HOME OFFICE IDEAS

Complete Guide: How to Set Up a Home Office in a Small Space 1 1862

Let’s all agree that, in an economy like this, owning a Carrie Bradshaw apartment with extra space for a home office isn’t actually a piece of cake. Let alone having a spare room to convert it into a home office. You might be searching for small home office furniture ideas or inspiration, but the problem lies much deeper: in finding the space to put this home office equipment.

And with the majority of the apartments we can afford as adults being smaller than our teenage bedrooms, wondering how to make a home office in a small space sounds quite solid. Luckily, we’re here to help. So, here’s the complete guide on how to make a home office in a small space without breaking the bank.

Creating a Small Home Office 101

To set up a space to work, you need to start from the top. Define your working zone. It might be a spot in your bedroom, a small corner in your living room (setting up a home office in a living room is a huge trend now), an empty wall, or even an alcove.

Whatever you choose, you need to define your small home office layout off the bat. Let’s begin:

1. Place Your Desk Facing the Wall

We understand that some people might experience a claustrophobic feeling when they have to look at their wall for a significant amount of time. But since this is a post about small home office ideas, a homeworker’s gotta do what a homeworker’s gotta do!

And, to be honest, a desk facing the wall is the best small home office layout to save at least 20 square feet.

2. Pick a Desk for a Small Home Office

Of course, every office has one center of attention. The desk! So, here are some ideas to help you find the best desk for a small home office:

a. Slim, simple desks: A small home office space’s best friend

A wooden, Scandinavian desk is always a great idea when setting up a home office in a small space

Choose a slim, simple desk. The small size of the desk will give you enough space, so you don’t have to move your furniture around, and the drawers will provide you with some extra storage (you’d better choose a desk with vertical storage) to keep clutter away.

b. Glass desks: The perfect illusion

Get this desk on Amazon – Check price here

Another idea to make your small home office look cleaner and not stuffed is to invest in a glass desk like this one we found after searching for small office ideas from IKEA. The reason why this is a great tip when you want to set up a home office in a small space is that the glass allows you to see through the surface.

This alone will make your space look bigger since the eye doesn’t meet any flat surface to block its view. Clever, huh?

c. Ladder desks: the perfect small home office idea

A ladder desk is the ideal solution when you want to make a home office in a small space.

Ladder desks for small home office spaces are getting more and more popular. The main reasons we can personally think of are:

  • They look cool, minimal, and abstract
  • They save a lot (and we mean A LOT) of space
  • They can also be used both as libraries and desks by simply adding and removing a chair

Related: Top 9 Ladder Desks on Amazon Right Now!

So, if you want to expand vertically and, at the same time, have an iconic piece in your home, ladder desks sound like an excellent idea for a small home office. Take a look at this really great piece, by the way!

d. Wall-mounted desks: For some extra space!

A desk’s just a concept. At the end of the day, you just need a flat surface to work on. Why can’t it be a wall-mounted, shelf-like desk? After all, this is a post on how to make a home office in a small space.

Hey! Check this amazing wall-mounted desk on Amazon.

After all, there are so many designer wall-mounted desks out there today that will really compliment your home decoration. This desk here is a great example!

e. Fold-out convertible wall mount desk: What!?

Get this cool desk from TANGKULA on Amazon – Check price here

We’re talking about a new kind of sorcery here. The ultimate tool when creating a small home office. A hidden desk at the most visible place; your wall! Since convertible desks are extremely tough to explain, take a look at this GIF below:

Isn’t that magic?

However, since this is from an old video and the desk looks quite clunky, here’s a more latter-day version of a fold-out convertible wall mount desk to suit a twenty-first-century home.

f. Cabinet desks: Space and privacy at the same time

Originally, when someone mentions cabinet desks, our minds automatically form a picture of an outdated, cabinet desk that has nothing to do with the time we live in.

Wrong! Today, cabinet desks are getting much better, more modern, and slimmer. So, you can easily find yourself a more modern version of the traditional cabinet/hideaway-like desk of the ones you’ve seen in movies from the 80s or your aunt’s house.

