2020 was the year that many people suddenly realized they need a space for a home office. Even before COVID, increased Internet and web-conferencing options meant that many people could work from home at least some of the time. However, so many of us are still working remotely and need to figure out how to fit in a dedicated workspace in a small space.
Jump to:
- 1. Blend a Desk into Your Kitchen with Stock Kitchen Cabinets
- 2. Cover a Wall with Shelving to Create Extra Storage and a Home Office
- 3. Hide Your Office in a Closet
- 4. Fit a Desk into a Nook or Corner
- 5. Disguise Your Desk
- 6. Hide Your Office Away in an Armoire
- 7. Hide Your Office in Your Coffee Table
- 8. Try a Bookshelf and Desk Combination
- 9. Tuck a Desk Behind Your Couch Instead of a Console Table
- 10. DIY a Pull Down Desk from a Bookcase
- 11. Put a Desk in Your Entryway
- 12. Turn Your Dining Room into a Part-Time Home Office
- 13. Share Your Home Office and Your Guest Room
- 14. Go for the Murphy Bed Option
- 15. Use Your Desk as a Nightstand
- 16. Add a Small Counter to the Wall for a Standing Desk
- 17. Hide Your Office in a Window
- 18. Create an Office Zone in Your Living Room or Den
- 19. Set Up Office on Your Stair Landing
- 20. Fit an Office Under Your Stairs
- 21. Work in Bed!
If you aren't lucky enough to already have a space for an office in your home, you might be scrambling to figure out how to set a functional home office that works for you.
If that's true for you, I know just how you feel. I've been working at home since 2018, but we had to figure out how to fit in room for my husband when he started working from home during COVID times. In fact, my husband's job is now fully remote; he doesn't even have an office to go to at all.
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If space is already tight, or if, like us, your spare bedroom needs to do double duty as a guest room and an office, you may be wondering just how to fit in a small office for work. Here are 20 small home office ideas that can help you fit a work from home space in your home, no matter how tiny your place is.
1. Blend a Desk into Your Kitchen with Stock Kitchen Cabinets
If you've got a bit of unused wall space in your kitchen, you can easily turn that space into a custom home office by making a desk and shelves using materials similar to your existing cabinetry. How cute is this little desk? It blends in perfectly with the kitchen cabinets. This would be a great place to set up a homework station for your kids as well.
Here's how to DIY a home office desk from kitchen cabinets.
2. Cover a Wall with Shelving to Create Extra Storage and a Home Office
If you have a free wall in your kitchen, add shelving to store your kitchen items or for additional storage space. You can add a bigger shelf on the bottom at desk height for sitting down and working on your computer.
3. Hide Your Office in a Closet
If your home is already small, closet space may be at a premium, but you still might be able to repurpose a closet into a home office. If you have his and hers closets in your bedroom, maybe you can get creative and find ways to combine everything in one closet, leaving room for the other to be repurposed into an office. Or you might be able to combine your foyer closest and linen closet so you can use the other as your office.
I absolutely love this cozy office in a closet by The Crazy Craft Lady. The best part of this set up? You can close the door when the work day is done,
4. Fit a Desk into a Nook or Corner
Seems like most homes have awkward spaces, such as an odd nook or corner somewhere that doesn't even feel like part of the room. Our guest bedroom, for instance, has a little indention that is just perfect for a desk. Hanging a floating desk rather than using a traditional desk is a great way to make your space feel more open and less cluttered.
You can learn how to float a shelf from Food 52.
5. Disguise Your Desk
You can hang a desk like this one in a corner or nook of your family room without making it seem overcrowded. This desk, from Overstock.com, can fold up to look like a piece of cabinetry when not in use. Because the desk matches the color scheme of the room, it blends in to the wall and is less noticeable when closed.
Find the Wall-mounted Folding Laptop Desk at Overstock.com.
6. Hide Your Office Away in an Armoire
With a Armoire Desk like this one from Wayfair, you can keep your office out of sight when you aren't using it. This is a great idea if you need to put your desk in your living space, such as the living room or den because you can hide it away when you have guests. All you have to do is close your armoire at the end of the day, and your workspace is hidden.
Colleen Armoire Desk from Wayfair.com.
