apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Greg,

Maybe you can look at fireplace screens for your "half-height" room divider?

Also, before installing a permanent half height wall, maybe you can see if this works for you by getting a bookcase that's not very deep - maybe 8" - that is a little taller than your desk - roughly 28" 6"- and wide enough to hide both desk and file cabinet. You get storage, room division and you can style the top like a console table - table lamps, etc.

Congratulations and good luck!

What is your bedroom like? Why don't you consider setting up the office in an area of your bedroom? How much wallspace do you have between the sliders at the desk end of the room? If you have the desk against the wall it will sort of hide all of the cords etc. If you're married to the idea of have the desk where it is instead of a half height room divider try a loveseat. I think that you should think about moving the desk and make sort of an operations center where you currently have your tv. or in between the slider door and the far wall that has the window. The other option you have is dividing the desk area off with old french doors. You will be able to divide the office area off from the living room but still get the light from the windows. The doors would act as a screen. You could get two and hinge them together.

start with a wire management system for all of those loose wires.

get shelving below the desk for the printer, inbox, desk accessories, etc. so you don't have to look at those.

leave only the monitor and add some decorative items (vases, etc.) on the desk.

finally... to cover the desk and file drawer:
my first choice... get a sheet of stainless steel cut to size (that would look cool against the awesome color of that couch!) and you could bend this around the file cabinet to hide the side of it. Or go to canal plastics and have them cut some opaque or solid piece to cover the desk and cabinet. Or Or a nice piece of light birch... depending on the look you are going for.

good luck and let us know what you decide!!

Why not just close off the back of the desk with dense screening or board? I think having the desk open like that is distracting.

or... place the desk and file cabinet against the wall and get an awesome room divider, for example:

http://www.2modern.com/site/ProductImages/mattgagnon/hardwoodscreen2.jpg

this is really expensive, but there are plenty of very cool room dividers out there at reasonable prices. just promise us you won't go with the typical japanese screens.

Buy an iMac

I think that one of the problems is the lack of any rugs - the black and white cords really stick out against the light brown wood, and the fact that the flooring is the same color everywhere really makes the clutter stand out. I really think that if you had a rug in the office area, the clutter would disappear a bit into the background. But a half wall would be great, too!

You need some sort of rug/floor covering. Then put the printer & file cabinet behind you. I.e., in the corner and out of sight.

An interim solution until you find a divider:

Switch the filing cabinet with the desk so that the filing cabinet is against the wall. That way you'll be able to hide most of the wires behind your couch and see more of the pretty desk than ugly metal cabinet.

if there's some reason you want to have your desk sticking out from the wall like that, flip the filing cabinet, so it's closest to the wall--that way the printer and all the cables don't have to be strung out. also, shifting your computer so it's close to the printer will give more visual open space, as you'll mostly see the clear, spare end of the desk, and not the huge, hulking printer/filing cabinet combo. then accessorize that now empty corner as you would any living room table. no pencil cups or stress balls--you have to visually bridge the gap from office to living space.

i am having trouble understanding the layout of the apartment....the tv also seems to be in a very akward space, sort of in a passageway..Sorry don't mean to diss other things in your space. I agree with Maxwell about the half-height wall (its really not that expensive to do) and it would be a nice echo of the kitchen area, but I would also rearrange a little, perhaps turn the sofa, so its back is against the desk (or half height wall) so it floats a little, a little off the dark brown wall as well. Add 2 cabinets, 1 against the window wall, behind the desk, and one next to the bar area in the corner. I like this one: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40104326
from IKEA, its inexpensive and off the floor so it allows the room to still feel spacious. Office supplies, printer, etc in the office area, tv, entertainment in the one next to the kitchen. One small comfy chair (back to the bar, at an angle, facing the sofa) a rug to define the "living" area, instead of a large coffee table a few small floating tables, I like acrylic tables, feel barely there, go with the style of your couch, available at CB2: http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=114&f=117 I think you would have 3 distinct areas, and a cozy little entertaining space/hanging out space.

I would turn your office around. Desk next to the window wall. File cabinet along the couch wall facing the window wall.

