50 Modern Home Office Design Ideas For Inspiration

Just about everyone has to bring work home with them at some time, whether that be a stack of paperwork or saved on a laptop. If you’re not an office worker then perhaps you need a dedicated spot to sort the household bills and correspondence. Even the kids need a area to sit and concentrate on homework or do computer research. Whatever your needs, the chances are that you need a home office – whether that looks like a complete room, a nook or a pull-out shelf, that’s up to you. Here are 50 modern home office ideas to help you decide, and inspire the design of your study space decor.

Designer: Shang Yan Design & Guan Pin

A large table in this home office setup acts as a double sided desk for two users. This is particularly suitable if you’d like a dual home office space that doubles as a dining room, because by just adding a few more chairs you’ve got an ideal family eating area. Just make sure you have plenty of space nearby to properly clear away all work things before dinner.

Visualizer: Sivak+Partners

If you require a great deal of storage space for papers, files and reference, then how about this rap around run of cabinets and home office shelving for inspiration.

Visualizer: DucTayone

A desk can be situated just about anywhere. Behind a sofa is an ideal spot since the length of a sofa matches the span of a desk. Decorative shelving installed behind the sofa can also work double time as office storage.

Visualizer: Dương Phan

This treble work space is brightened by the contrasting colours and shapes of three different home office chairs, and an arrangement of coloured wall planters.

Designer: Nordico

A low partition wall makes this space feel like a separate room without cutting it off from the rest of the living area completely.

Designer: CCS Architecture

Two Herman Miller Aeron chairs sit back to back between two bespoke home office desks in warmly wood clad surroundings.

Designer: Tom Robbrecht

This tall partition wall cuts off visual distractions but still allows the room to flow into the next area thanks to open walkways at each side of it. The Eames Group Management Chair can move swiftly on castors between the integrated wall shelving unit and the desk.

Designer: LUI design+associates

A small home office may benefit from having fitted furniture, with a made-to-measure desk and units. This fitted desk sweeps over the top of a unique trash can , which is available here, to join with a matching cupboard and bookshelves. A few stylish monochrome prints decorate the free wall space around the window, and a designer table lamp adorns the worktop.

Designer: Fertility Design

A retractable wall gives the option of being open to the home or completely closed off when workload demands more quiet. More of this cool sliding glass wall home office implementation can be seen here.

Designer: 61architects & YYdesign Visualizer: Jan Morek & Jana Simonidesova

Symmetry is maintained by placing two matching floor lamps at either side of this modern home office design, which is raised up on a platform in front of a stunning picture window.

Designer: Skylab

Two individual spaces have been created in this unusual home office layout. It is divided by a centrally situated asymmetrical desk that mirrors a unique cutaway window. The window slices through wall and ceiling as through the building itself has been cracked in two.

Visualizer: Michael Nowak

Home office colours don’t have to be neutral. Colour can inject energy into a room, helping the inhabitant to feel motivated and inspired.

Visualizer: Dmitriy Schuka

This cool home office decor situates a vibrant turquoise desk and multicoloured seating against a black and white backdrop.

Designer: A Lentil Design

This window into the adjacent living area can be quickly and easily opened and shut to suit.

Photographer: Alexandra Timpau

A mezzanine level provides a great opportunity for creating a contemporary home office. A leafy view makes this one feel like a tree house.

Photographer: Soopakorn Srisakul

Talking of treehouses, this beautiful home office has a sapling growing straight through its slatted floor.

Architect: Olha Wood

It can be hard to squeeze a formal work area into a living space, but many of us could utilise the wasted floor area under our stairs. You may have to clear out a hoard of old coats but clearing the clutter to set up an area like this would be so worth it.

Designer: Post Formula Visualizer: Applicata

This simple home office keeps the floor clear by implementing a wall mounted desk design and recessed shelving.

Visualizer: George Dimitrov

On trend industrial home office decor can be achieved by introducing metal shelving, leaving ducts exposed and decorating with concrete and wire framed pendant lights.

Visualizer: Denis Karandiuk

Exposed brick makes up the backdrop to this industrial home decor. Wooden shelves placed at various levels add homey touches to the raw wall. The industrial style table is paired with an Eames armchair.

Designer: Locati Architects

Distressed swan chairs add to the cosy ‘worn-in’ style of a rustic home office.

Visualizer: Blackhaus Studio

Even the smallest alcove or nook can make an ideal place to set up shop. All you need is a set of wall shelves with the base shelf wide enough to situate a laptop on, and high enough to rest your legs comfortably beneath. Add a desk lamp and a smart home office chair, et voila!

Visualizer: Design Me Too

The best home office designs provide smooth form and function. This desk has been imagined as a volume that descends from the ceiling and climbs down the side of cabinets before bridging the gap and diving into the floor. Indoor plants breathe life into a soothing neutral colour palette, and cool geometric accents bring the decor bang on trend.

Designer: Emily Henderson Photographer: David Tsay

A quirky gallery wall with a wooden backdrop makes this a truly personalised space. Two bright red wall sconces add extra character.

