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Whether you work fully remote, are on a hybrid schedule, or recently returned to school and need a study space, a home office is a must for staying focused and productive. But not everyone has a large spare bedroom to turn into a home office. Thankfully, the right design tips and a little creativity can help you transform what might feel like a closet into an inviting, invigorating space you enjoy working in.
With these design ideas for small offices, your home office will quickly become your favorite corner of your home.
When dealing with a cramped workspace, it’s best to think vertically instead of horizontally. Your desk and chair likely take up most of the floor, so you need to get creative with the walls around your workspace.
With space at a premium, you need to turn to your walls to help keep the area organized and decluttered. You can do this by:
Even if you’re not a natural interior designer, there are a few simple design ideas that can take your tiny home office from bland to beautiful. Take storage, for example. Every home office will need storage, but why stick to traditional pieces like filing cabinets? The beauty of having a home office means you can get extra creative with your storage and fixtures.
Here are some ideas to spark inspiration:
A bar cart can hold drink ingredients, or it can serve as a home for office supplies and other necessities when they’re not in use. It’s a chic, portable storage solution that you can easily wheel in, out, and around your space.
Bar carts can be especially useful if your office is in a shared area. You can bring the cart in while working and easily stow it away at the end of the day.
If you don’t have the luxury of an entirely separate office area (maybe your small office space is part of the living room or bedroom), use existing storage creatively to keep clutter at bay. A dresser or credenza will have enough room to store your office printer, file folders, stationery, and miscellaneous office items without looking out of place.
Working out of a bedroom? Get more inspiration with our 6 Tips for Creating an Office in Your Bedroom.
A storage ottoman or a bench with lift-top storage comes in handy for stowing extra blankets, magazines, remotes, and other home essentials. It can also be useful for storing office supplies.
If you have a mixed office-living space, storage ottomans and benches can hold files, cables, pens, notepads, and other supplies while functioning as comfortable seating when you’re off the clock.
Just because your office space is small doesn’t mean it has to feel small. Here are some tips for making even a closet office feel spacious and comfortable.
Color plays a crucial role in making your small home office feel larger. Use a light color palette for both the paint and the furnishings. Shades like white, cream, soft gray, pale blue, or beige reflect light instead of absorbing it, which brightens the room and makes the walls feel more open and airy.
Shelves add dimension, but mirrors create the illusion of space. The larger the mirror you hang, the bigger the room appears. Hanging a mirror on the wall next to or opposite your desk can instantly make the space feel less cramped.
A single overhead light source can make a room feel smaller by casting harsher shadows and uneven brightness. To help visually open up the room, invest in three layers of lighting: ambient (overhead, main light), task (desk or floor lamp), and accent (LED strips, a small lamp on a floating shelf, or candles).
Layered lighting tricks your eyes into perceiving more space.
The focal point of any small office space is usually the desk, so you want to make sure you invest in the right option for your space and your work.
If you’re working in the corner of a room, a two-sided L-shaped desk may be your best bet. It can hug two walls and provide you with more work surfaces. However, L-shaped desks can be bulky, so only choose this option if you have enough floor space for it.
Another popular option is a Murphy desk, also called a fold-out desk. They’re the perfect solution when you need to fit a desk into a tight space. Just like Murphy beds, these desks fold up against the wall when not in use, allowing you to reclaim your office space as living space whenever you need it.
Yet another option is a floating desk. You may be surprised when you realize how much larger a space can feel when the desk doesn’t sit directly on the floor. Floating desks are a simple design solution that creates an open, airy feel, even when space is tight.
Carefully planning a small home office means avoiding the common pitfalls that can make the space feel more cramped than it already is. Watch for these design mistakes:
Avoid getting furniture that’s bigger than the room can hold. This is an easy mistake to make, considering items like desks and office chairs naturally tend to be on the bulky side. However, too-big furniture can make the room look and feel even smaller (and more cluttered) than it is.
Measure your space to know the exact dimensions you’re working with, and pay close attention to furniture dimensions when shopping. Try to find slim-profile furniture, open-leg desks, and wall-mounted shelves. Visible floor space will help make the room feel bigger.
If you have windows in your office space, avoid heavy curtains, dark blinds, or furniture that blocks them. Natural light is one of the easiest ways to make a room feel more open and bigger, and it plays a key role in creating an aesthetic home office.
Consider using sheer curtains or roller shades. And place furniture next to the window and out of the sunlight’s path.
Low furniture can make ceilings feel lower because there isn’t vertical movement for the eye. So, while it may be tempting to keep everything desk level, you want to add some height variance. Consider tall shelving, tall lamps, or decor higher on the walls.
Floor space is crucial to making a room feel larger, and a rug that’s too small can visually shrink the floor area. If you want to use a rug (it’s a great option for soundproofing your home office), make sure it’s large enough. A properly sized rug creates continuity and makes the room feel more expansive.
The less you have in your small office space, the better. It’s easy to collect supplies, mugs, and tchotchkes, but the moment you have too much in your office, the more cramped you feel and the less you want to be there.
Corners are less about visual space and more about practicality. Corners are invaluable in small spaces, and you don’t want to leave them dark or blocked off. Try to make the most of a corner with a corner shelf, corner desk, floor lamp, or plant.
With a little creativity, you can transform your work area from dull to delightful. All it takes is the right furniture.
For all of your home office needs, from desks to bookcases, consider CORT Furniture Outlet. We have a wide selection of gently used furniture available at up to 70% off retail prices, so you can create a stylish home office that fits your space and budget. Shop our selection online or visit a store near you today.
