Home Office Ideas | Small Office Design

With at-home working an increasingly common affair, knowing how to create a home office space that boosts focus and creativity has never been so important.

From smart, functional home office furniture to inspiring home office décor that doubles as the perfect video call backdrop, supercharge your productivity with these office room ideas.

How to Design a Home Office

Ample desk space, office storage and a layout that is both comfortable and productivity-inducing, it really does pay to put a little thought into your workspace. You don’t need to be a skilled interior designer to create a space that works for you, just remember the core pillars of comfort, practicality and a dose of creativity.

A small home office doesn’t mean that you have to make sacrifices when it comes to style. The same rules apply – just make sure that you choose furniture that properly fits your space and keep unnecessary clutter to a minimum.

1. Comfort is key

As somewhere that you’ll be spending a lot of time sitting down, it’s essential that your home office furniture is comfortable and supportive. Look for home office chairs with adjustable heights, so that you’re able to sit with your feet flat and your forearms parallel to the floor.

No matter if you prefer sleek and subtle or something more flamboyant, our office seating solutions put comfort and support first.

Top tip: Explore our office furniture range here.

2. Function with flair

Part of the fun of working from home is being able to make your office space your own. Whilst being a functional piece first and foremost, there’s no reason why a home office desk with storage can’t also introduce a little style and elegance into your space.

Experiment with interesting textures, bold colours and playful shelving solutions to transform your humble home office desk into an attractive design feature.

How to make an office chair more comfortable

There are several things you can do to revamp your existing seating. If your chair is adjustable, make sure that your knees are level with or slightly lower than your hips. Your feet should also comfortably reach the floor when you’re sat against the back of the chair.

For extra support, add a cushion on top of the seat. Specialist memory foam will provide maximum comfort, but a normal decorative cushion will also do the job. A small, rectangular cushion placed at the base of your spine will help to promote better posture.

Top tip: Check out our desk collection.

3. Space for productivity

Far from uninspiring, your home office décor should help you stay organised and inspire productivity.

Keep your workspace clear and essentials within easy reach with a desk organiser. Perfect for storing larger files and equipment, a Clever Cube shelving system with fabric inserts will keep unsightly wires and cables tucked away until you need them.

Plan your daily schedule and keep track of your goals with a memo board above your desk. Alternatively, create a chalkboard paint feature wall so you can brainstorm with ease.

Top tip: Discover our guide to priming a chalkboard feature wall.

4. An inspiring backdrop

In the age of video conferencing, your home office décor is more important than ever. When it comes to home office design ideas to liven up your backdrop, a feature wall is the way to go.

Take a look at our guide to making a home office feature wall and create your own unique background for your meetings and calls.

Storage & Home

How to Create a Unique Home Office Feature Wall

Discover how to bring your home office to life with a feature wall.

2021-03-10 14:15:56 • By Homebase

Whether you opt for a contrasting paint colour, statement artwork, photo gallery wall or a bold geometric wallpaper, a feature wall will add interest to your home office décor and will help you to stand out in conferences and presentations.

5. Home office lighting

Proper home office lighting will ensure that you can stay focused. Options are key here. It’s important to have both overhead ambient lighting and a desk lamp to illuminate your workspace.

Poor lighting can leave you feeling drowsy and lacking in energy, so add a floor lamp or create a new focal point with an interesting ceiling light to keep your space bright.

On grey days or when you need to focus on the task at hand, or if your work area has limited natural light, an angled desk lamp is an invaluable tool.

Top tips: Our buying guide will help you to find the perfect home office lighting solution for your space.

6. A touch of green

As a space where you’re likely to spend a lot of time, your home office décor should feel inviting as well as functional.

House plants not only make for a stunning video call backdrop but will also help to promote creative thinking, as live plants improve indoor air quality. Play with different heights and sizes, from a majestic Areca Palm that will add interest to an empty corner to a Spider Plant that will sit neatly on a desk or windowsill.

When decking out your home office with foliage, consider going for more sculptural shapes if your space allows. Not only will they create an enviable background on video calls, but they’ll help to create a space that’s inspiring to spark creativity.

Alternatively, dragon trees are spiky, sculptural and statement-making. Easy to maintain, they won’t be a distraction from the job at hand either. A devil’s ivy mosspole is also a popular choice for an office plant and will make a great talking point.

For a desktop plant with air-purifying credentials, it’s hard to go wrong with a zamioculcas. Loved for their distinctive foliage and low-maintenance needs, they look great accompanied by a succulent or two.

Small home office ideas and tips

Working out how to create a home office in a small space can take a little more thought, but the end result can be an equally productive and inspiring workspace.

When choosing a desk, ensuring adequate space for a laptop and monitor is essential. However, it’s not always necessary to choose a large desk that take up lots of valuable floor space. Instead of a bulky desk with drawers, opt for a slim console table and make use of your walls by installing sleek floating shelves for document and book storage.

A floor lamp placed to one side of your desk will take up minimal room and create a real feature point. This is a clever way to maximise desk space as you won’t need a table lamp.

If you’re using a corner of a living room or bedroom for your office, a Clever Cube shelving unit is a great storage solution that doubles as a handy room divider. This will create a clear separation between your working and living space, allowing you to concentrate on the task at hand and ensuring that you can properly relax once you’ve logged off.

Equipped with our home office ideas and tips, you now know how to create a home office that will inspire and motivate. Take a look at our Home Inspiration Hub for more home office décor ideas and let us know how you get on @Homebase_UK.