Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional study room in New York with blue walls, carpet, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, a freestanding desk and beige floor.

Tudor Revival Estate

Sarah Barnard Design LLC

Steven Dewall
Photo of a large traditional home office in Los Angeles with a library, brown walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and a freestanding desk.

Modern Desert Contemporary Residence

Design Directives, LLC

Executive home office with rich mahogany paneling, modern fireplace, and hardwood floor. This magnificent office has a slab stone fireplace made from floor to ceiling, book-matched Picasso quartzite. The contemporary desk has a polished stainless steel base, a high gloss, fully filled finish top, and a leather inset. Both the chair and the desk are from Dakota Jackson. Interior design by Susie Hersker and Elaine Ryckman. Project designed by Susie Hersker’s Scottsdale interior design firm Design Directives. Design Directives is active in Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Cave Creek, Carefree, Sedona, and beyond. For more about Design Directives, click here: https://susanherskerasid.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://susanherskerasid.com/desert-contemporary/

Green Lane Residence

Archer & Buchanan Architecture, Ltd.

Tom Crane Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional study room in Philadelphia with green walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a freestanding desk and a stone fireplace surround.

Advantage Residential Designs

This is an example of a large traditional home office in Boston with a library, brown walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, a freestanding desk and brown floor.

McElheny Lezcano Residence

Anker Custom Homes

The VSI Group
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional study room in Atlanta with brown walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and a freestanding desk.

Formal Round Hill Compound

S. B. Long Interiors

Masculine home office. Photographed by Don Freeman
Inspiration for a large traditional home office in Dallas with a library, blue walls, carpet, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, a freestanding desk and beige floor.

Liseter Weatherstone

Mary Cook

Taylor Photography
Photo of a traditional home office in Philadelphia with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and a freestanding desk.

DuPont Circle

Samantha Friedman Interior Designs

Jesse Snyder
Inspiration for a large transitional study room in DC Metro with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a freestanding desk, brown floor, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

Little Balboa Island

Anne Michaelsen Design

Mark Lohman Photography
Photo of a large beach style study room in Orange County with marble floors, a two-sided fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a built-in desk and beige floor.

As Seen in Redbook - Cape Cod Inspired

Viscusi Elson Interior Design - Gina Viscusi Elson

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

Redlands Avenue

Reuter Homes

Traditional home office in Orange County with a library, brown walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

Crisp Architects

Country Home. Photographer: Rob Karosis
Design ideas for a traditional home office in New York with blue walls, medium hardwood floors, a brick fireplace surround and a standard fireplace.

New Cullasaja Home

Black Rock Design | Build

Inspiration for a large transitional craft room in Other with beige walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, a freestanding desk, beige floor and exposed beam.

Heaver Estate family home

Imperfect Interiors

The study in our SW17 Heaver Estate family home is grand and elegant, and full of original period details like the tiled fire surround and cornicing. We added new carpet, panelling, a faded Persian rug and painted it green to make it feel more premium

Flower Mound

Mary Anne Smiley Interiors

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary study room in Dallas with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a freestanding desk and brown floor.

Indian Hills, Edina

Mark D. Williams Custom Homes, Inc.

Transitional study room in Minneapolis with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a freestanding desk, brown floor, vaulted and panelled walls.

North Tampa

Gage-Martin Interiors

Mid-sized transitional study room in Tampa with black walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a freestanding desk, brown floor, coffered and wallpaper.

Builder Model | Copper Ridge| New Braunfels, Texas

MSA ARCHITECTURE + INTERIORS

Transitional home office in Austin with grey walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and a freestanding desk.

Nash Terraced Family House in Regent's Park

Adam Butler Photography

A Nash terraced house in Regent's Park, London. Interior design by Gaye Gardner. Photography by Adam Butler
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional study room in London with blue walls, carpet, a plaster fireplace surround, a freestanding desk and a standard fireplace.

All Fireplace Surrounds 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.