Our Favorite Home Office Setups Will Make You Rethink Your Workspace

Now more than ever, home is where many of us are seeking refuge and solace in light of the novel coronavirus. This is a tough time, but we’re here for you—whether it’s a new pantry recipe or a useful tip for your kitchen, here are some ideas to make things run a little more smoothly for you and your loved ones.

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If you’re like many of us on the Home52 team, you don’t have the luxury of a dedicated room that can serve as your home office. Maybe right now your workspace is a corner of your couch, or your nightstand, or a stack of books on top of a radiator, or a skinny stretch next to the kitchen sink. Whatever works! Still, we’d venture that chiseling out a designated workspace, no matter how tiny, no matter where you can squeeze it in—even a corner of the bedroom or a literal closet—makes a difference. It helps to have a space that’s organized, thoughtful, creative, and beautiful to spend your days in, too.

Here are nine offices we’ve noticed lately that prove that you can, actually, squeeze a functional and pretty good-looking workspace in anywhere. The thing is, too, you probably have everything you need to create them: All you need is a clear surface, a window, a comfortable chair, and maybe a candle or two.

A suitable desk needn’t be square (or rectangular). We love the charming round workspace designer Katie Hackworth set up as a creative space for her daughter—and think it would make a lovely office, too.

Here’s a home office setup that’s both functional and aesthetic, via Netherlands-based Instagrammer Sanne Hop. Note all of the sneaky but beautiful storage: a narrow slot beneath the desktop for storing notebooks, a peg rail for hanging essentials. (And here’s Sanne’s kid-friendly version, should your little ones need a workspace, too.)

Architect and blogger Holly Beechener fits an itty-bitty desk situation into a sunny back bedroom—and pale green walls, plenty of natural light, and a little houseplant keep it feeling bright and serene, not cramped.

A workspace under the eaves by Instagrammer @scandi.liebe couldn’t be simpler, but becomes a lovely place to work, thanks to a few considered objects and a couple of candles.

All you need to make a workspace is a table and a chair—but make it design-worthy, as Anne Carpentier did in her guest house in Arles, France, spotted via The Socialite Family.

A petite walk-in closet becomes a mini office by blogger Ursula Carmon. Our favorite part? You can close the doors on work at the end of the day.

A shelf just slim enough for a laptop (and a cup of tea), by Sydney-based Studio Gorman.

Settling down to work is just a little easier when the home office feels inviting. In the at-home workspace of designer and blogger Sarah Van Peteghem of Coco Lapine, the monochromatic layout goes a long way, too.

A favorite office-in-a-nook by London-based 2LG Studio. Despite the dramatic payoff, what we love about this is it only takes a can of paint to get the look. Paint the interior of an unused closet (and the insides of the doors, too) for a surprise every time you open the doors to get to work. (The color sets the “office” apart from the rest of the room, too.)

What are you doing to make your WFH situation more fun/productive? Tell us in the comments!