Home Office Design Ideas: 15 Layouts We Love

Looking for home office design ideas? You’re in the right place.

Read on to see our favorite layouts, what we love about each one, and learn a few things to consider before decorating your office. You’ll be glad you did!

Looking for Home Office Design Ideas?

Whether you’re running your own business, working remotely, or bringing your work home with you for overtime hours, chances are you’ve thought about new home office design ideas. After all, working from home has its benefits.

You need a functional and dedicated space to get the job done, and these ideas are so beautiful, practical, and easy to implement that you may just have to force yourself to step away from your home office!

15 Home Office Design Ideas for Any Space

You may be fortunate to have a spare room in the house to call your office, or you may be making the most of the living room window seat.

These home office solutions can enhance your workspace, no matter how much or how little space you have.

1. Sensible and Neat

Sensible and Neat home office design idea with a grey wooden desk with open shelves on which sits a mac next to a grey sitting chair and potted plant

Srijaroen/Shutterstock

A home office doesn’t need to be elaborate and expensive. Even if you have a small area and budget, you can set up a dedicated spot in your home to work.

A simple table to hold your computer and phone, a shelf or drawer for office supplies, and an outlet or extension cord are all you need.

Keep in mind that without much storage space, it’s easy to let the clutter build up. Keep the workspace clean and neat, and avoid a paper backlog on the table’s surface.

2. Use the Wall

Image of a home office design idea featuring wall-mounted cabinets above and to the left of a heavy wooden desk

Archideaphoto/Shutterstock

There’s no room for a bookcase in your office. Look up! If space is a luxury, install shelves on the wall above and next to your desk to increase your storage space without taking up a larger footprint.

For a unique spin, hang different sizes of boxes in a creative arrangement to store your books and knick-knacks.

Hang up a bulletin board to display essential memos and get them off your desk. You can even install an organizer rack to hold pens and office supplies on the wall.

3. Create a Private Space

Home office design idea made from a sectioned-off wall on the opposite side of a living room

Li Chaoshu/Shutterstock

Suppose you don’t have a separate room for your office and are working in the bedroom, living room, kitchen, or another area of the house. Section off your workspace with a room divider.

You can use a foldable partition, a large bookcase, a curtain, or install a sliding door. Creating a separate working space will help:

Limit the distractions in the other area of the room and help you focus on your work.
Set a clear delineation between work and home time. Slip into your house slippers when you leave your office space for the day!
Hide the house in video conferences and portray that you’re working in a more professional environment
Hide the office clutter from view in the house.

4. A Comfortable Seat

Liberal woman with a half-shaved head sits in an ergonomic office chair in front of a standing desk while holding a coffee cup in her left hand

IJMphotos/Shutterstock

Invest in a good-quality, or ergonomic chair, if you’ll be spending the majority of your day at your desk. Sitting on an uncomfortable seat can cause back pain and distract you from your work.

The price of your comfort will pay for itself. Similarly, make sure your desk, keyboard, and computer screen are at optimal heights and angles, so you don’t strain your arms, neck, or eyes.

5. Personalize the Space

Image of a home office design idea with lots of pictures framed and mounted on the wall below a clock

Photographee.eu/Shutterstock

Hang up artwork, personal photos, or inspirational quotes in your office space to give it some personality.

You don’t need to spend a fortune to decorate the space. Frame your favorite articles and print and hang photos that you love.

Don’t worry about matching the wall images to each other or sticking to one genre. Decorate the office in a style that makes you happy. You should like your home office and enjoy working in it.

6. Go Green

Home office design idea with modular square shelves and a white and chrome task desk in a cream-painted brick room in front of a window

SeventyFour/Shutterstock

Add plants to your workspace to give it some character and freshness. Greenery always brightens up a room.

Choose a leafy plant, a vase of your favorite flowers, or go with a few small succulents if you don’t have a green thumb.

Mix and match a few different types of plants for added interest. Try a tall houseplant in the corner, a vase of flowers on the desk, and a succulent on your shelf. The room will immediately feel different.

7. Embrace Color

Home office design idea with white metal and wooden shelves attached to a yellow wall above a wooden and white desk

Bonninstudio/Shutterstock

Most offices tend to go with neutral, muted colors and classic décor. If that’s your style, that’s great! However, if you like color, embrace it! There’s a lot you can do with color in a home office.

Try covering one wall with statement wallpaper, painting a wall yellow, getting a red chair, or putting down a bright rug. It’s your home office; give it your style! You’ll smile when you sit down to work.

8. Seating Area

Idea for a design for a home office with ample seating and room to walk around with light and natural brown furniture in a room with white marble floors and taupe walls

Yoska/Shutterstock

Do you need to meet in person with clients?

Consider saving yourself a trip to the coffeehouse and setting up a small seating area in your home office with a few chairs and a small table. If your office is in the living room, your sofa and coffee table may be the solution.

Otherwise, you can add two coordinating armchairs to give the room a welcoming vibe. In a neutral-toned room, try a colored or patterned chair for visual contrast.

