5 Sample Layouts for a Home Office

Home Office With a View

The owner of this space spends a lot of time in the home office and chose to give the desk the most prominent view and best lighting through the large bow window. 

In a room where the desk is positioned near a large window, most people prefer to include curtains or blinds so that light can be controlled and privacy protected when necessary. Natural daylight is generally a very good thing for people who spend long hours in a home office, but sometimes harsh direct sunlight needs to be filtered or blocked. 

A large room such as this one has plenty of space to add a seating area—an important consideration if your home office serves as a meeting space for clients or colleagues.

Sharing Space With a Bedroom

A great many people do some of their work in the bedroom, and in a small home, there may be no other option. But career advisors often caution against letting work activities overlap into personal time. To keep relaxation and workspace separate, a large screen or divider (perhaps one of those repurposed doors that hold photos) can work well to divide the sleeping space from the working area. Out of sight, out of mind is good advice when you are trying to rest with your workspace only a few feet away. 

Closets in the bedroom can be used for office storage, or can even hold an entire home office. When your work is done for the day, you can close the door on it.

Home Office in the Dining Room

With the proper shape and size, a dining room can be a great place to tuck in a home office, especially if formal dining is not common. You may be lucky enough to take over the entire room, in which case you'll have total freedom to layout office furnishings as you wish.

If you still need the space as a place for family meals or for children to do homework, other solutions may be required. Creating a shared workspace such as this one may require using smaller furniture. You don't want a desk that overwhelms the room. And a crowded room makes it harder to stay motivated at work or to relax during meals.

Adapting to Unusual Room Shapes

The room or space that's available for your home office may not be a perfect square or rectangular shape. Sometimes the best space for your home office may have more than four walls—an L- or T-shaped space. This can present challenges, depending on exactly how the space is shaped and the locations of electrical outlets and phone jacks.

In a room with an alcove or inset space, this area can be an excellent space for storing files or reference books. In rooms with unique shapes, you may need to consider a specialty desk or a combination of furniture styles to provide adequate work surfaces.