A spacious home office is a luxury for those who skip the commute and can work from home. But in modern homes, space is at a premium, and we must find clever ways to work in the space we have. But a makeshift office in another room can still look stylish and inspire productivity.
It goes without saying but a neat and tidy working environment is the most productive, removing distractions and allowing you to concentrate. When you are trying to come up with a workspace solution which works in a small space, this should be one of the focusses. Make sure you maximise on storage in order to keep clutter off the desk. A display unit is a great way of creating an enviable amount of storage whilst often taking up limited floor space (if you opt for height instead of width). Alternatively, make the most of your wall space with built-in reclaimed wood shelves either above or below your desk.
When trying to work out where to place your reclaimed wood desk, make sure to use all available space - you might have nooks in your living room or dining room which would be a perfect spot for a small desk that you hadn't even considered.
The recessed spaces on either side of a chimney are often a great size for popping a small desk (and also provides the perfect space to put up floating shelves above). Alternatively, if you have an open staircase, you may have room for a desk beneath. You may even use a bay window which is not being used as effectively as it could be (with the large windows being fantastic for keeping you awake and inspiring productivity all day long)!
If you are working in a unique area, you might find that a bespoke desk is the perfect solution, being built to fit the exact space you have to play with. Not only will opting for a bespoke desk cut down the hours you might otherwise spend trying to fit a desk that will fit, a perfectly fitting piece of furniture creates a clean, sophisticated look which is just what we need in a small space in order to keep the room looking as large as possible! Our Oldman range can be made to order and is the perfect way of adding a modern touch to a room featuring reclaimed wood furniture.
If you are really struggling for somewhere to place a desk, consider whether you have a hallway wide enough to home a desk and chair. Your landing is often quieter than many of your downstairs living spaces and is the perfect spot for a home office where you don't feel trapped.
Also think about stepping away from office furniture, which can sometimes feel a little restrictive and may not offer you exactly what you need. Using a console table is a creative solution if you need a narrow desk. A console table is more likely to fit in your hallway or on your landing with just enough room to place a computer or laptop and desk lamp and often comes with a drawer or two which will provide a space for storing desk essentials you don't necessarily want on display in your hallway.
A few final tips...
It's very easy to get carried away and think our current setup isn't working and we need to change it all. But before you start hunting for something better, think about whether you can work with what you already have with a simple reorganisation. You might find you are using other storage spaces ineffectively, or that simply by moving your desk to another space in your home, it makes your living room feel far less cluttered.
In a small space, measuring is key if you don't want furniture turning up only to discover your beautiful new desk doesn't fit. If you are unsure, map out how much space it will take up with newspaper on the floor, and you can even do this carefully on the wall to get a good idea of the height. It may be worth leaving the newspaper where your desk would sit for a weekend, just to get an idea of whether you can still easily move around your room.
Have you found a genius place in your home for your study? Let us know.
