Setting up a new home office can be quite an overwhelming task! I can remember feeling the desperate need for inspiration when I was setting up my new workspace. I needed some smart and creative ideas — anything from space saving techniques to how to turn a cluttered mess into a creative environment.
Here are some ideas I loved from the rooms pictured above:
Utilize shelving. Whether it be store-bought bookcases, built-in storage, or simply shelves hanging on the wall, going vertical is a great way to keep a clear desktop.
Use boxes and file cabinets. I am a "just stack it up" kind of person. But the problem with stacking (even the most organized ones) is that they tend to accumulate and fall over, creating a great mess. I learned that if I need to step away from a pile on my desk, I can put it in a labeled box or file and stack it on a shelf until later.
Hang or rest artwork behind the desk. It's a great way to cozy-up an office area and keep it from feeling like the corner of doom. Having cheerful art around you does wonders during a stressful day.
Comfortable seating. This is especially important for those who use home offices often. If you can't afford a comfortable chair at the moment, take a tip from image number two and implement some cushions on the seat and back.
Images: The Design Files, Laura Resen, Stacy Anne, Marie Claire Maison, Sweet Home Style, Emma's Design Blogg, Decorology via Apartment Therapy, J.Hische via Workspaces, The Vintage Cabin, Laure Joliet via Apartment Therapy
I love all that shelving in the main photo! Here's our home office, on a neat day:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/visualingual/2566893277/in/set-72157594505190197/
I like home workspaces :) behind me is a wall of shelves filled with colorful books!
Need more inspiration for a room that is a full-time office plus part-time guest room. Does anyone have any good links or pics? The bedroom nook above looks nice, but in my house these two functions share one smallish square room with two windows and no closet, so it's un-nookable. . .
Missbrown2you, even though your room is currently "un-nookable" as you say :), you can create that effect by using two bookcases on one wall. You'd then have a makeshift nook, extra storage, and a place to put a desk.
it's too cluttered for me, but it takes a great person to make such terrific rooms. I'm proud of these people. sincerely, mary
Thanks, Ty.M4change, will see if that will work!
In picture 4 there seem to be shelves mounted on metal pipes of some sort - help! would love to do this in my apartment. Any suggestions on how to get this done?
The sun room work space above is my favorite! Lots of natural light is key for those of us who use our home desks for creative work (cartography cutout art in my case). I too love using pretty boxes & vintage containers (mason jars, slide cases) for organizing supplies and displaying my vintage button and lace collections. My work space is also where I surround myself with my favorite artists' pieces for a little inspiration. http://papercuthearts.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/my-new-space/
Gorgeous! My favorite is the one with the rug and the bicycle! There's just something about it--maybe the wood floors and the fabulous windows.
Interesting. I always get the impression that in order to put a picture of your room on AT, you should be at least a Mac user.
@bobejina
haha You are so right! All except image 9 have macs. I didn't even realize that when I put the gallery together.
@weino 24
I think the trick would be finding steel "L" brackets on a wall. The mounting part of the "L" would have to be above the part that the shelf sits on. Making sense? That's how it appears the wood shelves have been mounted.
A bit offtopic, but what is it about Apple that brings out the ire of some people? They happen to be nice looking machines that many people find useful; especially designers, graphic artists, and musicians.
It must be a marketing-driven self-esteem issue, methinks...
That yellow bedroom/office totally reminds me of the apartment in the Robert Altman film "Three Women". It was Shelley Duvall's place, and EVERYTHING was yellow. Sissy Spacek moves in as her roommate and then the weirdness begins.