Thanks for all the comments. My wife just cannot get over the modern look of Ikea. We've decided to go a different route entirely. While visiting a friend, she noticed their home office was a converted dining room as well. Similar to ours - hard wood floors, chair rail, crown molding. This person had two beautiful antique barrister bookcases, a small leather couch, a tastefully done large desk, and a oriental rug. It was nicely pulled together. So we are dropping the Ikea route and considering a partners desk with two sets of barrister bookshelves. Perhaps something like this: To answer the other questions: - this is just a home office for the family - the ideal space should accommodate, a PC, laptop and printer (and shredder) One option if the antique desks are too expensive: we have a custom Amish furniture maker local. He said he would make whatever we want. I'm curious to hear how much he would charge. Even the Ikea stuff added up to $2,000 - $3,000. Here is a link that might be useful: Antique partners desks

I have a similar room that is my home office at one end, and my sewing/craft area at the other. My room is 10' x 19', and is off my living room, and has a door about mid-point on a long wall. No beautiful beams, but 5 windows. I have my work-from-home laptop, personal laptop, and and printers, etc. in the rear of the room, taking up the wall that adjoins the living room. I also have a bookcase there, and my 'equipment' is housed in a PC armoire that I've had for years. I never close it, but could, to give a neater appearance to the room. I bet you could find one on Craigslist if you looked. It has a nice surface that I work on that could slide back into the armoire, if needed. Below is a VERY old picture of it. I also have a leather sofa in here - huge bargain from Craigslist, and it's behind me as I work. Pic below armoire. In the front of the room, I have my sewing machines on an outside wall, plus an antique bureau with a small ironing board on it, a comfy chair that my dogs love, a huge armoire that I had built to hold fabric, with a deep drawer at the bottom that holds craft supplies. During high crating time - this time of year, I have a card table set up that I do crafts on. I have a TV on a wall shelf near he sewing machine that I can see from anywhere in the room. Basically, the back part of my room is for work, and the front part is for hobbies. You could have your day bed, maybe a coffee table in the 'other end' from your husband's work area. With those beams, I know your room could be stunning!

Ok, so here are the original photos from real estate agency when we bought... View from front door: Alternative view from front door, looking slightly towards back of house (this is when they "staged" it). We have already walled in the entry way and removed the lift (just visible on left of photo). Looking back towards front door – ceiling beams very obvious. View of Bedroom 2 from bathroom. Shelves are already gone. Concrete floors remain... Not sure best way to treat them? :)

I would have the desk facing the french doors, to decrease my distraction out the window and to make it easier to see my computer screen. I would find a beautiful desk and see if there is additional room. Will you be meeting clients, and need a lovely chair across from the desk? Will most of your files be digital, or will you have binders or journals that could disappear into a lawyer's bookcase? Think a lot about lighting to avoid eyestrain and make you enjoy being in the space.