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12 Obscure Areas to Shoehorn in a Workspace

Need to squeeze in a work space at home, but stuck for a place to put it? Here are a few of the best ideas to help you set up shop

Michelle Gage 29 April 2016

Michelle Gage is a Philadelphia-based interior designer with an affinity for playful prints and whimsical designs. Her career began as a buyer for Anthropologie Home where she was tasked with selecting everything from art and antiques to decorative textiles. In 2015, Michelle embarked on her own and founded Michelle Gage Interiors. *** Please note, as of 2019, we have stopped sharing our new work here. To view our recently-completed projects, please visit michellegage.co.

Michelle Gage is a Philadelphia-based interior designer with an affinity for playful... More

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If you don’t have the luxury of designating an entire room in your house as an office, don’t worry: you have other options. Whether it’s a closet or a corner of the laundry room, there are plenty of places where you can squeeze in a desk. Here are 13 of our favourite spots for locating a workstation at home.

Michelle Gage | Interior Designer

1. Bedroom
Large closets in a bedroom can leave you without a need for a dresser. Use that area for a desk instead. In such a soothing space, you can work in serenity.

Meredith Heron Design

2. Kitchen
The hub of the home, the kitchen is a natural place for a desk, but don’t expect to get a ton of work done while the family is buzzing about. When dinner is over and people retreat to their quiet spaces, this desk is all yours.

RW Anderson Homes

3. Laundry room
Find a nook in your laundry room that can be dedicated to bill paying or homework, and get extra use out of a space that isn’t frequented all that often. Even if you run three loads a week, this room is still usually a quiet place to slink off to.

10 ideas for high-functioning laundries

Rebecca Hayes Interiors

4. Living room
Don’t overlook the living room. Sneak a little desk action into an empty pocket of space. High shelves above can be decorated with both office supplies and decor.

D'Cruz Design Group

5. Nursery
Share the nursery with your little one. If you don’t need a ton of paper storage, consider keeping clothes in the desk drawers.

6. Playroom
If you pay most of your bills after the kids are asleep, think about putting a desk in their play-space. They can use it at homework time, but once they hit the hay, the room is yours.

Turn a play zone into an adults’ retreat

Clean Design

7. Closet
Convert an unused coat or game closet into a mini office. Remove the door and add shelving. A little wallpaper and colourful accessories go a long way toward helping this closet feel more like a real room.

Increation

8. Dining room
If you’re in no need of a china cabinet, consider adding a desk to your dining room. You can always keep dishes in the drawers.

Sealy Design Inc.

9. Basement
If you’re lucky enough to have a large finished basement, you can have a game room and a workstation to boot. It’s the perfect place to take a break from a gruelling game of table tennis.

Christophe Vendel

10. Bookshelves
Turn your built-in bookcase into a desk without adding to its footprint, by converting what you have to do double duty.

The magic of multi-tasking furniture

Vita Design Group

11. Entryway
Instead of putting a conventional console table in your home’s entrance, consider going all out with a desk setup. It’ll give you a place to drop your keys and catch up on correspondence.

Domus Nova

12. Unused space
Long shelving can turn an awkward nook into a home office. Walk around your home in search of unused space. If you’ve been struggling with how to fill it, think no further: you just found your new office.

YOUR TURN
Have you managed to convert a small space in your home into a work area? Upload a photo in the Comments below to show us how it’s done.

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minperkins

Out of 13 photos, only 4 of them showed a computer of any kind (two tiny laptops, two low-profile monitors with slim keyboards). My desk area would look a lot tidier and more stylish without the monitor, keyboard, mouse, CPU, and all associated cords and wires, too! Alas, I need them in order to actually do any work there....

2 Likes 11 June 2016 at 7:33am