Home office with custom builtins, murphy bed, and desk. Custom walnut headboard, oak shelves
Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury study room in San Diego with white walls, carpet, a built-in desk and beige floor.

SheShed

Rasmus Blaesbjerg

A little over a year ago my retaining wall collapsed by the entrance to my house bringing down several tons of soil on to my property. Not exactly my finest hour but I was determined to see as an opportunity to redesign the entry way that I have been less than happy with since I got the house. I wanted to build a structure together with a new wall I quickly learned it required foundation with cement caissons drilled all the way down to the bedrock. It also required 16 ft setbacks from the hillside. Neither was an option for me. After much head scratching I found the shed building ordinance that is the same for the hills that it is for the flatlands. The basics of it is that everything less than 120 ft, has no plumbing and with electrical you can unplug is considered a 'Shed' in the City of Los Angeles. A shed it is then. This is lead me the excellent high-end prefab shed builders called Studio Shed. I combined their structure with luxury vinyl flooring from Amtico and the 606 Universal Shelving System from Vitsoe. All the interior I did myself with my power army called mom and dad. I'm rather pleased with the result which has been dubbed the 'SheShed'

Mid-Century Home Office

User

Three pre-owned lateral file cabinets were customized with white paint, stainless steel pulls and a new base. A small leftover gap was infilled with a space for CPU and CD storage. Photography by Sharyn Kastelic, Toronto Canada

Lotus on Orange

Josh Wynne Construction

Ryan Gamma Photography
This is an example of a mid-sized midcentury study room in Other with white walls, concrete floors, a freestanding desk, no fireplace and grey floor.

Small Mid-Century Modern Home Office

Spacejoy

Starting with the classic mid-century wallpaper, this home office space might be tiny, but it's filled with potential. The two bookshelves behind the desk frame it and add additional storage space for books, office supplies, and decorative accents. Thanks to this layout, there's still plenty of room for a small relaxing nook across the desk. We added an accent chair paired with an ottoman that can always double as a side table or quickly go underneath the console table when not allowed for more walking space. Finally, we even added a small nook for the furry coworker who wants to stay in the office all-day-long.

Vintage Grand Rapids Family Home.

Brett Bulthuis Photography

©BrettBulthuis2018
Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury home office in Grand Rapids with a library, white walls, light hardwood floors, a built-in desk, beige floor and no fireplace.

Olympic Manor Kitchen + Office

Jackson Design Build

Build: Jackson Design Build. Photography: Krogstad Photography
Design ideas for a small midcentury home office in Seattle with white walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace, a freestanding desk and brown floor.

Red Brick House

Sheri Haby Architects

Desk nook
This is an example of a small midcentury home office in Melbourne with white walls, concrete floors, a built-in desk, grey floor and brick walls.

Home Study and Respite

Siegler Design Services + INTERIORS

Home office for small business person and comfortable daybed for week-ends gran kids may be over. Owner loves mid century and modern. Simple and clean lines is minimal fuss for him.

10x14 Signature Series Home Office

Studio Shed - Live Large. Build Small.

Featured Studio Shed: • 10x14 Signature Series • Volcano Gray block siding • Volcano Gray doors • Natural Stained eaves • Lifestyle Interior Package
Design ideas for a mid-sized midcentury home studio in Seattle with white walls, a freestanding desk and wallpaper.

Oxford Street

Koch Architects

Home office with two freestanding light wood desks and grey chairs, floating shelves above desks, light wood paneled walls, exposed beam ceiling with skylights, and concrete floors in mid-century-modern home renovation in the Berkeley Hills.- Photo by Bruce Damonte.

The Jonathan Club

Interiors By Patrick

Photo of a mid-sized midcentury home office in Los Angeles with a library, vinyl floors, no fireplace, beige floor and recessed.

South Canyon: Colorful Modern Mix

User

Photo of a mid-sized midcentury study room in Los Angeles with white walls, carpet, no fireplace and a built-in desk.

Globally Inspired Mid-Century Modern

JSB Designs

Moving on to the sitting room, which extends from the office. Here, we used many of the same colors -- muted blues and creams with pops of orange. Photos by 618 Creative of Waterloo, IL

baron office

Chalkhouse Kitchens

Beautiful home office with a Scandi midcentury vibe, featuring oak slatted walls, Shaker panelled tall storage cupboards, oak veneered desk and frame open file storage

Midcentury Modern Office

exactly.

Design ideas for a mid-sized midcentury home studio in Detroit with blue walls, cork floors, a freestanding desk, brown floor and wallpaper.

Midcentury Modern Office

exactly.

Photo of a mid-sized midcentury home studio in Detroit with blue walls, cork floors, a freestanding desk, brown floor and wallpaper.

Armour

Frahm Interiors - Burlington ON

Design ideas for a mid-sized midcentury home office in Toronto with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a freestanding desk and panelled walls.

Makler Büro

Lux Design Living

Modern gemütlich, Büro mit Konferenztisch
Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury study room in Berlin with blue walls, light hardwood floors, a corner fireplace, a built-in desk and grey floor.

Copeland Catalina Walnut Desk

VERMONT WOODS STUDIOS

For modern, mid century home office furniture, the Copeland-Catalina collection is best in its class. High end, designer desks, file cabinets and credenzas. Handcrafted in Vermont, this furniture is made to order, in natural solid black walnut or maple wood. Catalina home office furniture combines clean contemporary lines with organic and geometric wood forms. This solid hardwood, handmade office furniture is suggestive of the works of America’s Mid-Century Modern designers with it's retro-modern shapes and sensibilities. Check out the Top 10 Reasons to Buy Copeland Catalina Furniture Here at Vermont Woods Studios. Then Go Natural - Go Green with Copeland!

Midcentury Home Office Design Ideas

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 midcentury 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 midcentury 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 midcentury 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 midcentury 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.