Here's How to Design the Home Office of Your Dreams

From Good Housekeeping

For our September 2020 issue, Good Housekeeping teamed up with Chatbooks, an app-based photo-book company, to scour the U.S. and Canada for the smartest and most beautiful home office setups. What we found, done by both apartment dwellers and homeowners, just may inspire you to take your own work-from-home space to the next level.

Add a Cozy Sofa

Kari Bancroft, a stay-at-home mom in South Jordan, UT, decided to think beyond hard, uncomfortable chairs in her home office. Instead, she outfitted the space with a plush emerald green sofa that pairs well with her beloved animal prints and global-inspired pottery. The sofa works for her lifestyle too: She is mom to eight kids, ages 4 to 20, and uses her office space to read and to organize her many family photos. “My overall home office decorating approach is to showcase an eclectic mix of the things I love and make sure it functions as a versatile space,” she says.

Hang a Desk on the Wall

Rachel Mae Smith, whose blog is The Crafted Life, created her low-profile New York City office with a wall-mounted desk for two supported by a track shelving system. Pops of color, including brackets spray-painted in bright hues and dyed fabric swatches, pull the fun look together.

Consider High Shelves

Graphic designer and new mom Ashley Smith transformed a cedar-lined closet with white paint and high shelving for books and decorative storage. Ashley elevated the look with DIY display boards made from wood scraps. “I added some stain, wire and clips, and they became the perfect spot to hang anything important, like bills, invites and children’s artwork,” she says. Plus, she made a simple built-in desk for her large desktop. “We used inexpensive 1" x 2" common boards as supports underneath, then added a nice maple 3/4" plywood top and 1" x 3" trim board to the front,” she says of the desk design in her Pittsburg, KS, home.

Take Advantage of a Chic Nook

Kaitlyn Fast of Birmingham, AL, let a large mirror set the foundation for her minimalist office nook. “It reflects all the natural light we have in this room and makes it easy to switch out the decor and flowers as each new season arrives,” she says.

Put Your Office by the Stairs

With the help of her husband, Russel, Lindi Vanderschaaf turned an empty wall next to the stairs on the first floor of their Grande Prairie, Canada, home into a functional workspace. Russel made the desktop and shelves from stained plywood, which balances the design’s black-and-white color scheme. “The white of the desk drawers and walls really helps define the space,” Lindi says. “It almost feels like its own room now.”