In a former apartment, I did what Maxwell described. I made folding screens that came up just slightly higher than my desk, around 31"-32". I had plywood cut at a lumberyard, then screwed in cabinet hinges to turn the pieces into screens, and painted them. You could also use fabric to cover them, sheet metal, or plastic. I like the idea of using plastic actually. You could have a piece cut to size and attach it to your desk, and put a similar-sized bookcase or file cabinet(s) on the other side of that end of the room, and attach plastic to them too, for a symmetrical appearance that will hide the ugly stuff.

I vote for the half-height divider. I think a shallow bookcase or 2 would be the cheapest option OR you could try and find a cool folding screen. Or you could get a couple or three of the Ikea Orgel lamps which would act as a divider AND provide some nice ambient light: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30103916

Easy. Get a birch-veneer hollow core door (for its smooth grain) attach it horizontally to the table/file combo, paint it (and the file) to match the wall & (maybe) add a molding strip along the top edge to rhyme with the bar's face. Basically, you want to turn the whole thing into an extension of the room's structure, not a separate thing, the way a fireplace screen would be. It shouldn't be a feature that calls unnecessary attention to itself. That's what your new rug is supposed to do.

I would move the desk out of that corner and lay it flat against the wall (where the couch is currently positioned). I would then push the couch into the corner, but at an angle (place a large plant and some uplights into that corner). In the future, I would mount a flat screen TV just to the right of the sliding balcony door using a bracket that angles out.

Turn the sofa 180 degrees, lining the back up with the edge of the breakfast bar. Then put the TV where the sofa sofa. Get a large potted plant and put that next to the tv cart. Get rid of the desk and get a small corner armoire to hold the computer and put that along the wall next to the window. Get a rug and hang some pictures and your place will be perfect. I hope that makes sense.

Also - love the sofa and the stools. Where's the sofa from?

I'd get the small West Elm bookcase (3 by 2 squares) or 2-3 Lack Bookshelves from IKEA and stack them sideways. Fill with books. Procrastinate by reading said books.

Oh what a clean slate...I would create a divider of some sort. It's just crying out for a screen or bookcase to divide the space.

purchase a thick glass(cheapest) desk top that will cover the desk and file, and place the "desk group"on a diagonal to the left of the window(the space appears to be wide enough to still give you room to easily access the chair). place the couch in front of this diagonally placed desk, and it will hide the wires. a row of several metal magazine/paperwork files(12" high X 10" deep X 4" wide) can be placed along the front of the glass top, with access to them from the desk chair(these would serve to visually divide the work space from the couch). the printer etc,could be placed under the desk.the TV, on casters, could be angled so it can be seen from the couch......later, have something custom-built.

I'd move the printer/file cabinet to a little spot behind you (as you sit at the desk) then install those nice floor to ceiling ikea slide panels just as long as your desk (not covering all the way to the other wall.)

Greg, consider two filing cabinets that fit under your desk. One to hold files and the other to house your printer, to reduce the desk's footprint. Then block off the desk area with a translucent screen and place a light source (maybe even a cool blue light) behind, so that when you're lounging in the living area, the office area has an interesting ambiant light effect. Congrats on your new digs and best of luck!

What about this set up?
Move the sofa along the floor-to-ceiling glass wall.
Move it out a couple feet (or slide it away, to the left, from the sliding door opening area) for patio access.
You get to hang out here and enjoy the outside view ( albeit, it's behind you if you are sitting up straight).
It feels wierd having the sofa set against that wall right now like you are on display facing the outdoors like that.
I know it's unconventional, but the sofa is easy to move and worth a try here.

Then you could balance the scene by coming up with a shelving set-up / armoire or something to house ALL of your tv/audio/ computer stuff along the opposite (windowless)wall. A moveable chair/stool could be nearby when the office space is in use.

This would also take the view away from staring at your kitchen and the back of the (lovely) bar stools.

The room looks small. Think twice about putting down an area rug.
I would look at a coffee table choice before doing that.

Finally you now can add something else to the back wall where the small window and air conditioner is:
More seating, low shelving, etc.

