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Style Trick: Use Office Furniture Outside the Office

Flat files, desks, task chairs and card catalogs add form and function to living spaces, too

Becky Harris January 25, 2012

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More

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Sometimes it's hard to put your finger on exactly what's a little edgy about a room that's catching your eye. One trick is using office and school furniture in other rooms around the house. Whether it's a vintage card catalog, flat file or a desk-turned-dining table, these pieces can add function and flair to dining rooms, living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens.

A small file cabinet with a drawer on top is just the right height for this sofa, and its shape works well with the room's clean lines.

Kailey J. Flynn Photography

This is a living room that makes you take notice, and the golden yellow large file cabinet makes a great console. If you don't have a separate space for your office, integrating organizational pieces like this into other rooms is a great way to stay uncluttered. This cabinet is just the right height for a television.

Tour the rest of this retro modern home

Elad Gonen

These large flat files create a unique oversized console proportional to the room's dimensions.

Life in the Fun Lane

With a fresh coat of paint, this credenza was transformed into a bar/buffet, depending what's on top. The generous drawers are perfect for storing linens, silverware and candles.

See more furniture repurposing projects in this creative home

Life in the Fun Lane

This vintage unit adds a strong vertical element to this living room. The yellowed labels hint at its former life and add character.

Learn more about patina style

In need of a nightstand? An office cabinet offers a lot of storage for your nighttime reading, flashlight, sleeping mask, and glasses. It also can be just the right height for your reading lamp.

A coat of pastel paint, a mirror and a cushioned stool transformed this desk into a charming dressing table for the bedroom.

SFGIRLBYBAY

Perhaps a little bit more schoolroom than office, this blackboard adds loads of charm to sfgirlbybay's original Bohemian Modern dining room.

Your Friends & Neighbors

This home of two graphic designers (the inventors of Seed Bombs) includes a very office-like wall clock. Doesn't it remind you of waiting for the bell to ring in high school?

See the rest of this Cincinnati loft

Hermitage Kitchen Gallery LLC

As the Internet has taken over, antique stores have had a deep inventory of vintage card catalog cabinets, just waiting for clever homeowners to repurpose them at home. With so many kitchens looking like one another these days, it's neat to have a piece like this that stands out.

User

Pals Florence Knoll and Eero Saarinen designed office furniture with versatility in mind. The combination of her Table Desk and his Executive Chairs make a beautiful dining area.

Winn Wittman Architecture A.I.A.

This contemporary space does double-duty as a place to meet with clients and as a dining room. The use of modern task chairs gives it a futuristic vibe as a dining space.

Witt Construction

Here's a room with the same idea but executed in a more traditional style.

Traditional Dining Room Becky's Dining Room

In my own small dining room, I use a desk my great-great grandfather built as a dining room table. The other dining table hand-me-downs available in my family are too large for the space; the desk is just right. Plus, whenever my Aunt Sally visits, she tells me she remembers doing homework at it when she was a girl, which is pretty cool.

Tip: If you have a desk like this but the height is too low, use castors to add an inch or two to the table. Conversely, if the table is a little too high, add seat cushions to your dining chairs.

Chloe Warner

Lining a living room in bookshelves adds a cozy library feel. Start looking at typical office furniture with new eyes and continue that mindframe from room to room. It will help you switch things up around your house up and keep things fresh. Best of all, it will save you money.

More:
11 Ways to Create a Multipurpose Office Space
Create a Place for Books
Get Ideas for a Cozy Library Space

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Comments (10)

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designchallenged

love your idea books, becky. they combine beauty and practicality. thanks.

Like January 29, 2012 at 6:54AM

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Kimberly Niesz

Thanks so much for including our room in your ideabook, Becky!
Although I'm not sure I'd use a file cabinet as a side table in our more traditional living room, it was the perfect choice for our small 11'x10' guest room.
Since my husband and I both have laptops, we rarely used the desk that was in the room before, but we did need the file cabinet. Removing the desk and switching to a stand alone file allowed room for the sofa bed...just in time for out-of-town guests. :-)

Like January 29, 2012 at 1:15PM

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helenmeri

Y cwpwrdd storio

See Translation

Like May 8, 2014 at 1:27PM