Photo of a country home office in Other with brown walls, light hardwood floors, a freestanding desk, beige floor and wood walls.

Hidden Library/Bookcase Door Open

User

This home office was built in an old Victorian in Alameda for a couple, each with his own workstation. A hidden bookcase-door was designed as a "secret" entrance to an adjacent room. The office contained several printer cabinets, media cabinets, drawers for an extensive CD/DVD collection and room for copious files. The clients wanted to display their arts and crafts pottery collection and a lit space was provided on the upper shelves for this purpose. Every surface of the room was customized, including the ceiling and window casings.

Contemporain Bureau à Domicile

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

Golden Hour Garden

Interiors by Herlong

Inspiration for a large mediterranean study room in Charleston with brown walls, light hardwood floors, a built-in desk, brown floor and vaulted.

Квартира на Мосфильмовской

Le Atelier

This is an example of a contemporary home office in Moscow with brown walls, light hardwood floors, a built-in desk and beige floor.

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/

Japanese House

Sustainable Design Group

This beautiful secluded house and art studio, hand built by a Japanese Potter, has been given a new life as a writing studio for its owner. The building, having been neglected and uninhabited for some time, was in danger of being demolished. The owner’s recognition of the underlying spirit of the place, in what can only be described as a labor of love, worked with the designers and the artisans to bring this building back to life. The stone cylinder at the center of the building houses bathrooms and mechanical systems, allowing the remainder of the building to remain open. The new cedar posts, stair, custom cabinets and handcrafted sliding doors are among the details that were chosen to complement the restoration of the underlying building, ensuring a long life for this peaceful retreat.

Home Office

Clean Design

Donna Dotan Photography Inc.
Design ideas for a large contemporary study room in New York with brown walls, light hardwood floors and a built-in desk.

Custom Library

DiFabion Remodeling, Inc.

Evergreen Studios
Design ideas for a large transitional study room in Charlotte with brown walls, light hardwood floors and a freestanding desk.

Shankill, County Dublin

Doheny Interiors

Built-in home office units. Two tone units were used to add interest. The back panels were painted the same colour as the wall to add debt. A light oak finish was used for work top and the engineered wood floors.

Study

Catlin Design

Pecky and clear cypress wood walls, moldings, and arched beam ceiling is the feature of the study. Custom designed cypress cabinetry was built to complement the interior architectural details

Libreria

Aube studios

zona interior de la caseta
Photo of a small industrial home office in Barcelona with a library, brown walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace, a freestanding desk, brown floor, exposed beam and wood walls.

YA HOUSES

Sergio Olazabal - 2arquitectos

Design ideas for a small modern study room in Madrid with brown walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace and a built-in desk.

Oakland Township Contemporary

Tutto Interiors

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary home office in Detroit with a library, brown walls, light hardwood floors, a freestanding desk, brown floor and wallpaper.

Healdsburg Craftsman

Bevan + Associates

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

Oak Library & Office

Green Home Design + Build

Mid-sized arts and crafts home office in Portland with a library, brown walls, light hardwood floors, a built-in desk and brown floor.

Рецепт яркой жизни

Студия Enjoy Home

Михаил Лоскутов
This is an example of a contemporary study room in Moscow with brown walls, light hardwood floors and a freestanding desk.

Pacific Palisades

Mike Warshaw Architects

Small midcentury study room in San Francisco with brown walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace, a freestanding desk and beige floor.

Portfolio

Halm & Perkins, LLC

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional home office in Detroit with a library, brown walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace and a built-in desk.

Dell Avenue

The Lexington Group, LLC

Large traditional home office in DC Metro with a library, brown walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace, a built-in desk and beige floor.

Home Office Design Ideas with Brown Walls and Light Hardwood Floors

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.