5 Home Office Solutions For Small Spaces

Working from home sounds like the perfect solution for many modern women, but until we’re raking in enough cash to upgrade to a nice detached house in the country, it’s not always easy finding the space to create a home office.

Maybe you’re happy enough working on your lap, but you still somewhere to store your files. Plus, having a dedicated ‘workspace’ will get your brain into that working mood, so you’re more productive and less likely to get distracted.

Luckily, no matter how tiny your home may be, you can find space for a desk.

Here are five ingenious home office solutions that even the smallest of spaces can accommodate:

1. In a Closet

Yes, you need somewhere to store your clothes, but are you utilizing all the space in your wardrobe? Maybe you could consider (for built-in wardrobes) moving the rail up and slotting a mini desk and shelves underneath?

If you think this sounds chaotic, just look at how Interior Designer, Brian Patrick Flynn has converted his wardrobe. The unexpected flash of blue paint almost looks too good to hide away in the closet!

2. In a Chest of Drawers

Hallways are typically ignored places in the house that people use only as a means of getting from one place to another. But have you considered getting a bureau for the hall and setting up an office there?

If you haven’t got a hallway or can’t afford to buy a new desk, clear out one of your clothes drawers and turn it into a mini bureau instead.

This DIY solution is fairly easy to do; you just pick a drawer that is at sitting height for you and saw the front panel off, sanding it to finish. Add thin but sturdy fold-down legs to the front two corners and voilà, just pull the drawer out, fold the legs down and pull up a chair.

If you work from a laptop, you can even set the workspace up to be ready to use every time you pull it out, and simply close your laptop when you want to slide the drawer back into place.

3. On a Bookshelf

Got a spare shelf on a bookcase? Consider converting that into a computer desk if it’s at the right height.

Or you can set up a more permanent solution with legs salvaged from an old chair – you can find these at thrift stores easily enough. However, make sure that the bookcase is anchored to the wall; you don’t want the whole thing tipping forward on you while you’re trying to work.

Or consider this wall-mounted, fold-out desk from Tangkula, which gives you adequate storage and workspace. Then when you need the space for other activities, you simply fold it up into its case which hangs neatly on the wall. 

4. Behind the Sofa

Normally behind people’s sofas, you might find an old sweet covered in fluff or some loose change, but for smaller space dwellers, why not consider putting a console table behind there instead?

Console tables are slim-line tables that normally end up in hallways and have our keys and mail tossed onto them every day. However, they can also be a clever, space-saving solution to your lack of a home office. Get a small stool you can tuck underneath there too and lo and behold; you have yourself a permanent workstation.

This wheeled console table from Tribesigns is sleek and slim and can be placed anywhere you have extra space, including over the top of a queen-sized bed, pretty ingenious!

5. In an Ottoman or Coffee Table

Homemaker’s hero, Martha Stewart has come up with an ingenious DIY office solution, the office in a chest. For this, she converted a blanket box/ottoman into a filing cabinet, desk tidy and bulletin board combo with minimal materials and effort. This solution is a godsend to those who have a mountain of paperwork to store, yet want to be able to access it all easily.

Another option is making your coffee table pull double duty. This lift-top coffee table with a storage compartment from YAHEETECH would be perfect for a small space.

What small home office ideas do you have? Drop us a note; we’d love to hear from you! If you enjoyed this post — please share it on your favorite social media site.

Estelle Page is a self-employed interior designer from Sussex who spends a lot of her time creating designs for clients at her desk, and knows the importance of a comfortable home office! She writes for Oak Furniture Superstore.