5. Reflect for depth Use mirrors, installed on the office’s back wall, to create an illusion of space. This makes working at a compact desk feel more open, bright and spacious. This idea probably works best with a computer that has a large screen, so it will hide your reflection and prevent you from being distracted.
Key Piece Save Email 2. Try this recipe Perfectly designed, this office is a study (no pun intended) in what can be achieved in a small space. It takes up little room, but delivers a desk, shelves and drawers. It has an electrical socket located conveniently above the desktop, while lighting fitted beneath the shelves removes the need for a lamp.
1. Make use of any space It’s surprising how little space you need for a home office. As long as the desk is large enough to accommodate a laptop, then it can function as a place to work. This office is incredibly dinky, but it has room for a laptop, lamp and storage. The shelf is fitted deliberately high to prevent working at the small desk from feeling claustrophobic.
Found Associates Save Email Try transparent furniture With a handful of design tricks up your sleeve, a compact office area can be made into a light and airy working zone that feels almost double the size. A see-through acrylic desk and chair won’t encroach, visually, on valuable floor space, while all-white, built-in cubbyholes can stash books, files, stationery and a printer, keeping surfaces clear and clean.
InDesign / Lori Ludwick Save Email Colour charged. Two shorter filing cabinets rather than a tall one that seems to tower over the room will be all the more appealing when they’re in a colour that ties in with the other hues in the room. In this case, orange and blue punctuate the workspace with aplomb. A worktop set on top of two filing cabinets is all that’s needed to create a funky and functional desk with plenty of storage to hand.
Kailey J. Flynn Photography Save Email Star attraction. Sometimes it’s better to make a highlight of your filing cabinet rather than pretend it’s not there or try to hide it out of sight. The fact is, we’ve all got important papers and records we need to store, and it takes space to do that. A bright colour can be enough to make a filing cabinet a showpiece, and when it’s set against a wall that helps it shine, so much the better. This chalkboard backdrop is just what this orange filing cabinet needs to make it really pop.
Extra seating. No need to clutter up a sleek home office with extra chairs if you only need them once in a while. Add a cushioned top to a filing cabinet on wheels, and you’ve got an extra seat for guests whenever the occasion arises. Coordinate the colour of your cabinet with your desk and other room elements, and it will otherwise go unnoticed – just slide it under your desk so it’s out of the way.
7. A private courtyard A master bedroom doesn’t have to be introverted; it can also provide a private outdoor space secluded from the rest of the home. The designers of this home have incorporated large windows that allow natural light to enter the room without compromising privacy. Masonry rendered walls high enough to keep prying eyes at bay are the perfect backdrop to a simple landscape garden. The room seems to extend to the outside walls blurring the boundaries between inside and outside. TIP: Keep your boundary walls or fences high and experiment painting them the same colour as the room. This will give the impression that the room is actually extended to the outside. This is further enhanced by installing floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows as opposed to a single window in the middle of the room because you are basically removing the impression of an entire wall that would otherwise separate the inside from the outside.
6. Work space If you’re a night owl like me and work ungodly hours when the whole house is asleep, sometimes comfort can be gained by working in an area annexed to your master bedroom and not far removed on the other side of your home. Vibe Design Group have designed the optimum design solution where the space is concealed behind a wall yet seems to still be a part of the room. Lights can be dimmed in the main bedroom suite while you are busy at work and not disturbing anyone else. This also frees up the other side of the wall for a fireplace, wall-hung TV, additional built-in joinery or freestanding furniture. TIP: In an open-plan layout where no doors separate you from the bedroom suite, make sure you consult a lighting consultant to best light up your individual work space without disturbing others in the room.
Design idea: Bedside cabinets. Why: Perhaps the better question is why not use storage-packed cabinets instead of traditional bedside tables? They take up about the same amount of floor space but increase your storage capacity. For even more storage, install floating cabinets on the wall behind the bed head as well. How: Working with off-the-shelf cabinet components is straightforward and budget friendly. You can have a pro install them for you or, if you have some home improvement experience, do it yourself. Cost: Simple ready-made cabinets can be purchased at many home improvement stores and Ikea, and come at a wide range of price points – starting at around $120 per piece, not including installation. DIY tip: If you are doing this project yourself, measure your space carefully at least twice and double check the measurements against the measurements of your cabinets before purchasing. When it comes time to install, have a friend help you – cabinets can be heavy and unwieldy to work with.
ecessing your ribbon window gives you a usable ledge to display items such as books and pot plants and other knick-knacks. It saves on additional furniture and valuable floor space, and is a visually interesting touch in any room. If you’re close to your neighbours, then having a slightly higher and deeply recessed ribbon window means that vision into the room from the outside is limited.
Even if your house is right on the boundary and you’re in close quarters to your neighbours, a thin ribbon window will still allow light, while maintaining your privacy. Play with colours and frames to make them a decorative feature.
Surrounding shelves Shelves wrapping all around the bed are a perfect way to maximise space in a room, plus you can claim a little shelf as your bedside table.
If your kitchen desk serves as your sole home office space, you won’t want printers, scanners and fax machines junking it up. An appliance garage is a good solution for keeping these things handy yet hidden. Cabinet paint: Caldwell Green, Benjamin Moore.
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