DESIGN TALK

Most of us can probably unite over the home office struggle in the past year! For instance, you may have struggled with lack of space, finding quiet space, getting productive or simply just having a space that feels separate from the rest of your home. Well, I got you. Let’s talk about what options are out there to give your workspace a boost.

I’ll cover struggle by struggle with different solutions in a series of upcoming posts. Starting with the struggle of lack of space, and in future posts I’ll cover quiet space, and creating a sense of separation. Let’s do this!

SOLUTION 1 : THE MULTIFUNCTIONAL OFFICE

Think of your other pieces of furniture at home. Maybe you have a media cabinet, or bookcase? Consider swapping this for a furniture piece for something that has a desk component attached. This way you don’t have to give up any of your existing square footage but still get a desk in.

1. Modern shelving unit from Blu Dot with an integrated desk at the bottom instead of a shelf. What’s cool about this is that you can add on more shelving “columns” over the years and build this piece out (with or without the desk component)
2. This one is similar to the above but more affordable and with an industrial edge. This piece is from CB2
3. If neither of above feel quite right, this is a more neutral alternative and with a built-in drawer as well. This piece from Crate & Barrel might be my fave from this list for a small space and it’s also the most affordable
4. If you have a lot of books or need for storage, this is a great option from Crate & Barrel as it features not just shelving but also drawers and cabinets
5. If you like the idea of #4 but feel it’s too large, and perhaps want a different wood finish. This is a smaller and brighter piece from Crate & Barrel
6. Essentially the same idea as the top row of desks but instead of featuring open shelving, this is great for hiding junk since it has a drawer and cabinet. From Crate & Barrel
7. I love a good ol’ secretary desk or whatever people call them these days! This is a great luxe piece from William Sonoma. I could see this in a bedroom for example. It has drawer pieces and once the desk flap opens up you find hidden storage cubbies. I’ve also spotted this piece in Josh Young’s instagram since I love everything he does, I’m sold!
8. This is another pricier piece by Nomon but very beautiful. I like the minimal yet sculptural look of it! It’s very visually pleasing. I do also appreciate the flexibility of the moving shelves on top which is quite a cool feature.
9. Last but not least, this Scandinavian-esque shelving system by Artek which can also feature a desk option.

SOLUTION 2 : THE CLOSET OFFICE, MEET THE CLOFFICE

A few design blogs have already covered this topic but I’d do a disservice by not at least mentioning its ingenuity. You may have heard of the Cloffice. It’s basically a Closet <> Office. For example, many homes here in the US have built-in closets. By removing the closet doors you can open up the space for a desk. While it may not be a huge office – it can be a lifesaver as you can certainly fit a desk and some storage in there. It might sound kind of sketchy and depressing to work from a closet. However, I assure you that there won’t be any Harry Potter under the stairs vibes. I’m sharing some beautiful inspirations below for how to make it magical!

Clockwise: I love how the wood paneling on the wall behind the desk makes it read as more of a separated space. Design by Kismet House / Hidden behind cupboard doors, this workspace by Virginia Howard is painted in the same colors as the walls for a seamless look. Photo via House & Garden UK / The built-in millwork in Douglas fir warms up this small workspace. Designed by Jonathan Tuckey / This is such a simple and great solution – all you need is a wall mounted desk and shelves, and it’s like a whole new space. The pendant light also adds a lot visually. Via Alexandra Gater / Small workspace hidden behind a pair pocket doors in this London home designed by De Rosee Sa. Photo via House & Garden UK

SOLUTION 3 : THE FOLDABLE DESK OFFICE

Foldable desks do not have to look like picnic tables, I swear. There are actually some super smart and chic options out there which will let you spread out your laptop and notes, but also move everything away when you need the space for something else.

SOLUTION 4 : THE BUILT-IN HOME OFFICE

Do you have any awkward corners at home? A strange impractical niche? A lot of older houses don’t have straight walls and feature inexplicable gaps. These are perfect opportunities for some built-in storage and why not a desk! If there’s some extra height available, definitely consider adding shelves to store your day-to-day work gear.

In the next part of this Home Office Hacks series, I’ll cover other solutions for issues like acoustics, privacy and storage. Stay tuned! Please leave a comment or like if any of this was helpful 🙂 Let me know what your biggest home office struggle is?

*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.