Design ideas for a contemporary home office in Sydney with blue walls and a freestanding desk.

Cati Teague Photography
This is an example of a mid-sized eclectic study room in Atlanta with a built-in desk, blue walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Doheny Penthouse Renovation

Tim Barber Architects

Photography by Laura Hull.
Photo of a small transitional home office in Los Angeles with blue walls, dark hardwood floors and a freestanding desk.

Sandalwood transitional

Jamestown Estate Homes

Starlight Images Inc.
Photo of an expansive transitional study room in Houston with blue walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace, a freestanding desk and beige floor.

Unlock Your Mind

House of L

Mid-sized transitional home office in Cleveland with a library, blue walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a freestanding desk, brown floor, wallpaper and wood walls.

Comfortable and Collected

Ann Lowengart Interiors

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.

Chattahoochee River Home

Leah Atkins Design, LLC

Traditional home office in Atlanta with blue walls, no fireplace, a freestanding desk and dark hardwood floors.

Mashpee Shingle Style

ArchiPlicity, LLC

Katherine Jackson Architectural Photography
Design ideas for a large transitional study room in Boston with blue walls, light hardwood floors, a built-in desk and beige floor.

Danville Project

Applegate Tran Interiors

Large transitional home office in San Francisco with a library, blue walls, dark hardwood floors, a built-in desk, no fireplace and brown floor.

Woodstream Craftsmen

Berghuis Construction LLC

This is an example of an arts and crafts home office in Grand Rapids with orange walls, carpet and a freestanding desk.

Miami Charm in Highland Park

Robert Elliott Custom Homes

Nathan Schroder Photography BK Design Studio Robert Elliott Custom Homes
This is an example of a contemporary home office in Dallas with blue walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace and a built-in desk.

Bryce Dallas Howard's New York Home

Emily Pertzborn Interiors

Small country study room in New York with blue walls, a built-in desk and planked wall panelling.

City Style

Andrea Schumacher Interiors

This home office features a turquoise painted ceiling and bookshelves. The large desk is surrounded by leather chairs. A zebra-hide rug lays underneath the table. A gold chandelier hangs above the table.

Small Office Design

Tunde Decor, LLC

This room used to be a small playroom that the client wanted to use as a home office. We managed to make it beautiful and functional with a small sofa for relaxing or receiving guests.

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.

Westmoreland Project

Making Room for Peace

With all of the various entry-ways into the office, we took the opportunity to have the desk be free-standing. This desk in particular is one of our favorites because of the size and design.

Greenwich Historic

Chango

Interior Design, Custom Furniture Design & Art Curation by Chango & Co. Photography by Christian Torres
Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional study room in New York with blue walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and brown floor.

Home Office Oasis

Bobbi Alderfer/Lifestyle Design

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional study room in Chicago with blue walls and a built-in desk.

East Glenview Home

Toms Price Home

Home office
Design ideas for a transitional home office in Chicago with blue walls, light hardwood floors, a freestanding desk, coffered and wallpaper.

Kids Home Office | Short Hills, NJ

Studio Aubergine Interior Design

Photo of a contemporary home office in New York with a library, blue walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace, a built-in desk and brown floor.

Home Office Design Ideas with Blue Walls and Orange Walls

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.