Study
This is an example of a large transitional study room in Denver with beige walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a freestanding desk and brown floor.

Covington home

Marian Margetson Fine Arts & Interior Design

Mid-sized traditional study room in New Orleans with brown walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and a freestanding desk.

Beverly Hills Post and Beam Mid-Century

Joel Reis Architecture and Real Estate Photography

Design ideas for a mid-sized midcentury home office in Los Angeles with light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a freestanding desk, white walls and beige floor.

Park Slope Brownstone

AHG Interiors

Nick Glimenakis
Photo of a small country home office in New York with a built-in desk, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a brick fireplace surround.

Bureau "Comme un Appartement" à Fontainebleau (77)

Loft 75 - Design & Architecture d'Intérieur

Inspiration for an eclectic study room in Paris with grey walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a freestanding desk and beige floor.

Colonial on the Bluff

Murphy & Co. Design

Photo of a beach style home office in Minneapolis with a library, blue walls, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a built-in desk and light hardwood floors.

Modern Farmhouse Bellaire Showcase

Stone Acorn Builders

Large country home office in Houston with a library, blue walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a freestanding desk and beige floor.

OTR Republic Street

Omg LLC.

Inspiration for a large industrial study room in Cincinnati with grey walls, light hardwood floors, a freestanding desk, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and beige floor.

Long Crendon Longhouse

Cairn

Simon Maxwell
Mid-sized scandinavian home studio in Buckinghamshire with white walls, light hardwood floors, a wood stove, a brick fireplace surround, a built-in desk and brown floor.

Home Study, Guildford

Home Interior Design

floating curved plywood desk and shelving
Inspiration for a small scandinavian study room in Surrey with multi-coloured walls, light hardwood floors, a corner fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a built-in desk and planked wall panelling.

LA Office Project

West Eleven Lane

Shannan Leigh Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional study room in Los Angeles with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a freestanding desk and beige floor.

Sea Girt Beach House

Kathy Kuo Designs Inc

The goal of any office design is to make the space as productive and functional as it is comfortable and beautiful. Therefore, we made sure to fit a full desk into this space complete with drawers and trays perfect for organization. With so much natural sunlight shimmering in through the window treatments of this coastal home, placing the desk right in front of the sunshine was an absolute must. The feminine and sophisticated look of our Oriana shagreen desk serves as the perfect hero piece, bringing a classic touch to the office while maintaining the coastal design style.

Portland Heights Historic Home

COOPER Design Build

Home office with built-in storage and shelving to encompass its traditional style.
Photo of a mid-sized traditional home office in Portland with a library, green walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, brown floor and wood walls.

Home for Art

elena del bucchia DESIGN

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary study room in Calgary with white walls, light hardwood floors, a wood stove, a brick fireplace surround, a built-in desk and vaulted.

Creative Studio

Ed Hughey, Architect & Realtor

This is an example of a small modern home studio in Austin with white walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a built-in desk and white floor.

Kelvin Grv

Tate Architecture

This is an example of a small modern study room in Melbourne with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a built-in desk and beige floor.

Cobble Hill Brooklyn Brownstone Renovation

Julia Mack Design, LLC

This home office also serves as a family room and has a desk for work and also a television. Everything is kept neat and tidy thanks to two large Eames storage units manufactured by Herman Miller that feature lots of closed and open storage. The color palette is kept bright with bleached wood white floors and super white walls by Benjamin Moore. The wood tones of the storage plus the light wood picture frame add both warmth and dimension to the space. The addition of a CB2 bookcase brings the eye upward and adds 7 shelves of additional open storage.

Urban Condominium

Alan Design Studio

Designer: Jean Alan
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary study room in Chicago with red walls, light hardwood floors, a corner fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and a freestanding desk.

LA Office Project

West Eleven Lane

Shannan Leigh Photography
Mid-sized traditional study room in Los Angeles with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a freestanding desk and brown floor.

Modern Farmhouse Bellaire Showcase

Stone Acorn Builders

Design ideas for a large country home office in Houston with a library, blue walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a freestanding desk and beige floor.

Home Office Design Ideas with Light Hardwood Floors and a Brick Fireplace Surround

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.