Short on Space? Consider These Creative Home Office Ideas
Are you hopeful that you can live out your remote work dreams soon? Perhaps the last hurdle before you start job hunting is discovering dedicated office space. If you’re like most remote workers, you don’t have the luxury of a designated room for your office. So, how do you make the most of your available space?
We’re here to tell you from personal experience that the kitchen table, family room couch, or sitting on the bed isn’t going to create productivity for long. Beyond the strains and stresses on your muscles that will occur, you’ll have a nearly impossible time focusing, not to mention constantly trying to hunt down your office supplies.
Carving Out Home Office Space
What do you do when there’s no extra room for you to create your office oasis? Never fear! We’ve compiled some ideas to get your creative juices flowing as you ponder where you might squeeze workspace in.
- The Nook
Any cozy corner or small, unused space will do for a working nook. You need just 30 inches to create a comfortable working desk space, a few decorative items, and—voila!—you have yourself a functional and super cute office nook. While it might not be ideal, a corner in your living room with a room divider could be the best solution for your current setup. The best case in this scenario is a desk that shuts so you can put work out of sight and out of mind when it’s time to clock out.
- An Office for Two
If you’re lucky enough to work with your sweetie all day, then a home office for two is what you need. Reasonably easy to design and execute, this office setup could have loads of options for self-customization, such as setting up mail slots or organizers on the outside, adding personalized wall art on each side, or even creating a cute place to pass an invitation to dinner through to your coworker!
Invest in noise-canceling headphones and some study music to help keep your productivity flowing when your office mate has a Zoom or phone call.
- The Hideaway Closet
An office in a closet is the perfect way to disguise your workspace while keeping its classy integrity. This design allows for ample storage space overhead, and the closet doors are just calling you to fill them with calendars, sticky notes, and to-do lists. The best part: With a closet-turned-home office, you can leave your desk messy and just shut the door come Friday afternoon, forgetting about that disaster until Monday.
You probably currently use extra closets for storage space, but could you move any of that upstairs to the attic or rent a minimal storage unit? With a bit of rearranging, it might be your new favorite workspace.
- The Harry Potter Office
An office under a staircase is an ingenious use of what would otherwise be wasted space in your home, especially if you’re out of options elsewhere. Cozy, unique, and a sure conversation-starter, a Harry Potter office is fully customizable. You could even add a sliding pocket door for extra privacy.
- The Bedroom Office
A trendy and stylish cool home office idea—it’s a fantastic alternative if you’re short on space. With some thoughtful planning and design, any bedroom can be turned into a functional workspace. To go the extra mile and achieve that “cool factor,” you could use tiles, wallpaper, or paint to create a completely separate area.
- The Murphy Desk
When you’re strapped for space, say living in a shared studio or a tiny house, a Murphy bed and desk combo is for you. There are numerous designs out there for this kind of multifunctional furniture, or you could try designing and creating one yourself.
Available in both horizontal or more traditional vertical style designs, Murphy beds easily transform a bedroom into office space during the day. And with one swoop of the hand, back into a fully functional bedroom. It doesn’t get much quicker than this!
- The Storage Office
Consider the mighty built-in shelving unit desk. The desk will be camouflaged into your existing storage wall, whether for books, records, or works of art. You can slip a small laptop or sleekly designed computer into any existing storage space. If a small ledge for a desk doesn’t already exist, get out your skill saw and make one!
Like many other cool home offices on this list, a storage office can be customized to meet your needs, and the best part is that it doesn’t take away from any other aspect of your home or apartment!
- The Backyard Shed
For those of you with a backyard and a larger budget, consider using a backyard shed. It’s customizable from inside to out, and you get the benefits of leaving the house for work without the hassle of a long or expensive commute. Perfect for when you need a quiet place for phone calls or even meetings, these tiny offices make for a cozy yet functional office.
- Your Kid’s Room
Consider what space gets the least amount of use during the day. It’s probably your kids’ rooms while they’re at school. Why not get a loft bed with a desk underneath? While the unit’s intention is focused on homework space, there’s no reason you can’t take advantage of that space during the day. You’ll knock out the major part of your working hours in their room while they’re away. As a bonus, maybe it will help ensure they keep their room clean if they know a parent will be in there daily.
- Your Travel Trailer
For those of you who have an avid love of camping, you might have a trailer that sits at your house most of the time. You can have an electrician install an electrical outlet to keep it operational for not very much money. Like the backyard shed, you can set up shop outside in a separate space. Bonus points if you sit outside and get some fresh air routinely.
- Convert the Attic
Admittedly, for most of us, this is a more extensive project. If your attic is already finished with flooring and walls, it’ll be fairly easy to convert it. However, if it’s more extensive than that, consider consulting a contractor to discover the feasibility of converting that unused space into an actual room.
- Space in the Garage
If you live in a more moderate climate, you might be able to utilize a corner of the garage for office space without doing a complete conversion. Add a throw rug, some room dividers, and a couple of houseplants and you’re ready to add your furniture. Beyond the standard desk and chair, you should consider a softer lighting solution for your eyes than the traditionally harsh fluorescent lighting often found in garages.
Create an Awesome Home Office
If you’re like most people and don’t have an extra room to turn into a home office, don’t worry. There are plenty of other creative solutions out there. You just need to be willing to think outside the box (pun intended).
Consider any space in your home that isn’t currently being utilized throughout the entire day. There are many options where you could squeeze a small but productive workspace. With a little bit of creativity and some adjustments to how you use your current living space, you can be well on your way to remote work bliss.
Once you’ve carved out your workspace, you’re ready to find a remote job to fill it. We can help with that! Take the tour to discover all of the ways that a StartWorkNow membership can make searching for your remote job easier and safer.