The family living in this shingled roofed home on the Peninsula loves color and pattern. At the heart of the two-story house, we created a library with high gloss lapis blue walls. The tête-à-tête provides an inviting place for the couple to read while their children play games at the antique card table. As a counterpoint, the open planned family, dining room, and kitchen have white walls. We selected a deep aubergine for the kitchen cabinetry. In the tranquil master suite, we layered celadon and sky blue while the daughters' room features pink, purple, and citrine.

FOR SALE: Tanglewood Transitional Estate

Frankel Design Build

Expansive contemporary study room in Houston with blue walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and a freestanding desk.

Hilltop Residence - Home Office

Design Directives, LLC

Beautiful executive office with wood ceiling, stone fireplace, built-in cabinets and floating desk. Visionart TV in Fireplace. Cabinets are redwood burl and desk is Mahogany. 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/

Family Farmhouse

Alexandra Rae Design

The library of the Family Farmhouse Estate. Art Deco inspired brass light fixtures and hand painted tiles. Ceiling coffers are covered in #LeeJofa grass cloth. Bird floral is also by Lee Jofa.

Study

Haver & Skolnick LLC Architects

The leather lounge chairs provide a comfortable reading spot next to the fire. Robert Benson Photography
Inspiration for a large country study room in New York with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and a freestanding desk.

Modern Farmhouse

Brad Ramsey Interiors

This is an example of a large country study room in Nashville with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a built-in desk and brown floor.

Seventh Green

Sage Designs

Comfortable Study with built-in shelving, decorative dentil crown molding and volume ceiling with truss beams.
Inspiration for a large traditional home office in Other with a library, grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a freestanding desk, brown floor and vaulted.

Indian Hill Estate

Newgard Custom Homes

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

Interior

Paragon Custom Builders

Walnut wood paneling surrounds this Library to provide a comforting space to think.
Inspiration for a large contemporary home office in San Francisco with a library, brown walls, a standard fireplace, brown floor, medium hardwood floors and a plaster fireplace surround.

Custom Home in Foxcroft

Chiott Custom Homes, Inc.

Joe Purvis
This is an example of a transitional home office in Charlotte with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround and a freestanding desk.

Dryden Lane

La Marco Homes

The stylish home office has a distressed white oak flooring with grey staining and a contemporary fireplace with wood surround.
Large transitional home office in Detroit with a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, a freestanding desk, beige walls, light hardwood floors and grey floor.

Georgian Style Study, Sandwich

Christian Builders Margate Ltd

Study Photographs - Mike Waterman
Expansive traditional study room in Kent with grey walls, carpet, a standard fireplace and a freestanding desk.

Bright and open home in Houston

By Design Interiors, Inc.

One of the first rooms you see through the front entry is this beautiful study mixed with traditional and contemporary furnishings. Brightly colored abstract artwork pops against the neutral walls and metallic groin vaulted ceiling. Photographer: Daniel Angulo

Stonebrook

Jessica Koltun Home

Interior design by Jessica Koltun Home. This stunning transitional home with an open floor plan features a formal dining, dedicated study, Chef's kitchen and hidden pantry. Designer amenities include white oak millwork, marble tile, and a high end lighting, plumbing, & hardware.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Transitional Home in Manalapan, FL

Marc-Michaels Interior Design

Ed Butera
This is an example of an expansive transitional study room in Miami with grey walls, carpet, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and a freestanding desk.

Traditional Home Office

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

Home Office Design Ideas with a Standard Fireplace

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.