All you need is a wall and some small home office decoration ideas. Which, by the way, we’ll cover in a bit.

g. Romantic writing desks: Style, class, and storage

Get this desk Giantex on Amazon – Check price here

We’ve already said how desks for small office spaces can be much more than just a flat surface with four legs. And, the truth is, that these antique desks that look a lot like vanity tables are great for a small office layout for two main reasons:

They are small enough to fit in any room and big enough for anyone to work.

Extra tip: If you want to create a home office in a one-bedroom apartment, we know exactly the small home office desk you need: This romantic piece by Giantex. It looks like a vanity table so you can put it in your bedroom and take your laptop out only when you need it.

Also, there are two big drawers and a hutch with and 3 storage rooms for some extra space to organize your desk. And having things organized goes hand in hand with productivity.

But speaking of organization…

3. How to Organize a Small Home Office

An office is much more than a desk and a chair. Every day, we find ourselves surrounded by a million things scattered all over our desks. When creating a small home office, you need to make sure you have some room for your belongings as well because combining a small desk with clutter, is never a good idea.

So, we’ve got a neat trick for you! Hanging organizers.

You can go with a metallic one, a poly portable solution, or with an organizer made of fabric. Whatever you choose, hanging organizers will definitely be your office’s best friend and the most effective way to avoid working in a mess.

We know this is not a post on how to organize but on how to create a home office in a small space. But still. You will never be able to work your actual working area looks like a dumpster.

Another way to organize your office is to put some small baskets for storage. We’d suggest that you avoid boxes since they take much more space and they’re kind of out of fashion.

4. Set Up a Home Office at a Small (and Underused) Space

Admit it. We all have corners or spots in our homes that are, more or less, underused or even useless. It might be a corridor, a whole wall, a closet you don’t use, or even an alcove.

Use them! A small home calls for creative ideas to utilize every single square foot available. Same goes when setting up a home office in a tiny apartment. But creating an office in an underused corner is not easy.

You need to have a checklist first:

  • Measure the space you want to set up your mini home office at
  • Then you’re free to purchase your small home office furniture
  • Don’t fall in the trap and believe that a desk is enough because you lack open space. Think about decoration too. You need to feel inspired when you’re sitting down to work

5. Small Home Office Decoration Ideas

So, the time to decorate your home office has come! And if you ask us, there are two things you need to keep in mind. First, get the products that you like the most and avoid exaggerations. And second, think about practicality. Each piece should be designed with a purpose.

A small, cute basket for storage or a cool lamp that produces the light you want (check out the coolest minimal desk lamp ever here, by the way) are just a few of the many examples that combine beauty with practicality.

Also, choose decoration in light, white, or bright colors. Dark colors tend to look like a cluster on a small, flat surface.

6. What Office Chair to Choose When Creating a Small Home Office

Last but not least, if it’s not a standing desk you want to install, you need a place to sit, right? So, we’ve already discussed the ideal desks for small offices, but what about the chair?

Unfortunately, chairs, by design, take a sufficient amount of space. Obviously, nobody can tell you how big or small the seat has to be – this usually, depends on anatomy, and body posture no matter if you’re creating a huge or a microscopic home office. But let’s talk about the style you should use.

To give the illusion of a chair that is “almost there,” we’d suggest that you buy a transparent chair with no arms so it can fool the eye by looking “invisible.” The reason we suggest an arm-free chair is because arms usually take a lot of space, but if you’re used to working at sitting in a chair with arms, again, make sure you get a transparent armchair.

Conclusion: Now, You Know How to Create a Home Office in a Small Place

The only question is, are you ready to start working passionately on it? We always enjoy receiving DIY work from our readers, so, please, if you have any small home office ideas, or you’ve already created a small home office, let us know in the comments below.

We’ll do our best to land it on our very own Instagram profile!

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How to Make Your Home Office Look Professional and Inviting 0 901

We’re walking into a different era. A series of weird and unfortunate events have changed the way we live, interact with each other, and do work. People today spend more time in their home office than ever, and so do you — or at least you want to. So, if you’re looking for the best ways to make your home office look professional, cozy, and inviting, you’ve come to the right place.