7. Hide Your Office in Your Coffee Table
A pop-up coffee table like this one from West Elm can be turned into a tiny home office no one knows is there. All you need to do is keep your supplies in the storage area and then open the laptop shelf when you need to work on your computer.
Industrial Storage Pop-Up Coffee Table from West Elm.
8. Try a Bookshelf and Desk Combination
If you don't have enough square footage for a traditional office setup, try using the vertical space in your home! This mid-century modern bookshelf/desk combination from Amazon is perfect for tucking a desk into a small space in a living room or den. This solution works really well if you just need a comfortable working space for occasional tasks.
Nathan James Theo 2-Shelf Industrial Wall Mount Ladder with Small Desk, Rustic Oak/White from Amazon.
9. Tuck a Desk Behind Your Couch Instead of a Console Table
You barely even notice the desk tucked behind the sofa in this loft. From the front, the desk looks like a regular sofa table and the glass console desk keeps the space feeling light.
This is a great small home office idea if you live in a studio apartment or if you have to use a space in your home that needs to serve multiple functions. Simply add a comfortable chair and you've got a small office!
10. DIY a Pull Down Desk from a Bookcase
Check out this clever small desk that's made from an Ikea Billy bookcase. This project is really easy and would be a good idea for an apartment bedroom or other very small space.
11. Put a Desk in Your Entryway
If you have extra room in your entryway, or one that opens directly into an adjoining room, you might have room to place a small desk into your entryway. As a bonus, the entryway tends to be isolated from the rest of the house, providing a bit of quiet when you need to think.
12. Turn Your Dining Room into a Part-Time Home Office
With a little creativity, you can work at your dining table and still use it for special occasions. Repurpose a dining room credenza to hold your office supplies and you have the perfect small home office space.
13. Share Your Home Office and Your Guest Room
With custom cabinetry and a built in daybed, you can use your spare room as your office on a daily basis and still have a cozy room for guests.
14. Go for the Murphy Bed Option
Another way to configure your home office to also accommodate guests is with a Murphy Bed. With custom cabinetry like this option from California Closets, you can easily work from home and provide a comfy bed for overnight guests.
15. Use Your Desk as a Nightstand
If you have enough room next to your bed, add a simple parson's table to use as a desk and a nightstand. I love the idea of being able to work in front of a window and enjoy the natural light.
16. Add a Small Counter to the Wall for a Standing Desk
Here's a great home office idea if you have some extra space in your living room. Just add some small boards to a wall to create a narrow desk option that can also become a standing desk. This is perfect for a small apartment because you can also use for extra seating when you have guests.would be perfect for a small apartment.
17. Hide Your Office in a Window
A deep window like the one shown above could provide space for a small desk. Tucking the desk behind the curtains means that the work area is closed off and hidden when it's time to use the bedroom for relaxing. That way, you won't be constantly reminded of work. Genius!
18. Create an Office Zone in Your Living Room or Den
This is one of the solutions I ended up using in my own home. Our Nashville loft is one large room so to manage the space more efficiently, I divided the room in different "zones" for different activities. The office zone gives me a dedicated workspace so I don't have to work at the kitchen table and the desk fits nicely against the wall next to the built-in bookshelves. Plus, it's easy to concentrate since I'm facing away from the action.
Add a pair of noise-cancelling headphones and I can easily work while my husband watches TV or makes himself something to eat in the kitchen. If you have an open floor plan or large living space, zoning the space can work for you too.
19. Set Up Office on Your Stair Landing
If we had stayed in Atlanta, my office would have been in the landing of our stairs, which had a tiny space just perfect for a desk and bookshelf. Even in a traditional stair landing like the one shown here, you may still be able to fit in a small desk.
20. Fit an Office Under Your Stairs
If you have a traditional staircase, you may have several feet of usable space hidden by the stairs. The next time you're starting a home remodeling project, why not carve out room under the stairs for an office?
I love how this project also includes room for the dog. So cute!
21. Work in Bed!
Willing to Think outside the Box? Then why not set up your office so you never need to leave my favorite place in the house: the bed. This desk sits at the foot of your bed until you need it and then rolls up to become the perfect work-from-bed solution.
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