Nice paint color, by the way.

I have two completely different suggestions:

1. Get a corner computer armoire like this:

http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Mission-Style_Corner_Computer_Armoire/210/

...and put it in the very corner, and then place your couch at a cata-corner angle that would be parallel with the front of the armoire, so that when the armoir is closed, it just looks like a nice towering cabinet behind the couch (although yes, you'd need to keep some room between them. In this suggestion you're keeping the TV where it is.

2. Instead of that, you could get a corner TV cabinet like this:

http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Hawthorne_Corner_TVVCR_Stand/120/

...OR just put the TV in that corner where the computer is now. If you do that, I think I'd probably want to put the sofa directly facing the corner, and move your current desk to the corner that we're current not seeing, and then use your desk chair to swing around and use for seating on that side of the room.

That would also let whomever is cooking see the TV better, and the people on the stools could swing around and have a look when something good happens on the TV.

duh, just get a desk with a back, so you don't have to see wires and what is behind desk. or if you want to keep desk, lean some type of board, or thick clear plastic that will obscure view of wires, white crate on floor, etc..

no need to build walls or buy screens you don't need, this aint a studio with a roommate, it's your condo. really, no need for divider in small room. maybe you want to be on internet, and watch tv, not divider wall!

just get something that gives a backing to the desk, or get new cheap desk on craigslist. no big deal.

why not move the desk a third of the way out midroom, and put the couch parallel to it with the back up against the table and file cabinet to divide the space? you'd then be directly facing the kitchen and bar area and you could move the tv to the right of the bar stools in the corner. that automatically separates the office and living areas with the couch and desk being the "divider". a couple of floor lamps on either side of the couch would balance it out, maybe add a rug to define the living area. you could even still do a divider between the two to really separate the space.

I am just not plan a fan of the desk in that location, or the half wall in the current layout. Maybe as a temporary solution if you are short on budget but in the long I feel like too much actual "living" space is given up.

Is the window on the back wall centered? If so would center the desk under the window and flank either side with a nice tall and deep bookcase. If not still move the desk and add one to the wall shown, preferably so it takes up a good portion of the the wall and butts up with the desk. You can keep office supplies and files in boxes you keep on the bookcase. I think this will help to balance the open room matching the height of the kitchen cabinets on the opposite end, frame out the window and help to cover that ugly heater or air conditioner.

Then I would add a side table to the end of the sofa where the desk currently resides, lamp and a nice armchair. Ground the seating area with a nice rug. I think the space will be defined enough without having to chop up the room and the office will blend enough without screaming out that it's an office.

Hello Everyone,

Thank you so far for all the great tips. I was really stuck, but you've all helped inspire me in a new direction. A few notes about the space:

* I put the desk in the corner facing outward because I find it gives me a good view of the room and I can easily look out the sliding glass window to the left. I work here 40-60 hours a week, so not staring at the wall is a big deal for me.

* The reason for the open layout, lack of rug, and awkwardly placed rolling tv cart is because I spend a lot of time dancing. My partner and friend will come over and by shifting the stools and tv cart, we have a small space to practice our salsa and tango.

* I'm having hunter douglas' skyline window panels installed in the next week or two over the sliding glass door. They will over hang the door by another 12", so I wouldn't be able to attach a 'mirrored' wall to the opposite. P.S. They are really cool (http://www.hunterdouglas.com/hdg_product_detail.jsp?id=50)

* The desk is a room & board parsons base with a custom made top of reclaimed douglas fir. The wood served its previous life as a corral in south western Colorado. I love this desk and don't want to replace it.

And, then onto the comments:

Morgan,

The bedroom is really small and is almost completely taken up by my bedroom furniture. Thanks for the suggestion on the bookcases and decoration.

Jeff,

I've attached a j-channel on the back of the desk and have wrapped most of the cables. The power strip underneath conceals a few of the wire bunches as well. However, I do have a desktop and a server both running under the desk.

I love the idea of an under desk organizational system. The desk looks really beautiful, but when it is covered by all this crap, not so much. Perhaps I could get a sliding card, and put my dev server in a closet.

