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Organizing the Home Design Dilemma home office

How to layout my new small office?

9 months ago

I just recently purchased a home and I'm excited to have my own office. I have a large antique desk that is about 6 1/2 ft in length but what I also very much need is a bookshelf unit where I can put my office/work items and crafting storage. I also want to make sure I have a nice backdrop for zoom calls. Attached is the layout and some photos - I plan to put in french door some day. The challenge is not making the room look funky with blocking the windows but also having the bookshelf unit. I also don't want my back to the door so the desk can not be under the windows. Thank you for any suggestions!! Hopefully the measurements make sense.

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Comments (8)

littlebug Zone 5 Missouri
9 months ago
last modified: 9 months ago
Put the desk under the windows, but with your back to the wall. Face the desk toward the door. Black is desk, red is bookcase.
kandrewspa
9 months ago
Since the windows are high on the wall, would you have enough storage if you put the bookcases under the window and had the desk facing the door, so you could just turn around and reach things on the bookcases? You could have the short side of the desk up against the wall on the right side. Or turn the desk 90 degrees from how littlebug shows it and have the bookcases where it's pictured in littlebug's drawing. If you have help to move things around, try the desk in different positions and stack moving boxes (to represent the bookcases) to get an idea of how you would like to arrange things in the space.
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I suggest you make a list of all the things you need to do /all the things you need to store in your office. Only once you've analyzed your personal needs can you determine exactly what's "enough" for you. Personally, we're going to have less office space than you are proposing ... but my husband's retired, and I'm very near retirement, so our "office needs" are very small. Consider these things: - Do you want an office just off the kitchen /living area so you can "be part of things" ... or do you want a spot in a more remote /quieter part of the house? - Where will you store books? Files? Wrapping paper? Craft items? Other unique items? - Do you need a spot to recharge laptops, tablets, phones? Don't skimp on electrical outlets. - Do you need to be able to close a door so you can have quiet /make a phone call /listen to music? In a small space, do consider the door swing; this might be a place for a pocket door. - What type of lighting do you need? This is not a skimp item. - Air circulation can be difficult in a small space. Consider a ceiling fan or a spot for a small fan on a shelf.
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@Jess. You're Welcome! It's difficult to get a perfect room and your needs in a small space. For me, placing the desk there, would be fine for these reasons.... This is a Dual-Purpose Room 1. Your desk has a light weight feeling to it, it's not bulky, although one with more storage might be better functionally. (which is still ok) Not a lot of choices for you 2. Because you enter the room moving to the left, that pathway is all clear. 3. You won't run into a desk at current space, when entering the room 4. Better use of the space between the closet and doorway, given it's construction 5. Visually, a better, more inviting floor plan overall 6. Furniture placements are more aesthetically pleasing (better balance) 7. Better use of space you have 8. Sofa & coffee table area are inviting and functional. It won't feel like there is nowhere else to place the sofa in your home 9. You will 'feel' good about the room and like going in there 10. The room might even feel larger
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The hamper can be moved. So, I don’t want to fixate in that one aspect. I think the main issue is the workspace. I want to replace those 2 separate pieces with something that serves the same purpose with a smaller footprint and replace that folding chair with a proper ergonomic office chair. The slider opens from the right. The control is on the left just so it’s more convenient to open and close while sitting on the bed. The actual slider glass isn’t opened as closed nearly as often as the sliding panels. The Windows desktop is required because there is a need to run multiple Windows virtual machines for training purposes. I can replace that tower with a Windows PC similar in size into a Mac Mini and mount it behind the TV if needed, but I still need a keyboard/mouse tray that’s at a lower height than the main desk surface. No need to access the PC remotely and have to walk to another area to turn it on and off if it can just be hidden behind a flat screen TV in arm’s reach of where you would be sitting.
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Bonnie D
Original Author
9 months ago
Thank you both! The problem is also my monitors and computer. I hate looking at cords so I always assume that putting the desk against a wall makes sense.
littlebug Zone 5 Missouri
9 months ago
Bonnie D
Original Author
9 months ago
What do you put in front of the desk? You can’t put a chair because the monitors would block the view.
littlebug Zone 5 Missouri
9 months ago
last modified: 9 months ago
In front of the desk? Nothing of course. It’s a small room.

Maybe I’m not understanding your situation. Do you have clients coming in to your office that need to confer with you while sitting across your desk?

This is a random home office picture I found while googling. This is what I had in mind - windows at your back, you facing the door into the room.
Bonnie D
Original Author
9 months ago
Thanks but I don’t think that would be a good use of space.
Bonnie D
Original Author
9 months ago
And no I don’t have clients but I do virtual/zoom calls.

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