Together, we’re taking a look at how to make your home office look professional and at the same time a cool place to hang out.

1. Create a home office floor plan

It might seem too professional for a beginner, but the truth is that it’s much simpler than it sounds. To begin your home office design, you need to know the arrangement and where each piece of furniture is going to go.

And the good news is that you don’t have to break the bank to do so. Free online tools like Floorplanner can help you design your home office space and find out how to make it look more professional before you even start looking what to put in your home office.

2. Start with the desk

Everything starts with the right desk. Period. So, if you’re on a tight budget and you’re trying to find out how to make your home office look more professional, just getting the right desk (yeah, like this one below) is the best way to go.

To make your home office look professional, you need to invest in a high-quality deskClick to check this desk’s price

A desk is like the central piece of your working area. It can make your home office look inviting, comfortable, professional, but also cold and amateur. Here’s a list of tips when choosing the best desk for your home office:

  1. Go with a desk with drawers. This way, you will hide clutter, and also store everything you need for a productive day — this is a great example.
  2. Get a desk made of solid wood (link). It’s more durable as a material and it also looks more high-end.
  3. Find a big desk. The bigger, the more professional your home office is going to look.
  4. A desk with a back panel always looks cooler. They always look sturdier, and luxurious.
  5. If your home office is not big enough, choose a ladder desk. They look cool and they’re extremely hot right now. Here’s a list of the best ladder desks in 2020.

3. To make your home office look professional, you need more than one chair

First of all, the wrong office chair can make a cozy, inviting home office, look like a complete mess. Think of your working space as a fashion look. The chair is the coat — the piece that hugs the rest of the elements together.

With that being said, you need an office chair made of fabric. Of course, leather is the best way to go, but we don’t want you to spend a fortune. Not yet.

An attractive home office chair can make a huge difference while creating a professional home officeClick to check this chair’s price

Chairs made of fabric make your home office warm, welcoming, and professional at the same time. Make sure you choose one in neutral colors (such as grey) and with silver details because fake gold tends to look cheap.

Related: Best Budget Office Chairs That Look Extremely Lavish

Oh, and one small detail. To make your home office look even more professional, you need to have a couple of chairs for your guests as well. Again, you need to follow the same pattern. Fabric is the answer. These great guest chairs can definitely do the job.

4. Pro-tip on how to make your home office look professional: “meeting tables”

Ok ok. We know that many of you might not be able to fit a meeting table in your home office. But if you happen to have some extra space, this simple trick will transform your work area from a home office to a home business.

However, you don’t want to overdo it. It’s a home office, not a corporate office space, so we would recommend a simple round table like this one. It looks like a dining table, but it’s pretty and can serve the purpose:

How to make your home office look professional? Add a meeting table. Any table can work.Click to check this table’s price

5. Decoration: To make your home office inviting

We have to be honest here. Decorating a home office is a tricky task. Why? Well, there’s a fine line between a professional home office and a basic office at home.

Think of a workspace and your brain will most likely shape a completely different picture from what it would create if we told you to think of a home. A home office stands right there. Between your home and your office.

A smart lamp can make your home office both more professional and productive

Click to check this best-selling lamp’s price

To make your home office look professional and cozy at the same time, you need to invest in some decoration. Again. SOME. And since this is a place where you need to focus, you need to keep it simple.

Here are some tips:

  1. Invest in plants. They make the place look cozy and Pinterest-y. Plus, they’re a cheap solution. Caution: find minimal plant pots like these ones to give a luxurious feeling.
  2. Wall art is important. Your walls shouldn’t be empty but at the same time, they shouldn’t be too much. Find minimal wall art like quotes online, print them, and use a plain black frame to hang them. It’s that simple.
  3. Rugs for even more coziness. The rule says that your rug should be the same color as your chair — or a completely contrasting shade. However, to make your home office look professional, we’d suggest a light grey. But, to be honest, this is just a matter of personal taste so go ahead and experiment.
  4. Your lights matter. Lights play an essential part. First of all, you need to see what type of lamp suits you best. Generally speaking, desk lamps with different brightness levels, tend to improve productivity. If you’re looking for one, this is the best deal.

