A clean, organized, and well-lit home work space is a must. And what better time to tackle this issue in your home than the fresh start of a new year! Many of us don't have the luxury of a separate home office or studio, but that doesn't mean we can't create a healthy environment for working at home. Even if you don't work from home, carving out a space for productivity is important and a smart way focus on specific tasks without distraction.
Whether you're aiming to revamp your work space or even relocate it within your home, here are some great small space examples from our tours and why they work.
1. Window Niche Studio Jamie is an artist, so natural light was a crucial component of her workspace. A small nook off the main hallway collected the best light in her home and became the obvious place for her to paint. She loves the coziness of her corner and its proximity to the kitchen where she can rinse her paint brushes. While this exact scenario may not exist for everyone, the take-away is to find a location in your home with natural light and low glare for a productive and enjoyable work environment.
2. Multipurpose Space Saver Joe and Brad's 420 SF home forced them to get creative in the design of their workspace. Using an IKEA Lagan countertop and hairpin legs they constructed a desk, perfect for a computer workspace. The desk doubles as a dining table when it is extended from the wall and inserted with a few leaves.
3. Custom Casework Wall System Kim and Scott had a hard time finding furniture that fit the parameters of their apartment. In this case their office also acts as a guest bedroom, but this wall unit is a great idea for creating a more open environment in any home. The narrow console provides storage as well as an adequate working counter, yet doesn't take over the entire room. While a custom piece could be built to fit the space, this look is also attainable with furniture.
4. Room Divider Desk For Adam and Daniel loft living meant using furniture, to define the different functions of their space. They built an awesome room divider that forms a partition between the sleeping and living areas. Not only is it a work of art (with a jungle vibe) but it's a fully functional shelving unit and desk.
5. Secret Closet Work Space Jennifer was able to transform a closet into a home office (and theater) by applying wallpaper to the interior. This step instantly transformed the storage space into a room. Without a lot of depth to work with she took advantage of the vertical storage for housing crafting supplies and home office accessories. A simple curtain can be drawn to hide clutter when not in use, although in this case the wallpaper is far to pretty to hide.
MORE WORKSPACE SOLUTIONS ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• 10 Space Saving Wall Mounted Desks
• Make it Work: 10 Desks for Small Spaces
• Multipurpose and Convertible Furniture
(Images 1. Jamie and Byron's Elegant Art Canvas, 2. Joe and Brad's Small Space with Big Style, 3. Kim and Scott's Small Footprint, 4. Adam and Daniels "Boclectic Craftern" Loft, 5. Jennifer's Creative Closet Home Office.)
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what are the shelves in the 2nd picture?
That nook is so odd, why was the house built that way?
Pipe shelving... source is at http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/joes-clever-ways-small-cool-contest-169131
but if you do a search you can find many other examples.
Third photo: monitor at standing height on the shelf, but no standing desk in front of it. What is going on there? Am I missing something?
Cool - thanks
I thought that it might be a small TV, which would explain why it's on a high shelf.
@DuluthGirl -
I think that's a TV, not a computer
Love that first nook. So cute..and the light is amazing.
I need this in my home. thank you. Amy x
http://www.miloandmitzy.blogspot.com
I want to know how they made the expanding desk/table. I've been looking for something like that.
that closet desk is cute, but I'll never understand losing valuable storage in a small space for a desk, just to star at a wall. Depressing and less room to cram ugly stuff into.
#2 is all kinds of awesome.
I love that desk in the 1st photo. Anyone know where it came from?
OK, so TV, not monitor. It's still in the wrong place. …Unless you're just meant to listen to it while you do other work? My neck is getting a sympathy crick in it just contemplating.
I would like to see more nice-looking workstations with real office chairs. Surely the two can't be mutually exclusive. I work from home most of the time and, if I needed a new chair, would pick the fugliest comfortable one over the most stylish hard plastic one 10 times out of 10 - but I would rather not have to.
ec05, I totally agree. I've never had a home where I had any "extra" closets, and I'm practically minimalist.
logicbutton, I also agree. I recently bought an upholstered office chair from Ikea for about $149. I love it. It is stylish, but also comfortable. Those metal stools that I've been seeing in so many of these shots (such at #3) make my butt clench just looking at them!
ecO5 My office is in a closet...its a bit bigger than that and I still use the top for storage. It is a great solution for me because when company comes I can just close the doors and not have to worry about people seeing my messy desk. Plus it just reminds me of working in a cubicle where I would stare at the wall anyway.
I love these and they are helpful, but I rarely see examples of small space desk use where there is a desktop computer instead of a laptop. A laptop is so easy to hide.
Looking at IKEA for a long and somewhat wide desk....found it! It is the cord(s) and all that will drive me nuts trying to "hide". Computer, printer, lamp and to top it off it is a studio...I want the clean leg look and fortuntely have 3 closets to hide my art stuff...thanks for the inspiration off to look for cord covers...ugh!
love the room divider desk! An updated version which reminds me of the divider in my Grandparents New York Apartment way back when!