Designer: Studio EI

This home office shelving extrudes from a bank of storage units. The higher volume acts as a bookshelf whilst the larger base volume forms a computer desk.

Designer: Mark Studio Photographer: Russel Smith

Small yellow accents go a long way in this white and yellow decor scheme. Coated shelf brackets and a coordinated pendant light fixture is all that’s needed to add decorative flair. The base of the Eames molded plastic chair ties in with a few aqua highlights.

Visualizer: Zarysy

A floating desk creates a tidy looking space, minimising the clutter of supportive furniture legs. Separate moveable wooden volumes hold the PC tower and a printer unit.

Designer: Shmidt Studio

The About A Chair by Hay sits in front of a selection of bespoke home office organization units. One tall unit has a concealed storage space behind a door in the front and open shelving to the side that is accessible from the desk. A set of drawers on castors can be pulled out and moved to a more convenient spot for access, or to be used as an extra worktop.

Source: Ikea

This Scandinavian home office uses entirely freestanding units that can easily be relocated should the need arise. Monochrome and botanical artwork decorate the bedroom study area.

Architect: Studio Wills + Architects

Home office decorating isn’t reserved for closed off rooms, even an alcove can be completely boxed out in different decor to make a stand alone study. These cabinets are all grey in contrast to the white room decor in which its situated. Even a thin threshold of flooring has been changed to grey tile to mark a definitive change of purpose, along with a sliver of wall detailed in grey.

Designer: Angelina T

Adding the right window treatment is important for practicality as well as aesthetics. Situating your desk in a place with plenty of natural light will help you feel awake, but ensure windows won’t cause reflections on your computer screen as this could strain your eyes.

Designer: Alina Gulianytska

Home music studios need plenty of bench space to hold extra equipment. A shallow runaround worktop is an ideal solution where space is limited. Pull-out surfaces can hold a keyboard or other peripherals.

Visualizer: aTng 糖

If you have an untameable abundance of papers and equipment its best to be realistic and plan for it rather than kid yourself that you’re going to manage a minimalist workspace. Choose a set of neat magazine files to group like-with-like papers in a jiffy. Utilise small boxes and baskets for irregular shaped bits and bobs. Invest in more than one set of desk drawers, but in a matching design for a cohesive look. Bright colours work well as they bring light hearted cheer to organised chaos.

Source: Ikea

White and woodtone decor and accessorising can make even the busiest space look super smooth and stylish.

Designer: I Spy DIY

A good dose of botanical influence works terrifically with white and woodtone too. Introduce a healthy collection of indoor plants to your desk area, they can even improve the air quality.

Source: Muuto

If you’d rather not be faced with work when you’re in relaxation mode, a computer bureau is an ideal fold a way solution. When closed it will unobtrusively blend in with the rest of the living room/dining room/bedroom furniture. Choose a desk chair like this Muuto Cover Chair, so that when not in use at the desk it will look attractive as an accent piece.

Visualizer: Alexandra Rudenko

This Scandinavian style home office has gone all out botanical with leafy print wallpaper, artwork and accent cushion.

Visualizer: Julien Stiévenard

The indoor plants in this one are displayed on a tall plant stand, and teamed with black accent pieces. A faux fur throw makes the desk chair a little more cosy.

Visualizer: TayOne Design Studio

A home library creates a backdrop here, with a rocking chair poised for a reading session or contemplation.

Visualizer: Mr_Kaleo

This double desk setup sits beneath a large peg board wall, ideal for pinning up inspiration and rough ideas, or for keeping tools and equipment to hand.

Designer: Thao Nguyen

Shallow picture shelves work well over desks as they don’t overhang or overcrowd headspace.

Visualizer: Thu Quynh Nguyen

A dining table is a typical spot for ploughing through extra paperwork, kids homework or firing up the laptop, but when dinner time rolls around it can be inconvenient for everyone. Instead, consider setting up a dedicated area nearby so that you can jump straight back into it once family time is through.

Designer: DHD

Use every bit of vertical space when book and file storage is at a premium. A librarians ladder is an absolute must to keep all of those volumes fully accessible.

Designer: Avenue Design Studio

Two IKEA drawer units form the centre supports of this double desk arrangement, making good use of the space that would otherwise be eaten up by two more trestle legs.

Visualizer: int2 Architecture

How about a platform bed-office combo with storage built right in? modern outdoor chairs like the Eames wire chair work great at a desk…

Source: Risen Developments

… Or the Eames molded plastic chair provides a smoother backrest. A few personal photographs and decorative vases will make a work space inviting too.

Visualizer: Design Rocks

The green of this home office desk cuts straight across adjacent closets, bringing both areas of the room together.

Visualizer: IDunic DesignStudio

Soft lighting sets a comfortable tone.

Visualizer: Studio 13

Panton S Chairs create a bold symmetry in this double home office.

Visualizer: Trinh Viet

Bar stools at a high table work best in a creative space where you might spend time standing at the table too, such as when cutting fabric and paper.