Work From Home: 9 Places To Put An Office In Your Living Room

Sometimes, the best place for an office is in the living room. With more and more people needing to work from home on the regular, we here at Modsy have encountered many homeowners asking for help designing their home offices.

The reality, however, is that most people don’t have an extra room to dedicate to a full-time office. But you don’t need a full room to have a stylish and productive work space.

Instead, most people are opting to incorporate a work station of some sort into their living spaces.

1. Set Up a Desk Behind a Sofa

If you have an open floor plan with a seating area pushed off to one side, try placing a desk behind your sofa.

Add a swivel chair and a table lamp and you’ll have a work station that’s tucked into your living space without looking or feeling out of place.

2. Make the Most of an Unused Nook

An unused nook area – like the space directly next to a fireplace – can easily be the ideal spot to fit in a mini office.

Pair a desk with a chair, and even mix in a hanging plant or some art, and you’ve got a simple arrangement that will blend in seamlessly with your living room while taking up little space overall.

3. Consider a Mini Work Desk

Sometimes a small area that’s dedicated to work is all you need.

Rather than a full desk, consider tucking a small round table into an unused corner for a place where you can set up your laptop or go through paperwork.

This is a great option for busy living spaces or family rooms. Adults can get to work while the kiddos play close by, or you can use it as a designated homework zone.

4. Create an Open Office Space

If you have a large living area, carve out a space for a home office by placing a desk on its own, letting it “float” in front of a wall or credenza.

This is a stylish way to create a formal office space even if you don’t have an extra room.

Stylist Tip: Add a small rug to help clearly delineate the office from the rest of your living space.

5. Maximize Forgotten Spaces

Try designing a compact office in forgotten spaces, like the space next to your sofa or even at the bottom of your stairs.

The areas, which often go unused, make great spots to sneak in a workspace.

6. Make an Office Work With Your Layout

Apartment living often means making the most of your limited square footage.

Incorporate an office into your main seating area by pulling a desk right up alongside your sofa to create a seamless live/work space. This also allows your desk to double as a side table.

Another great tip? Rather than bookshelves, opt for wall-mounted shelving to maintain storage while saving on floor space.

7. Line Up a Work Station

Set up multiple desks along a wall to establish workstations that can be used by two or more people in your family.

If you’re a family with kids, this can be a great way to give each person a special homework area that doesn’t take up too much space.

Consider a series of matching chairs and desks to give your “home office” a more designed look and feel.

8. Fit a Desk Into a Passageway

A console can function nicely as a vanity and desk in any living room. They’re often narrow enough to be placed along walls in hallways and passageways leading to doorways.

Try adding a console near an entrance or hallway, as in this living room scenario, to turn a large empty wall area into a simple and functional office spot.

9. Optimize Shelving As a Working Spot

If you’re particularly tight on space, skip the hassle of making room for a full office. A compact wall shelving unit can provide you with just the laptop workstation you need to get work done.

Pull up a chair and fill your shelves with books and office materials and you’ll have an organized space that’s stylish and functional both when it’s in-use and not.