[Note: We’re publishing an article on the best desk lamps soon — click here to follow us on Instagram and get notified when it’s out]

6. You know what? Get a coffeemaker.

Yes. Why not put a coffeemaker in your home office?

Yes, you read that one right. A coffeemaker. In your professional home office. Yes. YES.

First of all, you won’t have to go to the kitchen every once in a while to pour yourself a cup of coffee. Second, if you raise your game and eventually hold meetings in your home office, you will be able to make your guests feel comfortable without even leaving your office.

Remember in Mad Men where Don Draper had a bottle of whiskey on a console in his office? Think of your coffeemaker as a special bottle of Jack Daniels. Of course, without the alcohol, the bottle, or the fanciness.

However, you need to make sure that it’s an elegant coffee maker. There’s a plethora out there — something like this could definitely work.

7. Get a printer and feel professional

Click to check our favorite home office printer’s price

You won’t believe how much difference a printer can make in your home office. Like it or not, eco-friendly or not, at some point you’re going to need to print something. The idea of having your own in your home office makes the whole concept of working at home more professional.

Luckily, there are unlimited choices in the market at many different price ranges, so you won’t have any trouble finding the one that best suits your needs. However, here’s a list of top five printers for your home office:

ModelCategoryLink
Canon Pixma TS9120All-in-one inkjet printerCheck price here
Epson EcoTank ET-2720All-in-one ecotank printerCheck price here
Brother MFC-L2750DWAll-in-one B&W laser printerCheck price here
Samsung Xpress M2020Laser printerCheck price here
Xerox Phaser 6510Laser printerCheck price here

How to make your home office look professional – A complete shopping list!

Now that we’ve established how to make your home office look and feel inviting and professional, we need to establish what exactly you need to put in your home office.

Keep scrolling for a list of eight products based on the tips we provided above. Create a professional, fully-equipped home office for under $800 and boost your productivity today!

Best Budget Office Chairs That Look Extremely Lavish 0 519

Best Budget Office Chairs That Look Extremely Lavish

You love listicles. Just like you loved our list with the best ladder desks in the market right now. But now, you’re looking for the best budget office chairs in 2020, right? And you’re afraid that they might be frail or fragile, huh?

Luckily, we’ve got some good news.

The years when there were two separate categories of office chairs are long gone. Now, you don’t just have to choose between a costly luxurious and an affordable IKEA office chair. Today, the power is right in your fingertips — like, literally, if you think that you use your fingers to buy online.

Here are the top value-for-money office chairs that look way more expensive and you can get from Amazon for less than $150 (at least at the time of writing this article).

Best Budget Office Chairs for 2020

Allow us to take a moment and clarify what we mean by this “best-budget” adjective. Of course, there are budget desk chairs from IKEA and Wallmart that can cost less than $100. And, to be completely honest, they’re fine. But that’s all.

When we’re talking about affordable home office desk chairs, we’re talking about high-quality chairs that will stay with you for the long run and won’t let you down with their cheap materials and clunky design.

With that being said, this is not a post about 50-dollar desk chairs. It’s about the best budget office chairs for your home office that still are an investment.

1. AmazonBasics Executive Swivel Office Chair

Best Budget Office Chairs for a Luxurious Home OfficeClick to check price

The best-seller has to go first! 

Offered by AmazonBasics, this executive budget desk chair is the best value-for-money piece you can find for almost $100. Sure, the price is low, but the feeling the moment you sit in and start working is as luxurious as it can get.

Installation won’t take you longer than 10 minutes, and it’s suitable for people who work long hours from home and want to see their productivity boosting.

Why? Because it’s comfortable, beautiful, and ideal for everyone, no matter their height or weight.

