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What to Do if You Don’t Have Space for a... Home Office
If space is a bit tight for a dedicated study, check out these ideas of where to put your desk instead
Do you find yourself working hunched over on the sofa or fighting for space on the dining table? If so, explore these clever tips for incorporating a workspace into any home. The ideas on this list all make the most of under-utilised spaces and look stylish, too.
Steal space from a bedroom
Another solution is tucking your desk into a bedroom. Just bear sightlines in mind if you plan on taking video calls here: you may not want the bed visible in the background (or make sure you always have a background switched on).
In this room by Ademchic, the desk sits at the bottom of the bed for a plain wall behind, while a rug helps to zone the space and separate the work and sleep areas.
Got a project in mind? Find the best expert for the job in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Another solution is tucking your desk into a bedroom. Just bear sightlines in mind if you plan on taking video calls here: you may not want the bed visible in the background (or make sure you always have a background switched on).
In this room by Ademchic, the desk sits at the bottom of the bed for a plain wall behind, while a rug helps to zone the space and separate the work and sleep areas.
Got a project in mind? Find the best expert for the job in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Tuck it into an odd nook
An office corner is also a great way to maximise stair landings and similar little nooks that might otherwise not be used. A bespoke approach is often required if the space is tight, but a good designer will be able to spot the potential of an overlooked corner and suggest ways to maximise it.
The built-in desk in this study corner by Romilly Turner Interior Design is curved to allow enough room to sit comfortably, while shelves make the most of the space overhead.
An office corner is also a great way to maximise stair landings and similar little nooks that might otherwise not be used. A bespoke approach is often required if the space is tight, but a good designer will be able to spot the potential of an overlooked corner and suggest ways to maximise it.
The built-in desk in this study corner by Romilly Turner Interior Design is curved to allow enough room to sit comfortably, while shelves make the most of the space overhead.
Create a ‘cloffice’
A portmanteau of ‘closet’ and ‘office’, cloffices were a big trend a few years ago, and for good reason. Tucking an office into a cupboard not only makes good use of ‘bonus’ space that isn’t usually part of the living area, but shutting the doors can hide a messy desk out of view at the end of the day.
In this workspace by Increation, closing the cupboard restores the dining room’s pristine all-white colour scheme.
Discover why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software.
A portmanteau of ‘closet’ and ‘office’, cloffices were a big trend a few years ago, and for good reason. Tucking an office into a cupboard not only makes good use of ‘bonus’ space that isn’t usually part of the living area, but shutting the doors can hide a messy desk out of view at the end of the day.
In this workspace by Increation, closing the cupboard restores the dining room’s pristine all-white colour scheme.
Discover why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software.
Incorporate it within a run of units
If you’re having bespoke furniture made, see if there’s scope to work a desk into the design.
The workspace in this interior by Form + Field perfectly slots into the space next to a built-in unit in the hallway. The desk has been designed to be the exact same depth as the unit, creating a seamless flow, and the chair can tuck right underneath, minimising any trip hazard when not in use.
Although this example is in a large hallway, the same idea could work in a kitchen or living room – anywhere you have a run of units with space at one end.
More: Do These 7 Things to Get an Organised Home Office
If you’re having bespoke furniture made, see if there’s scope to work a desk into the design.
The workspace in this interior by Form + Field perfectly slots into the space next to a built-in unit in the hallway. The desk has been designed to be the exact same depth as the unit, creating a seamless flow, and the chair can tuck right underneath, minimising any trip hazard when not in use.
Although this example is in a large hallway, the same idea could work in a kitchen or living room – anywhere you have a run of units with space at one end.
More: Do These 7 Things to Get an Organised Home Office
Make good use of the area under the stairs
Slotting a writing desk and chair under the stairs is a great way to make the most of the low clearance in this area.
Here, designer Jo Shore has has used an antique table to create a cosy and functional corner. Another option is custom-building a desk and shelves fitted to the angles of the space, which would provide storage and allow for office supplies to be neatly organised and tidied away.
If the area behind the desk is in constant use as a walk-through, make sure the desk chair tucks in close, so it doesn’t create a trip hazard, or place a brightly coloured rug underneath the desk area to clearly mark the zone as a work space.
Slotting a writing desk and chair under the stairs is a great way to make the most of the low clearance in this area.
Here, designer Jo Shore has has used an antique table to create a cosy and functional corner. Another option is custom-building a desk and shelves fitted to the angles of the space, which would provide storage and allow for office supplies to be neatly organised and tidied away.
If the area behind the desk is in constant use as a walk-through, make sure the desk chair tucks in close, so it doesn’t create a trip hazard, or place a brightly coloured rug underneath the desk area to clearly mark the zone as a work space.
Take it outside
If there’s really no room in the house for a desk, could you put it in your garden? Garden rooms like this one by Office Sian Architecture & Design are rightly popular. Not only are they roomier than study corners in the house, but having an office in an outbuilding minimises distractions and helps delineate between work and home.
As an added bonus, clients can enter directly through the garden, bypassing the private spaces inside the house.
Tell us…
Which of these ideas is your favourite? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
If there’s really no room in the house for a desk, could you put it in your garden? Garden rooms like this one by Office Sian Architecture & Design are rightly popular. Not only are they roomier than study corners in the house, but having an office in an outbuilding minimises distractions and helps delineate between work and home.
As an added bonus, clients can enter directly through the garden, bypassing the private spaces inside the house.
Tell us…
Which of these ideas is your favourite? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Often underutilised during the working day, the living room might be the perfect place for an office corner. The desk in this room by Samantha Danckwerts is slotted into a beautiful arched alcove to one side of the mantelpiece.
It blends perfectly into the decor of the space, while leaving enough room to work comfortably. Natural light floods in through the window next to it, and Samantha has built in a wall light for working after dark.