Discover your style by putting different ones in HOUZZ top search box (one at a time). Examples include casual, transitional, traditional. Note what you like and don't like.

Storage - take advantage of your vertical space (go up). Get a free standing piece or custom. Bolt the piece to the wall if needed. Closed storage is great for most people. Open shelving invites dust and doesn't always look good.

Lighting is often an afterthought, but is actually an important part of any room. Educate yourself about it and then get lighting for this space that is appropriate.

Think about painting the walls. Take your cue from the style of your home and the color of the walls in other rooms. Orange and red are energizing, green is calming.

I would start with removing all the clutter, start sorting and develop like piles and trash. That will not only help you see the space again, but get you started on what kind of storage bins and storage will help.

I would consider facing the desk out of the room rather than on a wall. get a power bar and Velcro it to the bottom of the desk and get a cord wrap so you can still raise and lower the desk w/o the cords everywhere.

Put a large cubby unit behind the desk, maybe two storage ottomans in front of the desk.

Remove that low storage that is not helping much.

is the 'glo' from a window? a simple roman shade, just to fit the window

Is the room open to the foyer/front door or is there a door that separates?

Remove Everything.

Put back ONLY the pieces you NEED.

if budget allows,

Buy a new, larger desk with drawers, and a closed wall storage unit to fill one wall.

A large partners desk that you can access from both sides centered in the room.

a storage for your pantry items on the wall to your right.

a large piece of canvas Art, Paint or Paper for interest to fill the opposite wall

and area rug for color and acoustics.

lastly, please get rid of donate things that you just dont need.

Thanks all for your ideas already! The room is a total mess, and no matter how many times we purge, it always ends up being the default "deal with it later, put it there" room. Partly my fault, partly my partner's. Rest assured, I am otherwise very good at decluttering and donating. 

A couple notes:

There is no window.

The room gives way to our entry way, so to speak, so its not really an option to place the desk not against a wall. #smallcondoliving

Changing desks is not really an option. This one is pretty new and is convertible, which is a must with our backs/hips/etc (yes, even at 30 lol).

Forget den and embrace office.

Draw up a floor plan--maybe post it here--because it's hard to advise based on what you've shown.

Look up small home office decorating for ideas once you figure out a "look" or style that works in your condo and with your desk.

Perhaps you can fit in an armoire or old TV cabinet for pantry items and/or officey stuff. (They're practically free on craigslist these days if you want to be frugal.)

Maybe get a nice basket for stuff that gets dumped. Most normal households need dumping areas for things to deal with later.

Two dog beds? Can't they take turns? :)

Is it entirely open to the entryway or does it have a door? Can you partially screen the room from the entrance?

I had to get a second dog bed to put by my computer because my dog is too old to lay on the hard floor but he has to be by ME...yeah I get it. :)

^^ love those cats on chairs 😍

Im just going to say this, why would you not want to look at people when then walk in as opposed to them looking at your back and monitor. I would try it before you rule it out.

I am not opposed to it :) I'd much rather not face a wall, the space is just really tight, and walking into our home and seeing the back of our computer monitors... I'm just not sure. But I'll definitely give it shot!

The most fabulous monitor back is still pretty ugly, and you can't see through the monitor to the people entering. You could pull it off with a laptop, but I feel that a computer desk needs to face a wall.

I think than you need to give us more context maybe show how the room is to the rest of the house.

I havent had a computer monitor face a wall in many years. The flow of the space is more important. TV's are ugly but they are often the center of a room.

8x8 is pretty small, so the space should only serve one function. What equipment do you need to work from this space? I would check out office FURNITURE (not crappy stuff) and get a filing cabinet that would also function as a stand for a printer/scanner. Since it’s so close to the entry way, some closed storage that coordinates with the filing cabinet and some open shelves for decorative items. Make a list of what you must have in the space.

That back wall needs to be addressed.

Maybe not this fancy and you'd probably need more storage.

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Something like this might be doable.

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Yeah, so I think basically the only thing that will stay is the desk and one (ha ha) dog bed. I have to stress that I do live in a small condo and it is quite a small space. The overhead lighting is next to never used, but I do want to get a floor lamp maybe?

