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help styling an office nook

7 years ago
This little desk lives behind our couch. It’s not really too visible from the rest of the room until you walk behind the couch. Our “main office” is in the basement; this is mainly just a stop gap workspace for small tasks and such. Anyway, you can see we have a desk, chair, and small ottoman on wheels (that’s actually a file storage box). my husband like the desk “centered” in this space; I’m not quite sold on it. Was toying around with putting a narrow bookcase shelf type thing to the right of the desk but can’t seem to find anything that is narrow enough. (Oh and the metallic bulletin board I took a pic of are intended to hang above the desk, but we can’t do that until we hammer down desk placement!) our color palette is very neutral - blues and grays and beiges, dark floors with white trim. Our style is contemporary, with an industrial farmhouse vibe — we have metals and distressed wood and textured fabrics.

I’ll take any help I can get in styling this space! Thanks in advance!

Comments (18)

  • 7 years ago
    https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/gracie-oaks-velazco-angled-etagere-bookcase-cvv5319.html

    Something like this was what I was thinking for a bookcase? Thoughts?
  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    What are you going to do in this space versus the “main office”? To me, if it were just a desk for occasional laptop work, you wouldn’t need much storage or a bulletin board, so I’d style that area more as part of the living room then creating an office area there.

  • 7 years ago
    A longer desk maybe glass & iron / narrower chair as that’s a bit bulky / anything tall will maybe look odd / floating shelf or two?
  • 7 years ago
    This is more for me to take care of light work like paying some bills, lesson planning etc— things that don’t need to be done in our main office area in the basement — easier to get stuff done on the main level due to dog and baby (don’t like having to cart them downstairs )
  • 7 years ago
    May take up your suggestion to get a bigger desk and just move this desk to a kids room
  • 7 years ago
    Can you post more pictures of the rest of your living room? Maybe there is a better location for an office/desk area?
  • 7 years ago


    maybe a desk with drawers to keep it neat...

  • PRO
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I like what you have planned so far and the bulletin board is sure cute! I am not sure how narrow you need your shelving, but this open style etagere is small and goes with the style you have thus far.


    You could put your files and desk goodies in matching decorative boxes/baskets within the shelves. Good luck!


    Kennmore Bookshelf · More Info




  • 7 years ago
    Have you considered a painted folding screen thing placed on a diagonal at a corner to block the view of your desk area? One reason the desk arrangement looks off is that it is so small when contrasted with the sofa. I certainly would NOT center it on the wall since it is so small.
  • 7 years ago


    Maybe instead of hiding it behind the couch make it visible with this wall mounted desk from CB2

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    I wouldn't try to 'hide it' I love the idea of either a larger desk or a wall mounted unit

  • 7 years ago
    Can you post a picture from in front of the couch?
  • 7 years ago
    Just a few more suggestions. Thinking that a smaller chair and a corner shaped work area might look nice. It's a little difficult from the picture posted, to know how much space you have to work with.
    I'm sure you'll come up with something great. I love the bulletin board you picked out. :-)
  • 7 years ago
    What Manon Floreat said.

    It will look far better integrated into the room (rather than being this thing jammed into a leftover corner with seeming regret). Drawers underneath will stop it from getting sloppy.
  • 7 years ago
    Thanks for the suggestions all!! I think I’ll have to go with a bigger desk for the space and relegate this desk to the kids workspace. (Some of their toys live a few cubbies behind the sofa so that they’re cluttering my direct sight line when looking into the room..... but ONE day lol I will be doing a skinny sofa table with some bar stools as was suggested in an earlier post!)
  • 7 years ago
    Edit — so that the tots are NOT cluttering my sight line!
  • 7 years ago
    *toys