5 Stylish New Home Offices
Pros share details on how they created productive work-from-home spaces with storage, comfort and looks
When it comes to setting up a home office, there are many ways to get the job done. But ultimately you’ll want a work surface, storage, a comfortable chair and an atmosphere conducive to productivity. For inspiration, check out these five functional and fashionable home office setups.
2. Compact and Contemporary
Designer: Perry Walter of Walter Studio Interior Design
Location: Lake Keowee, South Carolina
Size: 250 square feet (23 square meters)
Homeowner’s request. “My client is a real estate agent and wanted a home office getaway to check emails and follow up with and concentrate on clients,” designer Perry Walter says. “She requested cabinetry storage for organizing work essentials and a view of the overall home.”
Main feature. The rich wood tones from the Douglas fir vaulted ceiling and European plank wood floors are the most significant design details, Walter says. “These add so much warmth to the space.”
Other special features. Custom dark-stained built-in cabinets. Saarinen executive armchair upholstered in palm green fabric. Turquoise lamp. In a nearby corner, a chaise lounge offers a spot to kick back.
Designer tip. “When selecting a desk armchair, measure the arm height from the floor to the top of the arm to confirm it fits under the desk properly,” Walter says.
Custom cabinets: Florez Fine Woodworking; artwork: Chocolate Glazed Donut With Sprinkles (on desk) and op art (near chaise), Gina Julian; wall paint: Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore
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Designer: Perry Walter of Walter Studio Interior Design
Location: Lake Keowee, South Carolina
Size: 250 square feet (23 square meters)
Homeowner’s request. “My client is a real estate agent and wanted a home office getaway to check emails and follow up with and concentrate on clients,” designer Perry Walter says. “She requested cabinetry storage for organizing work essentials and a view of the overall home.”
Main feature. The rich wood tones from the Douglas fir vaulted ceiling and European plank wood floors are the most significant design details, Walter says. “These add so much warmth to the space.”
Other special features. Custom dark-stained built-in cabinets. Saarinen executive armchair upholstered in palm green fabric. Turquoise lamp. In a nearby corner, a chaise lounge offers a spot to kick back.
Designer tip. “When selecting a desk armchair, measure the arm height from the floor to the top of the arm to confirm it fits under the desk properly,” Walter says.
Custom cabinets: Florez Fine Woodworking; artwork: Chocolate Glazed Donut With Sprinkles (on desk) and op art (near chaise), Gina Julian; wall paint: Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore
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3. Symmetrical and Stylish
Designer-builder: Greg Alsterlund of McDonald Remodeling
Location: Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
Size: 165 square feet (15 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. Convert an unused bedroom into a home office for two.
Main feature. A walnut-topped desk allows two people to work at the same time. Dark blue built-in cabinets combine file drawers, flip cabinets and open display space. “This office is located right off of the front entry, so things had to be stylish and give the owners the ability to put things away,” design-build pro Greg Alsterlund says.
Other special features. Refinished tongue-and-groove ceiling. Undercabinet lighting. The base cabinets hide miscellaneous electronics. Undercounter raceways hide wires. Corkboard wraps the wall above the countertops.
The 10 Most Popular Home Offices of Summer 2022
Designer-builder: Greg Alsterlund of McDonald Remodeling
Location: Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
Size: 165 square feet (15 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. Convert an unused bedroom into a home office for two.
Main feature. A walnut-topped desk allows two people to work at the same time. Dark blue built-in cabinets combine file drawers, flip cabinets and open display space. “This office is located right off of the front entry, so things had to be stylish and give the owners the ability to put things away,” design-build pro Greg Alsterlund says.
Other special features. Refinished tongue-and-groove ceiling. Undercabinet lighting. The base cabinets hide miscellaneous electronics. Undercounter raceways hide wires. Corkboard wraps the wall above the countertops.
The 10 Most Popular Home Offices of Summer 2022
4. Color and Character
Designers: Lucy Earl, Nicole Withers and Lorell Thompson of Jones-Keena & Co.
Builder: Big Bear Developers
Location: Palm Beach, Florida
Size: 150 square feet (14 square meters); 12 by 12½ feet
Homeowners’ request. This home office was part of a newly built spec home. It was a “vanilla box,” designer Nicole Withers says. One of the homeowners, an attorney, wanted built-in storage and style.
Main feature. A botanical print Roman shade kicked off the orange-and-green color scheme. High-gloss green built-ins (Very Green by Benjamin Moore) complement a rich velvet side chair. Orange geometric shapes in the custom rug coordinate with an orange leather desk chair and other orange details.
Other special features. Geometric shapes on the drum shade pendant light complement those in the custom rug. Wallpaper mimics the look of gold rivets.