I'd be interested in doing a lower cabinet, with some floating shelves perhaps,  but I am fairly certain two out of the three walls cannot be drilled into as they are concrete... we also have to be mindful that we are renters, so best not to go too nuts.

Really appreciate everyone's suggestions so far, and lack of judgment on this absolute cringey mess. I am horrified by it and absolutely embarrassed to have posted these pics, but I figured it just needs to get done.... so thank you :)

first thing to do is to remove everything from the room.

Now start decorating.

Since there is no window, how about bringing some life into the room w/paint, art, better lighting, etc?

That back wall is being underutilized. Go to Ikea (unless one of you has some basic carpentry skills and can build something) and get their billy bookcases. Now look up the billy bookcase hack.

they resemble this

Get some ideas for the back wall

or you can get the ones w/cabinet doors. The hack part comes in because you'll use simple trim to finish off the top and bottoms so they look built-in (just google billy bookcase hack)

I Love a good black or dark wall (and no, it won't make the room smaller). paint the others bright white.

You could put your desk against it like shown here, or float it in the middle like the other pic

don't like black? then pick another color.

(BTW, check w/the landlord, I'm sure doing one wall w/color is fine. you could always paint it back like the others if you move out)

Personally I'd get the ikea desk/lower pull-out things, and span it w/wood butcher block for the countertop (Home Depot, $150). I love what they've done on the wall w/organizer and shelving. (get Fir boards and brackets and make your own shelves for cheap

this one is cool. you could do a peel and stick wallpaper.

You could also do the ikea bottom file cabinet/or drawer things, and do a lot of wall shelving above it. do the desk against one of the walls.

Ikea cubbie organizers. get a bunch of these for that back wall. try your desk like this or against the wall. float some other shelves. (all of these holes can easily be patched over if you move out)

notice the tall cabinet in the corner, and the shorter cubby one. you need these, but organize them.

float the desk, bring in a rug, some art decor

Or, put your desk along the back wall, float a bunch of shelves.

Lastly, this is a windowless room like yours. I know you say the desk is new, but honestly, you're trying to work this office around that desk. How about getting something better that makes you happy?

I love this look for your room. do some upper cabinets, or a Ikea skinny bookcase cabinets. If you have to keep your desk, then try and do something w/it like shown here. get the bottom file cabinet pullouts and work that into your desk.

Look at all this bright lighting and under cabinet lighting. you need it.

get on Craigslist or FB marketplace and look for inexpensive or free large piece of furniture place on that back wall. Something substantial that will provide storage and shelf space. Doesn't matter what it looks like; bring it home and paint it to match the walls or get creative. Entertainment units are perfect and everyone is giving them away. That will give you a good start to organize the clutter and get it out of sight.

Lots of beautiful ideas. Lana said it's a condo and they're renters, so likely no painting and no built-ins. Maybe the easily-removed wallpaper would work.

A nicely decorated sideboard is a great idea, and they're being given away. Just make sure you can get a large piece into your space.

Is this office used by two people alternately at different times of day? Or just one person? If you have to share space, clear the desk at the end of the day for the other person.

Visitors are likely to think you are lucky to have a dedicated home office. They won't care if your monitors' backs are visible. If you get some closed door storage (as several people suggested), you can store the miscellaneous pantry items as well as the work items out of sight. Then add a couple poster-size framed artworks that you love.

A couple of folding screens would allow you to hide the room. They also make good Zoom backgrounds.

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Think dual purpose; a used china cabinet whose lower portion could be opened up for the dog bed and the upper shelves used for your storage. Center it on the end wall and flank it with a pair of bookcases, if you can find the right sizes. If not, hang a pair of corded sconces on either side, connected to the outlet with extension cords. Then fill the majority of the remaining floor space with a pretty rug that will call attention away from the utilitarian aspects of the room. You can paint the cabinet in a color from the rug.

Ikea has several cabinets that might help you get organized. I use the Havsta cabinets which are only 13.75" deep and 48" tall and they might be nice one the wall either opposite or beside your desk area.

Here they are in my space.

They also come in a shorter and deeper version which i have also, but in your space the taller narrower ones would work better.

What a beautiful office, cubby!!

Thanks, I love it. I needed things to be kept behind doors since it is open to the rest of the house.