Anyone can work successfully from home in the right conditions, but creating the perfect office layout that suits your remote work requires careful thought. If you work from home, you know that adding some beautiful and decorative home office ideas to your workplace is a must.
Working from home is becoming more and more common. Up to 1.7 million Canadians work remotely, and that excludes people who are self-employed and do business from home. You work from home or already work from home but want to liven up your workplace, then this article will guide you to the best home office remodeling ideas.
There are tons of different projects to choose from, whether you are into home improvement or home improvement office. Desk from an old table or brighten up the room with old lamps. You can also add an accent wall with wallpaper or paint
Let’s take a look at the ideas below to help you come up with some office remodeling ideas.
Table of Contents
Home Office Essentials
To put you in a more positive and productive mood your home office should include these essentials:
- Spacious deck
- Ergonomic office chair
- Modern electronic gadgets (computer, monitor, printer, wireless router, etc.)
- Storage and organization
- Enough soft lighting to prevent eye strain
Best Ideas For Home Office Remodeling – Our Top Picks
Below are my top best ideas for remodeling your new home office to boost productivity, alleviate stress, and keep you happy while working from home.
Optimal Light
Good lighting can reduce headaches and eye fatigue. Natural light has been shown to trigger the release of endorphins. A combination of overhead lighting, lamps, and natural light creates an environment where you can adjust the amount and type of light you’re exposed to throughout the day.
If you really love natural light, consider a sunroom office as a home addition!
Noise Levels
Most people work best in a quiet environment, so if you live with other people, consider a solid core door. If you simply can’t get away from household noise, you might even invest in a pair of noise-canceling headphones.
Ideas for People Short on Space
If you don’t have a spare room for a dedicated home office, you’ll need to find more creative ways to establish a workspace. You could turn a closet or wardrobe into a mini-workspace by adding or removing shelves. Or how about a desk that slides or folds into the wall? Don’t rule out spaces like:
- An attic or loft area
- The basement
- Your shed or garage
- The space under the stairs
These spaces might seem dark and uncomfortable now, but with the help of a good designer and remodeler, you could soon have a beautiful and productive workspace in an area of your home that was previously underused.
Comfortable Desk and Chair
Choosing the right desk and chair for your home office is essential. Select a desk that is wide enough for your computer and anything else necessary to do your work. This could be an in-tray, reference materials, or space to take notes. Ideally, your desk should 48” (120cm) wide minimum.
However, if all you ever need is a laptop you can get away with less. Most people find 60” (150cm) wide or larger to be the most comfortable. While an adjustable-height desk is ideal it’s not always practical in a home office setting.
Choose a desk that is not too high – 28”-30” (70-75cm) is an acceptable range. Invest in a good-quality chair that is comfortable and adjustable if possible.
Your neck and back will thank you.
Windows and Ventilation
Most home office ideas that you see online focus on the décor and furniture but often forget to consider the most vital component of creating a good working environment, ventilation. Being cooped up in an airless room is never going to help you be productive, so any home office remodel should include ways to ensure the space stays well aired.
Making sure that the windows can be fully opened is a no-brainer in this situation; but if there is no window in the room that you’re converting into an office, then you might want to look into HVAC systems to maximize ventilation. Adding ceiling fans can also help move air around the room, which is particularly useful in warm weather.
Focus On Design
The design of your workplace has a massive impact on your level of productivity. Making sure to keep your items in the right place also makes a huge difference.
One study completed by Brother International Corporation found that the average office worker spends 38 hours a year looking for lost or misplaced work items!
That is more or less the equivalence of a full work week! Consider built-in shelves to maximize storage while keeping clean, straight lines in your home office.
Fresh Air and Pollutant Free
Fresh air is essential, and maintaining the air in your office helps you stay focused and working efficiently. Installing an air filtration system is the best step you can take to guarantee fresh air.
If you need something simpler, we recommend a room air purifier to keep the air quality fine in your office.
The Blueair Blue Pure 411 is perfect for a small bedroom, dorm room, or home office. It is small, effective, and attractive. If you are a smoker, keep the smoking away from your workspace. Try to work near a window and make sure the humidity level of the room you are working in is appropriate.
Paint the Walls With a Color That Boost Your Productivity
Different colors affect our moods in different ways, so choosing the correct paint color for the room you plan on working in is no small matter.
Surprisingly, the color that has been revealed as the ultimate productivity booster is orange. This does not mean that you have to paint your home office a garish shade; choose a stylish hue such as in the picture.
If reds and oranges don’t appeal, try a combination of soothing greys, greens, and blues, which create a calm feeling, much more conducive to stress-free working.
Give Yourself a View
Position the desk where you can stare at something more interesting than a blank wall (even if you do love the color) when you glance up from the computer.
A window’s natural light is ideal, but if you’re in a windowless space, hang a pretty picture above the desk, or position your chair to face the door.
Choose Homey Accessories
Unless you’re going for a contemporary look, choose extras that enhance the comfy feeling of your home office, like a pretty mug for a pencil holder, trendy notepads and sticky notes, and a decorative wastebasket. Wrap your bulletin board in a gorgeous fabric, and hide utilitarian bookshelves behind curtains made from the same material.
Hang inspirational prints on the walls, whether that’s simply your kids’ framed artwork or a classic painting.
Master Your Technology
There’s not much you can do to beautify the computer, printer, and phone, but you can hide unsightly cords. Start by making sure your equipment is close to outlets and easy to access if you need to unplug. Encase cords on the desk in a fabric cord cover, and feed the cords into a desk grommet, a plastic or metal cap that helps guide cords through a hole in the desk and hides them underneath.
