Photo of a mid-sized contemporary home office in Melbourne with white walls, carpet, a built-in desk, beige floor and a library.

Ridgewood Gentleman's Home Office

JK interior living

Raquel Langworthy
This is an example of a mid-sized eclectic study room in New York with blue walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace, a freestanding desk and brown floor.

Traditional Home- Frisco, TX

Twilly and Fig

This small home office is perfect for light office work. The blue on the walls make the room feel cozy. The use of the silver leaf writing desk and crystal chandelier adds a touch of elegance. Using a pattern fabric on the chair and rug adds dimension to the room.

Contemporary Kitchen

Landis Architects | Builders

As part of the kitchen and condominium remodel, we updated this former bedroom by creating a wider opening with pocket doors from the living room and closing off the original hallway door. This allows use as a flexible space for our corporate housing client. The wood panel on the wall is actually a Murphy bed so it can be used as a bedroom as needed. Michael K. Wilkinson

Fall Parade 2017 - Edina

David Charlez Designs

A cozy office space with seating for two. This office features a large L shaped built in desk, natural lighting, built in book shelves and a high window which allows daylight into the hallway on the other side of the wall. Photos by Space Crafting

Wapakoneta Road | Bethesda, MD

Rollingwood Builders

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional study room in Other with grey walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace, a freestanding desk and brown floor.

Transitional Home in the heart of The Woodlands

By Design Interiors, Inc.

A masculine office full of deep moody grays and wood tones are mixed with mid-century inspired light fixtures. Rustic details are intertwined through the exposed wood beams along the ceiling and cowhide resting beneath the metal legs of the writing desk.

Center City Philadelphia

Kaiser Building Group

This is an example of a mid-sized modern study room in Philadelphia with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Contemporary View Plane

Karen White Interior Design

This is an example of a mid-sized modern study room in Denver with white walls, carpet, a two-sided fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround, a built-in desk and beige floor.

Historic Home Renovation & Addition

Joy Martin Architecture

Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional study room in Minneapolis with green walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround and a freestanding desk.

Traditional Coastal Home | Gleneagles | Newport Beach, CA

Barclay Butera Interiors

Photo of a mid-sized traditional study room in Orange County with white walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace and a freestanding desk.

Simply Classic

Aneka Interiors Inc.

Inspiration for a large transitional craft room in Denver with grey walls, slate floors, a freestanding desk and no fireplace.

Boulder Condo

Kimball Modern Design + Interiors

Photography by David Lauer
Mid-sized modern home office in Denver with white walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround, a built-in desk and beige floor.

Contemporain Bureau à Domicile

Mid-sized contemporary study room in Paris with brown walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace and a freestanding desk.

Pond View Lane

Phoebe Howard

Eric Piasecki
Design ideas for a large traditional study room in New York with brown walls, medium hardwood floors and a freestanding desk.

Global Home Study

Chloe Joelle Beautiful Living

Home office was designed to feature the client's global art and textile collection. The custom built-ins were designed by Chloe Joelle Beautiful Living.

Broadmoor

Schoener

A marble entry opens up into a encased office. Custom cabinets and box beam details done by Wood-Mode. Acacia hardwood flooring, and Ralph Lauren lighting.

Brighton Joinery

FMD Architects

Richard Whitbread
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary home office in Melbourne with white walls, concrete floors and a built-in desk.

Embassy Row Gift Wrapping Station

Cabinets & Designs

This Emabassy Row Gift Wrap Station serves as both a small home office and a gift wrapping area for the holidays! Wood-Mode never ceases to amaze with their gift of cabinetry that has both style and functionality! The off-white cabinets are the perfect color to compliment the brown walls.

Mid-Century Mod House

Lindye Galloway Interiors

Jasmine Star
Mid-sized midcentury study room in Orange County with blue walls, light hardwood floors and no fireplace.

Home Office Design Ideas

A home office has many uses and isn’t a mere luxury anymore. You might work from home, or bring work home, or you might just need a place to go through bills, mail or store important paperwork. Kids can use a home office to do their homework, or quietly play a game online. Browse the photos on Houzz for home office ideas and inspiration, and strike up a conversation with the architect or designer or your favourite picks. For more home office ideas, check out the Stories section.

How much office storage do I need?

To ensure your home office or study room isn’t buried under a deluge of paperwork, books and supplies, incorporate plenty of shelves, cabinets and drawers. Floating or built-in shelves with cubbies can stock books and magazine holders; or for a more traditional look, make room for a large bookcase that fits in with the decor of your home. Invest in a filing cabinet to store paperwork, and opt for a lockable filing cabinet if you have sensitive documents. A tray organiser can store incoming mail and will help prioritise bills. The type of desk you choose is also key to keeping things organised. Look for desks with deep drawers and plenty of surface space, and add tray organisers to the drawers to keep track of staples like pens, pencils, highlighters and sticky tape. If you want a streamlined look, find a way to conceal any computer cables or wires, too. One solution is to install a false back on your desk, if it doesn’t already have one.

How do I choose an office desk and chair?

If you spend long hours hunched over your work desk at home, invest in ergonomic office chairs with wheels for better back health and comfort. Consider optimal lumbar support with flexibility in adjusting handles and back angle. Most rolling office chairs come upholstered, typically in leather, but that’s no reason why you can’t have one custom-made to suit your home decor. When picking out your work desk, be sure to consider its overall function. If you work from home and hold meetings, pick an oversized, sturdy desk that is double-sided (can be accessed from both sides). You’ll want it to look professional, so opt for dark timbers over high-shine finishes. It’s also a good idea to create a separate study desk for the kids, so homework doesn’t go missing among your files. If your home office is for the whole family a two-person desk or built-in long work bench are more suitable. Where space is tight, look for a retractable computer desk, or utilise an awkward corner with a corner desk.

What home office decor will encourage productivity?

Use your walls for to-do lists: hang a pegboard and paint it in your favourite colour or be adventurous with chalkboard paint and whiteboard panels. Bulletin boards that keep the whole family in order are an extra feature that always come in handy. Use your stationery and office accessories – think pencil cups, paper trays and magazine holders – to add colour and pattern, and desk lamps, clocks, maps and calendars to personalise the space. Above all else, aim for ease of use.