the Comments below.
MORE
Browse more compact home offices
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These are great for a laptop station ...but if you work full time from home like me, you need a real home office, in a separate room. I need space for catalogues and files, plus I need to close the door and decompress when not working.
My idea of a home office , is more of a music space . ( using a computer to record bass guitar and moog ) Finding out where to store my bass guitar gig bags in a small converted gd flr Victorian flat is a pita.
Would like to see ideas of something like that ..
Great article, thanks