Small Home Office Ideas

If you work from home a dedicated work space or home office is essential. We have all dreamt about one of those gorgeous Bert's boxes in our gardens to work in, a simple stroll out in the morning with a of cup of tea in hand to sit happily all day being super productive....

Image Via Berts Box

Ahhh the dream!!! While our little dream sounds heavenly let's be honest most of us create a home office in a small room in the house or take over the corner of another room. As more and more people now work from home, a home office is no longer seen as a luxury in UK but finding and creating the perfect space for a home office is not always easy. We are currently renovating our house and we have been looking at which room or space we are going to use as our home office, don’t tell the kids but I think we are going to steal their playroom.

Whether you have a whole room to make into a home office or you are dedicating a small corner of another room, you can make this space work for you without compromising on design.

Transforming your home office into an environment you want to spend time in is so important. We have put together some ideas for creating the perfect small home office space, taking into consideration all the practical elements, such as desk space, seating and storage. We also want to make these work spaces our own by adding some decorative elements, artwork, plants, cool desk organisers…things that can make the space yours.

This is one of my favourite images of a small home office. Created by Workstead founders Stefanie Brechbuehler and Robbert Highsmith and featured in the Remodelista book, A Manual For The Considered Home By Julie Carlson. Image via Remodelista by Photographer Matthew Williams

Home office Layout

If you can have a whole room dedicated to your home office, then do it. Having a space where you can shut yourself off from any distractions is ideal. If not, then try and create a space that you want to spend time in, that is free from distractions.

Natural light is something to consider. Do you like to be in front of a window or is it too tempting to just daydream?

Clutter and mess are considered un-conducive to getting lots of work done, we know there are always exceptions to the rules but for the most part avoiding having lots of clutter in your home office will help you stay focused.

Image via Remodelista

Furniture

Furniture for your home office, what are your thoughts? We love the Adler standing desk by Ohio shown at the top of the post. Are you keen on a standing desk or do you feel tired just thing about it? Do you want a proper old fashioned desk or do you prefer a large kitchen table so you can spread out when you are working. Personally I prefer a large table and I actually work at one of our Such & Such dining tables

The custom, made to order, Such & Such reclaimed dining table, also works well as an office desk. Image via Such & Such

Some people may not have the space for something this size and may prefer to create a desk space in a corner or small unused space in another room.

Image via Pinterest

If you have a small space consider shelves above the desk to keep items tucked away or even a shelf below the desk if you don’t want lots of things on sight. Think about what you actually need in the space, printer, files, books etc and really consider where these will go. I often work at night after the kids go to bed so I need a lamp on my desk, this obviously takes up space on the desk, all things to keep in mind when you are designing the space.

Image via Pinterest

If you are not going down the standing desk route, then you need to think about a proper chair. There are now plenty of great desk chair options and taking the time to find the right one that looks great but that is also comfortable is key. Try some of the vintage shops online, such as Vinterior for unique chairs.

Image via Pinterest

Storage and Organisation

Just like anywhere else in the house, storage and organisation are absolutely essential to making a space look and feel great and most importantly work well. If you have great storage and a dedicated spot for everything in the office, then firstly you don’t spend time searching for things and secondly the space stays tidy and organised. What do they always say, “Tidy desk, tidy mind” the less clutter, the easy it is to focus and the more we get done.

Image via Pinterest

With that in mind think about what you have on or around your desk and how best to organise these. Do you want shelves above your desk or to the side, if you are short of space, then floating shelves are ideal. Are you someone who prefers to put things in drawers, in which case consider some sort of closed cupboard or drawers unit.

Image via Pinterest

A notice board or pin board is great for getting organised and for removing notes and pieces of paper off the desk, just make sure you constantly check what is still relevant and remove all old or outdated notices or reminders. Have a pending file or box for things that need your immediate attention.

These cork boards are perfect for hanging notices, inspirational images, business cards etc as are the wire mesh boards below...these are all available at Such & Such

I often think tackle the desk like you would the kitchen. Create a drawer for the hole punch, stapler, scissors and sellotape, these are the knifes and forks of the home office. Have a lovely pot for holding pens, pencils etc, much as you have a utensils holder in the kitchen. These will help declutter and organise the space.

Cherry wood handmade desk organiser. Image via iWood Design UA available on Etsy

It might be worth looking into wire tidying options or even a docking/charging drawer to keep all wires and electronics neat and charged. There are some really clever ideas for organising all those wires now. 

 Image via Docking Drawer

Wooden cleat design by wrk-shp for Image via The Organised Home

Accessories

The fun bit, making the space your own with some well thought out accessories. Adding some personality to the space will only make it feel like a nice space to be in and create a warmer more enjoyable environment to work in. Don’t go overboard but consider some photos or artwork either on the desk, shelves or walls.

 

David Mellor 700 Series Chair Limited Edition Print available at Such & Such

We touched on lighting before but think about a great lamp you could use that would work in the space or if you are starting from scratch whether a pendant over the desk area would work?

Something green, a houseplant or some flowers will always make a space more appealing and inviting. We have some lovely plant holders or vases on the site. A clock on the wall is also a great addition, so you can make sure you are on time for that conference call or to leave for that meeting.

Some small home office accessory ideas, all available at Such & Such.

For further small home office ideas take a look at our Such & Such Pinterest Board 



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