Small Home Office SOS

10 months ago

last modified: 10 months ago

Hello 😁

I have recently got a new job, which involves working from home.

I need an office space so I am sorting out my box room. or ”room of doom” as I call it! Which has been used as a junk room since moving in!

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas how to set it out. It is a small room! is it good to have your desk next to the window? Would love to hear what others think!

The room is 7”11 by 6”0 however behind the door is the stairs boxed in?

The room is west facing too, if anyone has any colour theme ideas they would also be very welcomed!

thank you in advance

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

PRO
Den Life Interiors
10 months ago
Congratulations on the new job! So it's worth considering what you will need in terms of space and storage. How many monitors/screens will you need? How much storage/filing space will you want? Does it need to house a printer or any other equipment. It can be pulled together really simply with a built in desk and trestle legs or you can look for off the shelf pieces to fit. Orientation of the desk - nice to look out of a window whilst working but think about when the sun hits the room and whether it will be ok or too much for you.

Colours for offices - again it's worth thinking about whether you will be doing lots of online meetings and what your backdrop should be. also which way the room faces (NSEW) as the colour can then be chosen. Take a look at my blogs here for some quick tips on colour: https://www.denlifeinteriors.com/post/6-quick-tips-to-help-choose-the-right-colours-for-your-home

And also don't forget the lighting too! It can have a huge impact (especially in the winter months).

If you'd like some support I'd be more than happy to help but otherwise good luck with everything! Tor
Katie Duke
10 months ago
If you're going to be doing lots of Teams/video calls you need to think about lighting - you don't want to have the window behind you. My preference would be to have desk in front of window but bearing in mind you will be getting afternoon sun in there I'd look at getting a blind which will filter the sunlight so it's more diffused.

You should definitely make sure you have a very good chair - is this something your employer will provide? If not you should get the best you can afford, you will be spending alot of time in it! On a practical note I can highly recommend the (comically named) IKEA Kolon if you have a carpet. It's a protector mat to stop your chair wheels damaging the carpet and it is very effective.

Last recommendation is to have some nice things in there so it's just a pleasant space. For me this definitely includes plants and pictures on the wall. Good luck in your new job!
Related Discussions
What to do with a small back of the house room?
Q
Comments (5)
This is the room... Believe me this is an old house and the refurb is on the way so as they say" look past what's there now" it's connected to a corridor and in front of it is the front if the house with porch and large windows. I would love to make this a front to back look but it is below a road at the back and just looks into a yard! The views are magnificent at the front as we over look the sea ! I'm so stool on ideas. To the right is the bathroom to the left we are building a utility room... My initial thoughts were that I would like it to be an extension of the hall.. Help!
...See More
Small downstairs toilet & shower - are my ideas gonna work?
Q
Comments (12)
Hi. I think the overall look is good. Large tiles do make a room feel bigger as the pattern is less busy however I've seen the hex tiles in small bathrooms and they seem to work as your inspiration pic shows. I would probably lose the flowers though if I'm honest. Do you want the window for light or ventilation? Could a decent extractor be sufficient? I'm thinking that back ŵall could look quite busy. Is there any opportunity to change the layout? Moving soil pipes can be a little costly but could the sink be moved although ideally the loo would be hidden round the corner. You can pick up some great looking vintage or vintage style taps on ebay although unsure if the quality of the repro ones, If the layout can't be changed maybe have a corner loo and ŵall hung trough sink and put some storage in on the rhs as you come through the door depending on how you plan for the shower to open
...See More
small room - want to make it functional
Q
Comments (2)
If it all fits in then why not. I don't think the desk will go with the bed or maybe it would work it the desk was painted. Do you need the desk or could you use a smaller console table for working/doing things from ? Not a fan of sliding doors would rather swop the door so it opens the other way if space is an issue. What is going on the shelves are they needed ?
...See More
Small kitchen layout advice
Q
Comments (0)
Hi there, my husband and I are embarking on a self-build and we're in the early stages - have sketches but not formal drawings from our architect. This is going to be a small starting point because we have a small budget, with plans for extension in the 5-10 year range. The site is in a rural part of Wicklow, so there's no traffic as such (I have seen this as a consideration in other posts :). The question I have is around the size of the kitchen, which you can see in the photo below. The house is on a two-level site, so the main entrance will be through a lower level, under the living area, and up through the stairs in the bottom right corner (marked Down). The kitchen is only 2x4m and I'm not even sure it really qualifies as "galley". I am looking for some guidance as to the placement of our appliances. We'd really like to have big fridge/freezer (XX in the drawing) and dishwasher (not currently in the drawing) in there (in addition to your standard hob/oven/sink). There is a dotted line for counter or island against the wall with the stove, but we think we probably won't have space for that in the current dimensions. There is an option to extend the entire house by 0.5-1m out towards the deck (make it "longer" but keep it the same width), and we'd likely give all of those gains to the kitchen - kind of stretch the inside of the house. However, this would really strain the budget and we may not be able to swing it. Do you think we can make do with the kitchen at the current size and have all those appliances? How would you suggest we lay them out? Thanks so much for you advice! Seems like the people on this site really have a wealth of knowledge :).
...See More
PRO
i-architect
10 months ago
Congratulations on your new job!

There are 6 keys to getting your set-up right for you so it helps you achieve a successful career and work-life balance:

Branding - making a good impression on others

Productivity - getting what you need done efficiently

Ergonomics - setting up to protect your health

Movement - setting up to protect your wellbeing and fitness

Home Time - creating balance with time spent at leisure and work

Home Space - creating balance with life at home and at work

There are lots of simple things you can do to set up your home office so you can enjoy working from home and maintain a good work-life balance. I have an on-demand workshop on how to Uplevel Your Home Office that you can get here: https://iarchitectlimited.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/1069400

Best of luck with your home office set up!

Jane

chartered architect, eco-home and conservation area specialist

www.i-architect.co.uk

Join Jane live on facebook for home design tips and expert Q&A. Midday Mondays: https://fb.me/e/fXBDxgZ3x

Small Home Office SOS

Comments (3)

Den Life Interiors

Katie Duke

Related Discussions

i-architect

COMPANY

EXPLORE HOUZZ

CONNECT WITH US