No home is complete without a home office.

But what if you are short on space? At Danetti we are always offering interior design tips to customers regarding their purchases and helping them choose the right products for their spaces. So, we thought that having just launched our new Scandi desk, we would suggest some specific home office design ideas for small spaces. Helping you create a perfect spot for at home. 

It may be that you have a spare small room that can be your dedicated office space. Or perhaps it’s a case of trying to find a small space within a larger room. Either way there will be a solution! If you are looking for home office ideas, some home office furniture or maybe you just need some help with your home office styling. We’ve come up with a variety of looks for you to try which will help you when designing your small home office. We will be showing you colour combinations and a few furniture choices for the ultimate home office.

Finding a Home Office Space:

The first thing that you need to think about is what sort of space you want? Do you need storage? If you need a full size desk for a Mac you’ll need a desk top width of around 125 cm wide. Bear this in mind when you are looking to slot a desk into a certain space. If you only need space for a small laptop, then you’d need something much smaller. The Scandi desk is 105cm wide and provides ample space for small devices. Don’t forget – you don’t have to have a desk, it could be that a small table will suffice.  

Do it Yourself:

Once you know how much space you need, you can start to look around your home with fresh eyes. If you don’t have a study and you are looking for a space saving solution, look again. Could that wasted under stairs space become an impromptu home office?

If you know someone handy with  jigsaw, ask them to craft some shelves and a desk top out of MDF to fit the space perfectly. Add a few filing drawers, a desk lamp, notice board and a desk chair. Hey presto- you will have created an ideal home office in no time!

Perhaps you could put that wide alcove in your bedroom to better use? Why not put up some shelves within the alcove area from head height up to the ceiling. Find a good fitting narrow desk that fits snugly within the space. Add a chair and your laptop, some magazine files and desk lamp and look at that – an instant pop up office.

Or, may the empty deep cupboard in the hallway, currently cluttered up with coats and skateboards be just enough space for a small desk and some shelves? If you take the door off you could make a perfect perch and with some office style inspiration, turn it into a little work hub!

Whatever you decide you’ll be surprised at how easy it can be to find the perfect nook!

Styling your home office

Putting your mark on your home office will need some interior design inspiration. We came up with a few ideas recently that work really well colour wise that could be adapted for smaller spaces. So if you are integrating your home office into an existing space then it might be best to co-ordinate it with what’s already in the room. Just to ensure it blends well with the scheme.

On the other hand, if its a room on it’s own or a little contained area – then you can be brave with colour and make a feature of it!

Ideas to Try

Have a look at some of these ideas for some real home office design inspiration! You can create a mood for your home office space with colour. What's more, depending on where in your home it is, you can style it to blend into a room or be bold and let it be a feature in its own right!

Tropical Treat:

We decided to create a slightly tropical breezy feel for this look. An ombre wall has a lovely soothing effect, especially when painted in a light teal colour like this. This type of arrangement would fit into a corner of a room like a bedroom or living room as its not too office heavy. A small notice board is a useful place to pin notes but otherwise it is quite a decorative look. Oak Scandi desk £199, Eames style chair with wood base £49, Danetti 

Pale and Interesting:

Soft neutral colours provide a gentle mood for this look. Plus, there is a something quite relaxing and calming about the neat ordered way the papers are clipped on the wall.  By using these gentle tones this subtle looking desk space could easily blend into an existing scheme. Oak Scandi desk £199, Grey Senn chair £32, Danetti

Back in Black: 

This look is all about creating a busy hub for working, organising and managing your home. Blackboard paint is a great idea for scribbling down important reminders and notes. This sort of look works really well in a dedicated study or spare room. Plus, it’s great for teenagers bedrooms too as they can graffiti the walls without getting in trouble! Scandi black Ash desk £199, Eames style chair with wire base £49, Danetti

Shelf Life:

If you need to integrate your workspace into your living space, try styling your shelves in a decorative way so that they help to balance the home office with the general feel of the room. Next, try to mix and match pictures and decorative items with all of your office paraphernalia. Erin Shelves £119, Danetti

Black and Blue: 

There is nothing subtle about this look. This is for the more seasoned home worker! The Scandi Black Ash Desk is almost camouflaged against the dark wall. For this reason it’s perfect for a home office station in the corner of a communal space. The desk is a good size for laptops and the shelves are stocked with books and box files. If you work from home, remember to invest in a comfortable chair – this Eames style armchair is ideal for a lengthy perch! Scandi desk £199, Erin shelves £119, Eames style armchair £55, Danetti 

7 Things you’ll need for making a study nook in your home

1. Any surface that is big enough for your laptop/tablet and enough space for pen and paper
2. Keep your pens/pencils in a pot for easy access
3. Store some basic office supplies (stapler, paper clips, sellotape etc) in a drawer or in a box or a jar.
4. Make sure you have a chair to suit your needs – it’s important to be comfortable whilst at your desk.
5. Include something inspiring, stimulating or motivating in your desk set up – it could be a quote you love or an image of something that spurs you on – it will help you keep you going!
6. Invest in task lighting – you will definitely need a desk lamp or some form of lighting for your office space.
7. Create a ‘work’s over now’ ritual! Working from home can make it difficult to switch off. Most importantly, make sure you close the door, draw the curtain, turn off the desk lamp or simply just shut the laptop. Whatever you do, turn your back on the home office when the work is done!