29 Living Room Office Ideas Featured in Our Smallest Homes

Creating a WFH space is easier said than done, especially if you live in a studio apartment or a small home where every inch counts. But even if you don’t have a spare room for a separate office, your living room can provide a solution in the form of combo office. As opposed to most bedrooms, carving out a home office within a family den or living room is usually more comfortable in the end due to that little bit of extra space.

But how can you slyly sneak a desk and office supplies into a warm hosting space without it taking over? It’s about finding function in key furniture pieces that are low-profile and space-saving, yes — and also design choices that allow your eye to seamlessly blend a workspace into your living room. 

The real homes featured in this collection have successfully merged desks and focus zones into bustling living rooms, both in small apartments and larger homes. You’ll find ideas for organizing and designing a small living room office from our house tour archive in this collection of smart WFH spaces. Read on for smart design ideas around a hybrid home office and living room space explored below.

When in doubt, don’t be afraid to get creative! This living room office design by Julia Adele Design makes the most of every square inch of space, with a bit of design ingenuity sprinkled in. The built-in media cabinet also functions as a sneaky office space. Since the unit is all one piece, it doesn’t feel distracting, and the best part is that the desk itself is pretty spacious — with plenty of storage included! 

Modular wall desks are the ideal solution for living room offices, particularly when space is limited. These simple, low-profile desks can be configured to your liking, and extra shelves can be added to showcase decor or act as storage space. This living room office, designed by Peggy Haddad Interiors, demonstrates how it’s done, utilizing two modular wall desks to create a miniature office that doubles as a stylish shelf display. 

The trick to designing the perfect living room office is to make it feel intentional and match the design vibes that are already in place. That is, to incorporate it into the overall design of the room, rather than leaving it as an afterthought, Enwright says.

“Choose a desk and chair as refined as the room’s other pieces — finish, scale, and hardware should echo the living room palette so the workspace doesn’t read as an eyesore,” she adds.

One of the challenges with having an office in the living room is the visual clutter it can create. If your desk is prone to getting overwhelmed with documents, electronics, or other items you’d rather not stare at all day (which can even just be your computer screen!), then a folding secretary desk may be the answer. Take this tiny living room office design by designer Jackie Terrell, for example, which features a cute and colorful secretary desk that allows the desktop to be tucked out of sight when the out-of-office reply is turned on. 

Creating a built-in desk and bookshelf combo can be the perfect way to curate a stylish and space-efficient living room office setup. Interior designer Holly Scott created this lounge and home office combo for her client, which features a built-in desk with ample storage and a dreamy color palette inspired by the artwork above the desk, painted by the client herself.

Designers agree that anchoring your desk to the window is a great idea. Not only will it keep your workspace full of natural light (which can positively impact productivity), but it can also utilize an otherwise empty space in your living room. This living room office, designed by Ellie Yun of San Francisco-based Studio Yun, did just that to create a clear and energizing workspace for her client.

“The goal was to create a room that is bright, flexible, and inviting — an area that supports focus and productivity but still feels calm and comfortable… Positioning the desk toward the window makes the workday more pleasant, since it’s grounding to look outside, and happens to be flattering for video calls,” she shares.

Why clutter an already stretched living room with an additional clunky rolling office chair? If you’re able to, invest in seating that pulls double duty — consider an arm chair, stool, or even an ottoman that can seamlessly blend into a desk set up and seat guests at other times. Doing so may help you create a work space that doesn’t disrupt your aesthetic, especially if you’re able to skip monitors, printers, filing cabinets and other corporate accessories. In this converted loft in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the space’s resident interior designer was able to create a desktop suited for his creative needs — and pivots the armchair shown above as seating when needed.

A combo living room office doesn’t have to just stop there. Why not truly embrace the multi-purpose nature of a busy living room and highlight other pursuits? In this railroad-style Richmond, Virgina, studio apartment, the living room space holds space for both a convertible standing desk for office use as well as an easel and painting supplies. The desk feels less out of place when there are other tools of the trade front and center.

When space is limited, finding adequate office storage space can be challenging. However, storage is more critical than ever in small rooms, where clutter can quickly overwhelm the space. This Toronto studio apartment owner found a clever solution to her space restrictions (the apartment is just 300 square feet!), by tucking a side table with drawers under the desk for sneaky hidden storage. 

Are you struggling to fit a TV and a desk in your living room? Try combining the two, as seen in this tiny New York City studio apartment. This clever design solution enables a full-size desk to double as a media console for the TV, maximizing space and style simultaneously. 