Room dividers are a bit too tall. I get a lot of light coming in that back window and it gives the room a real open feel.

Priscilla,

Exactly.

Fisheggs,
Some sort of decorative floor mat might do the office area justice.

Sean,

*Me turns around* Woah. I think it might work well there.

Zeedeer,

I'm going to have to do some tinkering, your idea is much better than my current layout.

Shalom,

Yes, yes, and more yes. Those are all awesome ideas. I've been looking for more office storage, a coffee table, and didn't even think of adding the living room cabinet space.

Greer,

I like it. Simple, easy, and customizable.

Monica,

That light idea is awesome! Wow. Perhaps now I'm getting too much inspiration.

Magna Verde,

I like the hollow core door idea. The apartment is a renovated building where the whole thing was redone and sold as condos. I could probably easily acquire a door that matches the existing doors in the place. I think I would need an extra 6" in heigh on it though as the desk rests about 30" off the ground.

I could also see that with maybe a stainless steel base, or maybe silver castores, painted with a blue or orange in a modern pattern (lines/bubbles.)

Hejira,

I feel you on the flat screen. I was thinking of putting it exactly there and getting it framed in a dark wood.

Chair Gal,

I'm always intrigued by a computer armoire. The idea of folding my workstation away so I don't see it when I'm done is appealing. I'm going to meditate on this.

Thanks! The sofa & stools are both from Design Within Reach.

Greeps,

I'm not sure which shelves you mean. I definitely am already procrastinating by reading books. :)

Maude,

I like the idea of the metal file holders. I wonder if I could get a simple piece of metal cut the length of the desk for the same effect.




Thanks so much for all the great ideas everyone!

major budget option, while contemplating, say the computer armoire ... Use a grey sheet to hide the cords. Will work for the nonce while you debate/work on the other much better ideas. I'm not saying hide the wood, just attach it to the visible side there.

Lisa2,

The ceiling above the desk has a track light installed with these crazy wiry twisty lights hanging off that prevent me from putting a floor to ceiling divider. I do like the idea of moving the printer/cabinet.

Lourdes,

I love the idea of a translucent lighted divider. Where do I get something like that though? The filing cabinet does fit under the desk, but i've moved it to the side so that the printer has somewhere to live. Perhaps this needs to be revisited.

Paulmus Cat,

I really like having the couch able to see out the window although i could see how it puts you on display. Perhaps an angled or adjacent approach would fix this.

I definitely want the separation of a work and a play area.

Green Furniture,

I hadn't even thought of backing for the desk till I saw some of these comments. Sometimes the most obvious solutions slip by.

Jiffybox,

I like the centered idea. I'm going to think about that.

Gravity,

The window is centered, but there is an air conditioner right under it, and couldn't really put the desk right in front of it. I've been looking for more office storage and I think two bookcases on each side of the window could really help with that. They would have to be narrow but I think they would work. Visualizing this setup, I could actually see my desk against the wall. Hmmm....

Kyrdissa,

I just so happen to have a grey sheet from when I re did my bedroom colors....

Greg wrote: "I recently bought a small condo (which I blame you for convincing me that smaller was cooler)"

that is so funny! i'm about to move into my tiny condo. i hadn't known about this site when i found my condo, but having found this site convinced me that i was doing the best thing ever buying my likkle tiny condo! :-) that this site convinced me was all the rage! LOL

What about a corner desk? It would help the space feel larger and would definitely hide the clutter.

Greg,

I just wanted to say you are very sweet for responding to each of us individually! I also wanted to say I think you have wonderful taste in office chairs. I have 2 Mirras (1 at home and 1 at work) and I adore them!

I'd go in a different direction (although someone may have made the suggestions and I missed it)....how in love with those stools are you? How often do you really sit at that counter and eat? You could buy or fabricate a really simple piece of furniture on the living room side of the counter...sort of roll-top desk like that isn't huge but can shut and hide what's inside. Although, now that I think of it, that would block the tv maybe. Hey...have an extra closet you could convert?