Tame the cord jungle on the floor with cord winders, tubing, or a wire organizer that’s attached to the desk and lifts the cords off the floor.
Use Accessories To Inspire Yourself
Set up a mini-shrine — a few cherished knickknacks, a piece of framed art, a special photo on your desk — that motivates you to create and/or get the work done so you can get out of there.
A print of Paris can channel your inner muse, or a photo of your children might remind you that you’re doing it all for them.
Choosing a Right Desk
If you’re taking over a whole room for your home office, the sky is the limit for desk options. A classic choice would be to have a large desk in the center of the room, with your seat facing the door. You can also choose a long desk and place it against the wall.
An L-shape desk tucked into a corner can be an efficient way to maximize desktop space while also keeping the room open. You can choose a massive U-shaped desk if you need even more desktop space, or if you just want that command center vibe.
If you’re looking at a smaller home office, you may only have room for a small desk or table. Even so, make sure you have a dedicated desk for your work; shuffling work materials to and from the kitchen table is a sure-fire way to make you hate working at home.
Stand-up desks are a popular choice for people who don’t feel comfortable sitting in a chair all day long.
Beautiful Paintings
One of the most impactful things you can do is paint the walls of your home office. The right color of paint makes all the difference. Bright colors can make space feel roomier, while darker shades lend a feeling of coziness to your office.
Off-white colors are neutral, comfortable, and easy to design around. Green hues are associated with nature, calmness, and stability, so a green office may help keep your stress levels down. Blue stimulates the mind, which can enhance your productivity.
Bright colors like orange or yellow can give you an energy boost. Ultimately, it’s your space. Choose a paint for your home office that reflects your taste. You can also opt for wallpaper if you want a flashier design.
Home Office Heating
On the flip side of ventilation, if your home office is too cold it’s going to be a nightmare to concentrate on work!
Therefore, there are of course freestanding space heaters that you can add when it’s particularly chilly, but if you plan to spend a lot of time in your home office and you’re remodeling from scratch then the addition of radiant floor heating is really worth considering – it will keep the room at a consistently ambient temperature whilst you work.
Opt For An Alcove Office If You’re Short On Space
Alcoves are usually a pretty neglected space, so put them to work by creating a small home office. Even if you can’t squeeze in a full-sized office desk, you could install a wall-mounted work surface with shelves and cupboards fitted above for maximum storage opportunity.
Get Creative With Your Home Office Storage
Yes, that is an ottoman being used as home office storage. If – like many of us – your home office is your kitchen table, but you’d like a space to keep papers, stationery, and tech that’s out of eyesight, using an ottoman that can just sit at the end of your bed is an easy solution.
Here, a stylish grey ottoman has been filled with desk organizers, with the lid used as a space to store reminders.
Hide a Home Office Under The Stairs
This stylish space shows you how easy it can be to reclaim the space under your staircase and create a workplace in the process. We love the unfitted feel of this setup, which would work well in a variety of homes. But, you could also opt for a made-to-measure solution designed to fit right up to the underside.
Build a Garden Office
For properties that may have planning restrictions, building a standalone garden room is an efficient use of outdoor space – and a great home office idea.
Designate it as a workspace from the outset and it can be fitted out accordingly with power points, tailored lighting solutions, and natural light from large windows. Properly insulated, it will be as comfortable as any room in your home.
Design a Traditional Home Office With Plenty Of Character
There’s something appealing about a traditional home office – or a study as one may prefer to call it – that even those with the most contemporary of interiors tastes can’t help but love.
Overflowing with character, this space combines inky tones with art-deco-inspired wallpaper – and not to mention the chunk oak desk – to create a space that wouldn’t look out of place in 1920 or 2020.
Be Inspired By Stunning Mid-Century Style Offices
Mid-century modern home offices often provide design inspiration, with their sturdy furniture, ample storage, and simple color schemes proving popular amongst those seeking a productive workspace.
And once works over, they’re also a stylish spot for sipping an Old Fashioned and contemplating world domination.
Work An Office Space Into Your Bedroom
When using your bedroom as a home office, color can be used to express your style, as well as creating a relaxing atmosphere. By opting for office furniture in light wood, this already small space isn’t overwhelmed by a large desk in a contrasting color.
Home office accessories, such as a small pinboard and a couple of stunning desk lamps establish this as a workspace while complementing the style of the interior seen throughout the rest of the space.
Make a Floor Plan
A floor plan is an excellent tool to organize your thoughts and to make sure you’ve covered all your bases. You can create a floor plan easily online with the RoomSketcher App.
Create furniture layouts and floor plans. Try different pieces of furniture and determine which location in your home will work best. Design a complete home office design before you start shopping.
A Coffee or Tea Station
Skip those trips to the kitchen by setting up a small coffee or tea station in your home office. You’ll save time and avoid being pulled away from your work by distractions elsewhere in the house.
Whether your home office remodels involves a built-in coffee bar or just a small table in the corner, coordinate its location with outlets for your coffeemaker or electric kettle.
To Sum Up
Whether you enjoy working from home or can’t stand it, there’s no denying that having a comfortable, productivity-enhancing space will make the experience a lot more positive, or at least possible, no matter how small your home is.
To inspire you to make your home office work more for you, we mentioned some of the great ideas above. These ideas will help you create a surprisingly stylish little home office.
FAQ’s