Home office ideas for small spaces

4 May 2022

Looking for small home office ideas? With working from home becoming a permanent move for many, it’s time to up your home office design game. Whatever space you’re working with, innovative products and ideas can help you transform it into an environment that inspires productivity.

1. Transform the nook under the stairs

It may not be the largest of spots but the space under your stairs should offer enough room for a desk and storage, too. Invest in some good lighting and make a feature of it with some bright paint or wallpaper.

under-the-stairs office with yellow paint job

Finley table, £149.99, from Furniture and Choice

2. Utilise a hallway or landing

A landing or hallway can make a great spot for a work space, but do think about the practicalities – can you walk past easily and do you have a lot of office paraphernalia that you’d need to keep within easy reach?

Bespoke home office design, from £720, Kelling Designs

3. Disguise you desk

If your home office is going to be part of an open-plan room and you don’t want it to jar with the existing décor, opt for a table that looks less like a desk and more like a piece of living room furniture. The Hudson office desk from Raft, below, looks like a hallway console or dressing table.

Hudson office desk, £995; Albany chair, from £559; Highgate mirror, £415, all Raft

4. Make it multifunctional

If you’re working with a small space, or only want a home office area to use now and again, a multifunctional desk area is a great solution. From coffee tables that open out into a desk, to clever cabinets with a fold-down desk, there’s something to suit every taste.

: Little Home Office, £1,195, Furl

: Abbon Work Station Cabinet, reduced from £1,095 to £775, made.com

5. Make the most of lofts and basements

If your home office space is in a compact space like the loft, garage or basement, utilise the walls for storage or use a shelving unit to separate the room into zones. Make sure to include good lighting too, as these spaces may not have large, or any, windows. Task lighting such as a lamp with an angled head will make sure you can direct the light where you need it.

basement home office set up by Ikea with clever wall storage and cabinet as room divider

Trotten cabinet units with sliding doors, £179 each; Trotten desk, £180, Bergshult/Pershult wall shelf, £18, all Ikea

6. Use the vertical space

The only way is up in a small space, so consider vertical shelves and wall mounted cupboards. Choose furniture with slim legs and sleek lines to save space. Ladder desks are a great space-saving idea, especially if you’re a fan of industrial-style interiors.

ladder desk - home office ideas for small spaces - home office - goodhomesmagazine.com

Photo: Vincent & Barn ladder desk

7. Floating desk

For those odd nooks in living rooms, converted cupboards or lofts, consider a custom-built floating desk, shaped to fit the space. This means you won’t be taking up any floor space and it creates the illusion of lots more room.

floating desk - home office ideas for small spaces - home office - goodhomesmagazine.com

Photo: Limited Abode floating desk

8. Paint a feature wall

One of the easiest ways to create a work zone in an open-plan living area is to paint a feature wall to go with your desk. Add a few display items so it blends seamlessly with your living room décor. We’re huge fans of this modern geometric scheme by Dulux.

feature wall home office - home office ideas for small spaces - home office - goodhomesmagazine.com

Photo: Dulux

9. Zone the room

For extra privacy without limiting space, hang a wall divider curtain in a shade that ties in with your colour scheme. Need to make more space for guests? Choose a folding, portable desk to whisk away when you need to. Or, take inspiration from this Ikea scheme and use your sofa or bed as a divider to separate your living space from your work area.

Photo: Ikea