Inspiration for a small midcentury home office in Charlotte with blue walls, light hardwood floors, a freestanding desk and brown floor.

Basement Rear Extension and Full Refurbishment

Pencil and Brick

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional study room in London with blue walls, light hardwood floors, a built-in desk and brown floor.

Modern Farmhouse New Construction

Two Hands Interiors

Fun and bold concert prints take center stage in this music industry professional’s home office. Neutral walls and light wood floors give the pieces all the space to become the focal point.

Rosedale Ave Whole House Remodel

Jordan Design-Build Group

Outside of the primary bedroom suite, we created a small nook that serves double duty as a home office space and reading nook.
Inspiration for a small transitional home office in DC Metro with light hardwood floors, blue walls and a freestanding desk.

Modern Residential Office in Plantation - Florida

OC Architectural Woodwork

Large modern craft room in Miami with brown walls, light hardwood floors, a freestanding desk, grey floor and wallpaper.

ASC Chicago to Burbs

Amy Storm & Company

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional home office in Chicago with a library, grey walls, light hardwood floors, a built-in desk, brown floor and coffered.

Best in American Living Winner: Caruthers

Frankel Design Build

Expansive transitional study room in Houston with white walls, light hardwood floors and a freestanding desk.

The Baluster

Studio Trejo

Desk overlooking park.
Inspiration for a mid-sized scandinavian study room in Other with white walls, light hardwood floors, a freestanding desk and beige floor.

Soft Contemporary in Amarra

Meredith Owen Interiors

Large transitional home office in Austin with a library, grey walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace, a built-in desk and brown floor.

Fossil Creek Study

Haven Design and Construction

This beautiful study was part of a whole house design and renovation by Haven Design and Construction. For this room, our objective was to create a feminine and sophisticated study for our client. She requested a design that was unique and fresh, but still warm and inviting. We wallpapered the back of the bookcases in an eye catching metallic vine pattern to add a feminine touch. Then, we selected a deep gray tone from the wallpaper and painted the bookcases and wainscoting in this striking color. We replaced the carpet with a light wood flooring that compliments the gray woodwork. Our client preferred a petite desk, just large enough for paying bills or working on her laptop, so our first furniture selection was a lovely black desk with feminine curved detailing and delicate star hardware. The room still needed a focal point, so we selected a striking lucite and gold chandelier to set the tone. The design was completed by a pair of gray velvet guest chairs. The gold twig pattern on the back of the chairs compliments the metallic wallpaper pattern perfectly. Finally the room was carefully detailed with unique accessories and custom bound books to fill the bookcases.

Home Office

Hudson Cooper Design

gray curtains
This is an example of a transitional study room in Charleston with grey walls, light hardwood floors and a built-in desk.

Clean Contemporary Custom Home

Charleston Building and Development

Photo by Stoffer Photography
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary home office in Chicago with grey walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace, a freestanding desk and beige floor.

Lake Ave

Kaegebein Fine Homebuilding LLC

Contemporary home office in Denver with brown walls, light hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a freestanding desk and beige floor.

Vivienda E

Lourdes Martínez Nieto

Contemporary home office in Other with light hardwood floors, a built-in desk and beige floor.

Mission Boho Home

Noz Design

Colin Price Photography
Inspiration for a small eclectic home office in San Francisco with light hardwood floors, a freestanding desk and multi-coloured walls.

Nathan Homes English Farmhouse

Structur Design + Interiors

Photo of a mid-sized country study room in Omaha with multi-coloured walls, light hardwood floors, a freestanding desk and brown floor.

Skyview - Luxury Staging

BA Staging & Interiors

Inspiration for a large contemporary home office in New York with white walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace, a freestanding desk and brown floor.

Modern Custom Home Office

JayMarc Homes

The office was designed around family and includes four matching stations. White flat panel cabinets were added for extra storage.
This is an example of a large contemporary study room in Seattle with white walls, light hardwood floors and a built-in desk.

Contemporary Home Office

Inspiration for a small contemporary study room in San Diego with black walls, light hardwood floors, a built-in desk and beige floor.

Angel Bay - Lake Travis

AE Interiors

Design ideas for a large country study room in Austin with brown walls, light hardwood floors and a freestanding desk.

Home Office Design Ideas with Light Hardwood Floors and Slate 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.