Since you're entertaining the idea of a computer armoire, I personally loved this small space office solution posted over in the tech area last month.

http://hometech.apartmenttherapy.com/hometech/flickr-finds/flickr-finds-jens-hidden-office-030840

You can configure PAX in a variety of ways, and perhaps come up with a great storage/office solution for that entire corner than can hide away completely when you need it to.

I think other people might've already said this, but what I would do (if your room isn't overly narrow) is back the sofa against the desk so it's facing the bar area. Since your tv is on that cart anyway, you could just roll it to face the sofa when necessary.

P.S. I too have a Parsons desk, though with a glass top, and I would never replace it with something else!

Why not make anything you use to shield the desk into something that has a function and is not just a wall? One option is a bookcase built to the height you want - and just deep enough for books (as opposed to the usual 11" depth) - another is something that could serve as an end table/display ledge next to the sofa.

I have a large office in what should be the dining area of my loft. The side that faces the room is a bookcase, the inner side is a flat surface. Even before I got a Mac, the solution worked - it did not matter that a bit of the top of the monitor/printer showed over the top (I built this years ago and monitors have grown larger). http://tribecatribal.typepad.com/photos/house/5officekitchen.html

I store a lot of the debris on my desk in white frosted plastic organizers, which you can get very cheaply at Ikea or for a bit more at MUJI, the Container Store, etc. While I try to keep the desk clean, it is an office and, since I have no walls, it is the place where I excuse some messiness.

While having anything curved built is LOTS more expensive, a curve might work with your sofa - and also block the view of the A/C under the window.

I would not use an office divider. And I don't not want my home PC facing a wall - mine is positioned perfectly for my stereo speakers!

SD913,

They are tricky here. I think perhaps they are secretly building developers looking to sell a lot of 400 sq ft spaces.

PCM,

I think I'm ruling out the corner desk. I just like my desk too much.

Monica,

It's the least I can do for all the wonderful help I'm receiving. Mirras are great! I love the colors.

Donald,

I just bought the stools for over $1000 for the trio. I love them. :)

GraphxGirl,

I need a closer ikea for the pax. :(

Elchan,

I moved my couch as an experiment (it has wheels), and it shrunk the room immensely. I have the parsons platform bed, side table, and gallery shelves as well. They look awesome next to each other. :D


Taureg,

Your place is sweet! I don't know if I have room for anything curved, but something straight is doable. After hearing all these solutions, I think you're right on the office divider. Although if I could find some kind of translucent modern divider....

After I get the furniture and installs done, I'm going on a shopping spree at container store for sure. :)

Where did you get those box shelves in your bedroom?

Here are some 5 ft dividers I found on 1stdibs.com that sound like the sort of thing you are looking for. I have had my eye on these for a while but haven't managed to come up with a use for them:

http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=92259

If the link doesn't work, try searching space107 or "lucite screens" in the 1stdibs search feature.

throw some d's on that bitch

I'm for the low bookcase idea running the length of the desk / desk filing cabinet. If you can only find a bookcase to run the length of the desk and /or don't want to move the filing cabinet - ditch it, get a nicer one (ie red metal) and turn it around to face the room and show it off.

Alternatively, chuck them both and go with a computer armoire. I know someone who works from home and swears by this thing...

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10059151

good luck!

Greg:

I didn't want to face a wall either. A translucent panel is interesting. When you design, think about stealing details from other periods - my desk/bookcase references Art Moderne by having no visible vertical shelf supports, which emphasizes the curve and moves the eye along.

I could see something with a tight deco-ish curve fitting into the size space you have - and working with your sofa, desk chair, kitchen stools, ceiling fixtures. Having a subtle visual theme helps integrate any space - I don't know whether you realized how many of the things in your place are very clean and modern but sensuous at the same time. I would keep that balance and, when you have time to settle in, consider adding texture via a rug. You're well on your way to a really nice space.

The box shelves came from Target last year - $199 each (there are two) but I don't know if they're still selling them. They have grey rubber wheels under them (which seems to be a Target "thing") - so if you need to move them out of the way to dance... http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-4/qid=1159627408/ref=sr_1_4/601-8735556-0880967?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B000CZ3D0C