012810bedroomoffice.jpgThat's Emily, my better half, with our cat Eero in their little corner of our apartment where they both get their work done each day (well, in Eero's case, mostly just napping). Our bed doubles up as Emily's home office, where she sets up shop with her laptop, DSLR, cookbooks, notes, etc and writes her posts for Re-Nest and The Kitchn. Such is the life of sharing a small space and both residents working from home. So what to do when you can't really setup a legit home office due to space constraints?

There are quite a few small desk solutions out there, but we wanted to offer some options which don't require the footprint of even a small desk. All the following surfaces are sufficient to use with a laptop, but don't require any four legged surface or additional chair to work from. We still recommend a legitimate desk and task chair combo for working for periods of time, but these 7 options will suffice when space is even more limited than budget:

IKEA Dave Laptop Table: the most affordable and easy to stow away self-standing solution, the DAVE looks like a music stand, but one with enough surface area for a 15" and small laptop and maybe even a small mouse. Height adjustable and easily collapses to hide away when you're done at the end of the day.

OFFI Mag Table: turned up vertically, this magazine holder converts into an occasional desk for laptop users and is available in a variety of wood finishes and colourful stains.

The West Elm Martini Side Table: this recyclable aluminum side table makes going from business to leisure quick and easy task, as they're just the right height to use from a chair or sofa for laptop users as a mini work surface, while being stylish by themselves as side tables for the living or bedroom.

Line2 Docking Station: bent from a single sheet of clear acrylic, the Line2 offers a place for your laptop, additional keyboard, and mouse. You can even place this across a bathtub for dangerous, but relaxing, in-the-tub computing.

AirDesks: designed specifically for couch surfers, the AirDesks work well for anyone who gets most of their work done from the comforts of a couch. Adjustable height with additional shelving that swings around for easy access, these aren't necessarily the most beautiful solution, but they do seem to get the job done.

WALLFLOWER Walloffice: it's not a whole desk...not even half of one. But the Jonas & Jonas Design WALLFLOWER Walloffice is one sexy and space efficient workspace, only requiring two legs and just a little wallspace to lean against, like a shy kid at prom.

Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700: If you're one who likes to never even get out of bed to get work done (or have to stay up late to finish), then perhaps an all-in-one solution like this lap tray will whet your tech appetite. Not only does the N700 provide an integrated USB powered cooling fan and comfy base to keep your thighs comfortable, but the unit also pumps up the volume like its name was Christian Slater with a USB speaker system incorporated on the sides.