Print < Unused Space? Squeeze in a Home Office

Roger Davies

Room for It All

The cornerstones of a productive office are desk space, storage, lighting, and comfort. With a little ingenuity, homeowner Candace Schlosser managed to fit all four into a seldom-used pantry.

First, she placed a desk near the window to ensure good lighting. Bookcases get cluttered in a hurry, so Candace organized them with labeled boxes, folders, and baskets. Finally, she made the space more comfortable by adding a cushioned seat and back to the wooden office chair.

Roger Davies

Clutter Control

Use what you have.

Creative storage and a light desk turn this corner space in a guest bedroom into a hard-working home office. Tin cans tacked to the wall keep office supplies off the desk. Pharmacy lamps work well for putting light where it's needed in tight spaces.

Buff Strickland

Double-Duty Space

If you have to multitask, so should your room.

Designer Stephen Saint-Onge integrated office space into this living area with the addition of a stylish desk and upholstered office chair. The colors for the desk, chair, and lamp were carefully chosen to match the room's existing color scheme.

Tria Giovan

Closet Office

Find space anywhere.

An awkwardly placed living room closet is transformed into a workstation by removing the door and adding shelves. A hemistitched sheet hung from a curtain rod hides the filing cabinet.

Lisa Romerien

Simple Office

When space is an issue, simplicity is key.

Homeowner Dan Bassett placed a small desk in a corner bedroom to carve out this office space in his 991-square-foot cottage. He uses a laptop, rather than a standard desktop computer to save even more room. A power outlet moved above desk height prevents stooping under the desk to plug in accessories.

Roger Davies

Transform a Cabinet

No room to spare? Turn a china cabinet into office storage.

Look for stylish alternatives to ubiquitious grey filing cabinets. This built-in china cabinet serves double duty, with office supplies and cookbooks on the left and barware to the right. Removing the doors from the top of the cabinets allows easy access to supplies.

Roger Davies

Home Office Storage

Stack old suitcases to combine the surface area of a table with a cabinet's storage capacity -- they're especially suited to tucking away rarely needed documents like bank statements and tax forms.

Stacking books vertically on shelves eliminates bookends and is more stable.

Unused Space? Squeeze in a Home Office

The modern workplace has changed -- we're tucking work into unexpected spaces in our everyday lives. Learn how to create a home office with ideas from these six transformed spaces.

Room for It All

Clutter Control

Double-Duty Space

Closet Office

Simple Office

Transform a Cabinet

Home Office Storage