2. Flash Furniture White Leather Swivel Chair

Best budget office chairs that will make your office look luxuriousClick to check price

Look at the picture above. Now click here to look at the price. Now, back to us. Can you actually believe that this chair is so cheap?

Dressed in white faux leather and with rose gold details that make it look like it has jumped out of a Pinterest board, the chair number 2 on our “best budget office chairs” is all you ever wanted.

Especially if you’ve been looking for an item that not only looks high-end but also comes with comfortable sitting and allows your back to feel great even after a 10-hour-long shift.

Oh, and it’s ridiculously easy to assemble. What else do you need?

3. Porthos Home Lennon Office Chair

Best budget office chairs with an elegant Scandinavian designClick to check price
(Updated link – Read more below)

We get how chairs (especially budget desk chairs) with a slim design can sometimes feel puny. But good materials make a huge difference. This is precisely the case with the Home Lennon chair Home Lilian chair, whose elegant design makes it a perfect solution for a home office in a small space.

As soon as you assemble the chair (a procedure which will take just a few minutes), you will have a strong piece before you, ready to assist you through your toughest on-the-job tasks.

Get ready for hours and hours of comfortable work while resting your arms on these smooth wooden arms. The memory foam will quickly adapt to the contours of your body, and, as an extra, the seat can lean nicely back.

The only drawback? The arms are not adjustable

Update: The Home Lennon chair is currently out of stock. Here is the Porthos Home Lilian chair which look a lot like it.

4. Porthos Home Designer Office Chair

Best budget office chairs for a cozy home officeClick to check price

If you’re a fan of those fluffy home office desk chairs that you’ve seen in a bunch of movies, this one is for you. But we have to be honest: We’ve seen better.

The Porthos home designer office chair is the most affordable item on our list of the best budget office chairs. As a result, it’s the one that excites us the least, mostly because it’s quite …basic. And, of course, it comes with all the problems basic chair do — if, for example, you push back to far, you’ll notice a little crunching noise that most chairs under $100 have.

However, the seat is wide, the material is comfortable, and it feels really sturdy.

5. Poly and Bark Office Chair

Click to check price

There’s literally nothing to hate on this chair. Assembly is a piece of cake, instructions are clear as the sky in July, and the piece itself is a faithful companion patiently waiting at your home office desk to assist you.

This top-notch desk chair is also ideal for tall home workers because it can rise remarkably high. And don’t be fooled by how thin the seat’s foam looks; it’s actually really soft, and the artificial leather feels high-quality.

How do we know that you’re going to keep this chair in the long run? Because our editor did.

6. Porthos Black PU Leather Office Chair

Click to check price

It’s high time we talked about elegance.

And usually, when people think about elegant desk chairs, they think about uncomfortable, thin, minimal, kind of futuristic pieces.

But this Porthos desk chair (a company that we’ve seen a lot on this best budget desk chairs list) redefines the idea of elegance in furniture by launching this masterpiece that features a truly slim design that also comes with thick padded seating.

So, if elegance, luxury, and top comfort are all you need from your desk chair, this Porthos, with a 360-degree swivel and gas-lift height adjustment, is all you need.

7. Serta Style Leighton Home Office Chair

Best budget office chairs that will make your home office stunningClick to check price

This chair is everything.

It might not be a designer’s item, nor the most modern chair that you’ve ever seen. But it’s classic, and it suits all places no matter the surrounding furniture, decoration, or vibe.

Hands down, this is the best home office chair on a budget.

Even though it looks like a really hard chair to assemble (because of its sturdiness), the instructions paper consists of only five steps.

What’s more, the chair swivels, has an excellent adjustable height range and leans back well. No wonder it scores 4 stars with almost 300 ratings.

Our advice: Get it now!

Conclusion: Best Budget Office Chairs — Are They Worth It?

A lot of you might think that the more costly the chair, the more comfortable it will be. And, in many cases, this is absolutely right. But not for the desk chairs we mentioned above.

All of them come from big companies that have been tested throughout the years. They all look expensive, feel high-quality, and their online reviews prove that people who have used them are happy with their purchase.

And you can be one of them.