Smart Home Office Designs

Rather than shoving your desk against a wall, make use of every angle. This stylish yet functional desk creates both a room divider and a three-sided storage solution. This is a great option for homeowners who work with a partner or clients from home and need extra seating on the opposite side of the desk. Bookshelves flank the desk on two sides for plenty of storage.

This home office is the perfect fit for a busy family. A line of matching desks and mix-and-match modular storage units line the walls, keeping the room open and providing plenty of work space for each member of the family. The desks and wall organizers can configure to store just about anything. Metal buckets hanging from mounted rods corral pens, markers, scissors, and more for creative work. Bulletin boards give each child a place to showcase homework, report cards, and artwork.

A bonus to this handsome and handy living room? A built-in workstation! A cluttered closet was converted into an extra work space by removing the doors and installing inexpensive floating shelves at waist height. Two smaller shelves above can be used for additional storage or as a place to display favorite finds. A can light installed above the desk makes the area well-lit for late-night study sessions. 

To keep track of electronics such as cell phones and music players, transform an antique metal box into a sleek charging station. To make this station for your home office, cut a hole in the back of the box using a drill with a bit made for cutting metal. Make sure the hole is large enough for a plug to thread through. Inside the box, place an outlet strip along the bottom and conceal it and the chargers with a wood board cut to size and drilled with holes for cords.

Here, a space-conscious crafting desk—free from bulky electronics—works well in a double-duty room. The desk has a simple yet stunning frame that can double as an inspiration board when planning future projects. Next to the work space, a custom storage unit has designated spots for a sewing machine, scrap fabrics, and wrapping paper. 

A vintage silverware caddy keeps small items separated and contained on a desk surface. Fill the caddy with separate containers to hold items used every day such as paper clips, pens, or notes. With everything held neatly together, your workspace will look significantly less cluttered. Plus, if you wish to work in another room, the caddy makes it easy to tote your supplies around the house. 

After the owner gave the surface of this vintage vanity a paint makeover, they put it to good use as a small work station. Perfect for a family without a lot of spare space, this desk sits up against the wall and has plenty of drawer storage. Above, a single shelf holds a bulletin board for important notes and a few decor elements for personality. If needed, baskets or bins could easily slide under the desk for even more storage. 

This small living room can accommodate work, relaxation, and entertaining without feeling disorganized. A clever furniture arrangement left one of the walls open for a smart corner office. The floating wood desk leaves room underneath for storage bins and baskets. A floating shelf near the sofa displays artwork and holds art supplies.

Seldom-used silver pieces were removed from a dining room hutch and put to work in this home office. Here, a stylish serving platter organizes pencils, scissors, tape, and more to make sure office necessities are always within reach. We love desktop trays during cleaning day because removing and returning items for dusting is a breeze. 

A long desk along one wall serves as this home's family office. The desk offers plenty of work space for two or more people. A convenient file cabinet between keeps mail, bills, and work essentials organized and hidden, allowing stylish details to fill the tabletop and blend with the living room, which connects via glass sliding doors. When the homeowner has guests over, the area can easily transform into a buffet or bar for a special occasion.

Taking advantage of vertical space in the room, an adjustable shelving unit lines this office wall. Outfitted with plenty of storage containers, the shelves hold a lot while maintaining a sense of order. By removing common office items from the desktop, the work surface remains free of clutter. As your family changes and grows, the adjustable shelves can move to fit your storage needs. 

To make a blank wall more functional, install a sleek floating desk. This design offers enough space for a computer, notebook, and a bulletin board for pinning up notes and inspiration. To make the desk blend into the wall, paint it the same shade as your wall and pair it with a short stool instead of a heavy-duty desk chair. This way, the stool can slide inconspicuously under the desk without taking up too much space.

This pretty and practical home office makes work time enjoyable. A modular desk unit (consisting of separate base cabinets, a corner desk, and a hutch) offers plenty of counter and storage space. The separate pieces are perfect for families because they are easy to rearrange as needed. Keep track of what you've stored in the many drawers with hand-printed labels. 

Memo boards provide a personal touch and can be conveniently hung near a desk area to display photos, invites, and mementos. To make these adorable boards, find antique shutters at your local thrift store and give them a much-needed paint job. Then, hang them on the wall and use the slots to pin up paper items. Employ hooks to attach pencil cups for your storage needs. 

Here, a cozy corner in the living room serves as a family's home office. The charming work area uses elements found around the house to maximize its storage and style potential. On the walls, custom industrial-style shelves proudly display family mementos among office supplies. A large cabinet adjacent to the shelves works to hide large and unsightly supplies such as cords, files, and bulky electronics.

Magnetic chalkboard paint was applied to the back wall of this small workspace, allowing magnets to display photos and mementos from vacations and special events. The chalkboard surface makes a designated spot for jotting down important notes or for drawing quick doodles. Labeled storage surrounding the desk keeps work essentials in order.

This small spare room fills a big-time role as a home office. To keep the room from feeling cluttered, the designer chose appropriate-size furniture, simple accessories, and smart storage units. A soft color palette and white painted walls reflect light and make the room seem larger. A cozy rug makes the space feel like home and a sliding barn door maximizes the room's small layout.

Two separate hutches—both with fold-down desks—provide the perfect amount of storage for the small room. Here, two school-aged children have designated spots for homework and studying. Loaded with plenty of cabinet space, there is room to store even bulky supplies for making posters and projects. When not in use, the kids can fold up their desk doors to hide any cluttered school supplies. 

Cardboard photo boxes—bought in muted colors to match the room's decor—store important documents and are safely hidden behind an extra curtain attached to the shelves. Labels on the storage boxes make it easy to stay organized as you dig through your belongings throughout the year. 

To maintain organization in your office, keep important documents together, properly labeled, and easily accessible. Install open shelving on an entire wall and place organizational containers strategically, keeping the ones you'll need most frequently at arm's reach and lesser used items up higher.

Try leveraging a closet or wall of cabinets to create an efficient yet incognito work space. Reposition shelving to make room for files, computer equipment, and reference books. Take advantage of empty wall space by installing a magnetic or cork board behind the desk. The best part? When work is done, hide the office behind closed doors.

If you have the room, incorporate separate work stations into your office. Keep your computer equipment in one area to finish work, and make an area for completing family tasks like bills at another. Here, the two work spaces are connected by floating shelves that wrap around the corner. The desks are close enough so the homeowner can move seamlessly from one space to another. 

Think like a chef and store the items you're most likely to use at arm's reach. Reserve high shelves for books that see less action and low shelves for heavier books. Your library is an intimate reflection of your personality, so intersperse with photos, artwork, or other interesting items for a personal display.

Before designing your office, evaluate how it will be used. If you need lots of open space to spread out your work, incorporate a large desk into your design. Make this desk using two sawhorses topped with a thick sheet of plywood. Place boards across the bottom rungs to hold storage baskets and bins.