Designer tip. “Art, antiques and rugs are the soul of a home,” designer Lucy Earl says.
Pendant light: Alexandra, Visual Comfort; Roman shade: Passage to India, Clarence House; wallpaper: Rivets in gold on ivory manila hemp, Phillip Jeffries; painting: Michael Vollbracht; project photography: Ron Rosenzweig
Designers: Lucy Earl, Nicole Withers and Lorell Thompson of Jones-Keena & Co.
Builder: Big Bear Developers
Location: Palm Beach, Florida
Size: 150 square feet (14 square meters); 12 by 12½ feet
Homeowners’ request. This home office was part of a newly built spec home. It was a “vanilla box,” designer Nicole Withers says. One of the homeowners, an attorney, wanted built-in storage and style.
Main feature. A botanical print Roman shade kicked off the orange-and-green color scheme. High-gloss green built-ins (Very Green by Benjamin Moore) complement a rich velvet side chair. Orange geometric shapes in the custom rug coordinate with an orange leather desk chair and other orange details.
Other special features. Geometric shapes on the drum shade pendant light complement those in the custom rug. Wallpaper mimics the look of gold rivets.
Designer tip. “Art, antiques and rugs are the soul of a home,” designer Lucy Earl says.
Pendant light: Alexandra, Visual Comfort; Roman shade: Passage to India, Clarence House; wallpaper: Rivets in gold on ivory manila hemp, Phillip Jeffries; painting: Michael Vollbracht; project photography: Ron Rosenzweig
5. Dark and Moody
Designer: Sheila Kramer Interiors
Location: Atherton, California
Size: 270 square feet (25 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “This was already a beautiful home but some of the rooms needed some love,” designer Sheila Kramer says. “There were a lot of white walls and empty space that needed some warmth and layers. The couple, with three children under the age of 5, were brave. They love color and asked me to bring their home to life.”
Main feature. Kramer painted the built-ins a custom color matched to the light-colored pattern in the wallpaper that she used to back the open shelves. She then used the darker base color in the same wallpaper to create a custom color to paint the walls and ceiling. “This room envelops you upon entering and is the perfect place to work and tackle to-do lists,” Kramer says.
Other features. Marble-and-brass desk. Custom striped rug.
Designer tip. “Don’t hold back when designing small spaces,” Kramer says. “It can be intimidating, but when you really commit, the result is incredibly impactful.”
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Designer: Sheila Kramer Interiors
Location: Atherton, California
Size: 270 square feet (25 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “This was already a beautiful home but some of the rooms needed some love,” designer Sheila Kramer says. “There were a lot of white walls and empty space that needed some warmth and layers. The couple, with three children under the age of 5, were brave. They love color and asked me to bring their home to life.”
Main feature. Kramer painted the built-ins a custom color matched to the light-colored pattern in the wallpaper that she used to back the open shelves. She then used the darker base color in the same wallpaper to create a custom color to paint the walls and ceiling. “This room envelops you upon entering and is the perfect place to work and tackle to-do lists,” Kramer says.
Other features. Marble-and-brass desk. Custom striped rug.
Designer tip. “Don’t hold back when designing small spaces,” Kramer says. “It can be intimidating, but when you really commit, the result is incredibly impactful.”
More on Houzz
Read more home office stories
Browse more home office photos
Find an interior designer near you
Shop for home office products
Designer: Sarah Cummings of Hillside Manor Decor
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Size: About 143 square feet (13 square meters); 11½ by 12½ feet
Homeowners’ request. “This home study was an underutilized sitting room without any real purpose,” designer Sarah Cummings says. “Due to the global pandemic, the clients realized that they needed a dedicated office to work from home, so we reworked the space to make it functional for the family.”
Main feature. “We arranged the layout for the desk user to take advantage of the windows and view,” Cummings says. “Their desk had to fit perfectly within the window spacing, window treatments, narrow hallways and style of the home, so we opted for this custom desk. The elegant desk incorporates glass shelving and a lovely neutral finish that replicates a soft creamy linen shade washed over a lighter wood tone, which highlights the grain. The plinth base of both the desk and the etagere are a coordinating custom satin brass metal ferrule finish.”
Other special features. Leather lounge chair. Pale gray walls (Pale Granite by C2 Paint). The oversize custom etagere features a matte taupe finish and provides storage and display space for a printer, documents, books, photos and artwork.
Designer tip. “The trick to decorating is often complete subtraction and selective addition,” Cummings says. “We completely cleared out the space and carefully added only the necessary elements for work and home in this relatively small space. To quote Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, less is more. That matters, because too much clutter can cause stress.”
Project photography and styling: Charlotte Safavi and Robert Radifera of Stylish Productions
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