Rather than keeping the wall behind your living room desk empty, consider adding a gallery wall or artwork to make the space feel complete, as seen in this graphic designer’s Boston apartment. Not only will it add some serious style to your walls, but it can make the office space feel like a natural extension of the room, rather than just a desk pushed up against a spare wall. 

Office chairs don’t need to be bland. In fact, when you’re creating a living room office, it’s best to choose an office chair that matches the style and furnishings in the rest of the room. This Arkansas homeowner nailed the assignment, opting for a desk and office chair that perfectly match the rest of her cozy, mid-century modern-inspired aesthetic. 

Living room offices don’t need to be a central part of the room, especially if you can keep your workspace small. Don’t be afraid to opt for a tiny desk (like this modular wall desk) and tuck it out of the way in the room. Not only will this create natural boundaries between your work and lounge spaces, but it will help your living room feel clear and clutter-free. 

This Barcelona studio apartment, at just 675 square feet, highlights the efficiency of multipurpose spaces. In this home, a single slab of wood juts out from the wall, dividing the kitchen from the rest of the living space. With room for both dining and working, this workspace feels uniform thanks to pieces that keep the room cohesive in one style.

This Minnesota home is expertly decorated with an all-over vintage cozy vibe. That’s on display in this simple office nook that’s set up in the bright living room, keeping with the idea that a cohesive look helps the space flow without feeling cluttered. An antique desk serves as the centerpiece and offers just enough space to complete simple tasks.

This eclectic City Park, Colorado, apartment incorporates a workspace, but it’s more of a sitting room desk than a home office. It’s a clever setup that fills an otherwise empty space along the expansive, exposed brick wall and provides a convenient place for working and sewing.

The lofted living space in this Lisbon apartment has an impede layout due to a sloping ceiling. However, the apartment dwellers used the quirky feature as a place to slot a desk in the room’s nook, creating a unique way of combining a living room and office.

This simple wooden desk is nestled among a maximalist “Bohemian paradise” apartment in Oakland, California. It’s proof that keeping a low profile is the best way for an office nook to exist in an otherwise eclectic space, successfully combining a living room and office with very different vibes. 

The sleek and slim black desk in this Toronto condo blends into a busy living room so perfectly, it’s difficult to tell it’s even there. A black chair and plenty of shelf space in this office nook keep things clean and understated.

Typing away on the couch has become somewhat of a norm. If you’re not ready to completely let go of your leisurely work-from-home routine, use this San Francisco apartment’s space-saving trick for combining a living room and office (graduate to the back of the couch!). This way, you can still be in the comfort of your living room, but have a designated work spot.

Looking to carve an enclosed office into a small living room? If you have a spare closet, use a genius home office hack from this tiny Brooklyn studio. Instead of getting a freestanding desk, you can even mount a wide, floating shelf to the wall to maximize space and more effectively accommodate a cozy chair. 

A minimalist Michigan home’s spacious living room seamlessly blends into a dedicated office space. While it’s all one room, the desk’s placement in an empty corner and a separate positioning of the sofa make a distinction between the two zones, work and play. This modern living room office idea makes it easier to drift from a day’s work into a defined relaxing social space elsewhere.

A pile of books is the unique separation between the office space and the rest of the living room in a vintage-contemporary Victorian home in London. The round table and its office setup are tucked away just enough to make it feel like a separate space.

The black paint both draws attention to and camouflages this living room office within this Chicago home. While the color choice is edgy, it gives the illusion of depth and extra space in a corner that isn’t wholly separated from the living room.

Small spaces are no longer an excuse for not treating yourself to a nice workspace. This tiny office in a San Franciscan modern home makes efficient use of little square footage and manages to create a comfy area to get work done.

While there are no dividers, the gallery wall of statement pieces is what really designates the office area in this warm Chicago studio apartment. The hanging artwork and textile create visual boundaries, making it feel like another room despite it being only a few feet away.

A light, bright office space makes the chore of working much more bearable. The workspace in this San Francisco apartment is stylish and is some of the only furniture in the room, which keeps the living room looking spacious (no coffee table here!). If you have a window in your living room and you’re searching for small living room office ideas, this is always a great area to consider putting your desk.

Inside this cozy Seattle studio, it can be tough to find room for lots of furniture, much less a workspace. But this addition of a desk is a simple, easy way to set up an in-home office; having your desk face away from the entertainment center can also prevent distractions, especially if someone else has commandeered the TV area while you’re working. Headphones will help, too.

Sometimes, there’s just no hiding it — so make your desk a standout feature of the design of your living room, as is done here. A boho office setup similar to this one in this colorful Seattle rental can spark ideas and provide a playfully vibrant space to get work done in. When working two spaces into one, you can never go wrong with sticking to the decor that matches your taste and lifestyle.