If you don’t have space for more chairs, try foldable or stackable ones. You can easily store them away when they’re not needed.

9. Natural Light

Image of a home office design idea with minimalistic vibes with just a few white floating shelves on a white wall with a natural wood tile floor in a herringbone design

ImageFlow/Shutterstock

If it’s possible, try to set up your home office in a room with a window that will afford you plenty of natural sunlight. A corner office is a coveted spot in the office building; claim it for yourself in your own home!

Natural sunlight can improve your mood, increase productivity, and reduce your eyestrain in artificial lighting.

However, if you’re in the direct line of the sun’s glare, it can be bothersome and distracting. Install curtains or window blinds for when the sunlight is too strong.

10. White and Bright

White and bright home office design idea with lots of modular shelves on the back wall behind the desk and chair

Pressmaster/Shutterstock

Brighten up a small home office by sticking to a white or neutral color scheme. The room will look chic and modern in a monochromatic theme.

Bring in a pop of color with a piece of art, flowers, or a focal wall such as a varied bookcase. To keep the light and airy feel, look into transparent chairs and glass and lucite accessories.

11. Sharing the Space

Home office design idea featuring built-in shelves made of thick wood in a side-by-side office design

ImageFlow/Shutterstock

Are you sharing the home office?

To keep the room from being overwhelmed with furniture, look for a desk designed to fit two workstations or get matching desks and chairs for a cohesive look. Each worker can personalize their own station with artwork and pictures.

12. Sufficient Storage

Home office design idea built from a solid slab of wood that blends into the built-in shelving of a wall

Fiphoto/Shutterstock

You’ll be more productive if you keep your work surface clear and organized. Use drawers and shelves to store your office supplies, paperwork, and office gear.

Calculate how much space you need, and make sure there are storage options for each item.

If your desk doesn’t have drawers, you can buy a small rolling drawer cabinet to slide under your table. A bookcase is a perfect solution for storing books, papers, and projects.

13. When Home Is the Office

For piece on home office design ideas, a task area with a computer desk and built-in cabinets built into the kitchen

PhotoMavenStock/Shutterstock

Although you may need to work in the heart of the home, you can still create your own personalized workspace.

Turn a few feet of counter space in the kitchen into a desk with some cabinets for your office supplies for a practical and smart solution.

To keep the room’s flow, use the same countertop and cabinet doors as the rest of the kitchen. As a bonus, the coffee maker and fridge will always be within reach!

14. Find a Space

Home office design idea featuring a desk that's built into the staircase in sort of nook

Cora Reed/Shutterstock

You will focus better and be more productive if you work in a dedicated office space. Even if you don’t have a spare room to turn into a home office, find a corner, a nook, or even a closet that can fit a small table and chair.

The space under a staircase is often a good spot for a small home office. It may be just the right size for a small table and chair. Some tips for designing a small office nook:

If the office is in an open area, stick to the room’s color scheme to seamlessly blend in and use a similar style of furniture to the rest of the room to pull it together.
Keep the desk surface clear and as neat as possible. Not only will the clutter make the area look and feel more crowded, but you don’t want to see the mess each time you pass by the workstation.
If the office is in a small make-shift area, add some color and bright lights to avoid it from feeling closed-in.

15. Executive Office

Executive home office idea featuring lots of rich mahogany on the walls, shelves, and ceiling

Pics721/Shutterstock

A beautiful wood home office is a luxury that isn’t for everybody, but it does make an impressive statement.

This style shouts that you’re the boss! If you have the space and budget, you can build a custom home office.

Keep in mind that wood is a darker and heavier look, so ensure that there is plenty of lighting to offset the heaviness of the dark wood.

Things to Consider

Guy working from a home office that has a unique and industrial design

LStockStudio/Shutterstock

Keep the following in mind when considering adding one of our home office design ideas:

Good lighting – Ensure you have sufficient lighting in your home office, especially if you’ll be working there in the evenings or don’t have a window for natural sunlight. If the overhead lighting isn’t bright enough, add a desk light or floor lamp.
Conducive to work – You need to feel comfortable working in your home office. Ensure there’s sufficient heating and cooling, the furnishings are comfortable, and it’s not prone to a lot of noise and distraction.
House layout – Where your office is in the house can make a difference. It’s best to set yourself up in an area with the least amount of noise and distraction. Avoid putting the office next to the playroom.
Storage system – A home office needs more than a chair and surface for a computer. The office usually comes with lots of mail, forms, books, and paraphernalia. Make sure that you have enough storage space to keep all of the supplies neatly organized.
Your style – When all is said and done, the theme, design, colors, and style of your home office have to reflect your tastes. If you don’t like the current trending paint color, don’t use it no matter how in vogue it is. If white is too start for your tastes, add color to the room! Get the dark wood desk if you prefer it over a modern white table. It’s your office!
Your budget – You can design a home office on any budget, from a basic table to a private study with custom built-ins. Prioritize your home office must-haves, for example, a comfortable chair, and determine what you can forgo.