Small Bedroom Office Ideas:
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A sofa like the Novagratz Brittany Futon (pictured, click photo to view on Amazon) is a perfect example of the type of stylish, multi-purpose furniture you should use when you’re creating your office guest room layout. This piece of furniture serves as a sofa for office days. When guests arrive, it can then be easily converted into a bed, allowing you to make the most of your multi-purpose small home office space.
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Another popular option is to add a murphy bed to your small bedroom / home office. This offers a professional-looking wall of cabinets and bookshelves when the bed is folded away, but a comfortable mattress is available when you need it.
Choose a Space Saving Desk
Your bedroom office may be primarily office, but that doesn’t mean you want your guests to have to climb and squeeze between furniture when they are there.
For a small bedroom that you'll be using as a home office or work space, I recommend a small corner desk or a space-saving L-shaped desk. The Hudson model pictured here (and featured as one of my top choices on my corner desk review page is a really stylish option that combines work-space and attractive storage.
Investing in budget-friendly furniture pieces like this makes it easy to create a stylish, multi-functional space.
Another great option if you only need a designated office space part-time is a convertible, fold-out desk (think "murphy desk" ... or a desk that functions as a murphy bed, but with a desk instead of a bed). These inexpensive pieces are great options for small bedroom offices where you want a desk sometimes, but don't want to lose the floor space when you're hosting houseguests. They can be purchased for less than $150 usually, and installation is simple. Here's one of my favorites from Southern Enterprises so you can picture what I'm talking about:
For a small bedroom that you'll be using as a home office or work space, I recommend a small corner desk or a space-saving L-shaped desk. The Hudson model pictured here (and featured as one of my top choices on my corner desk review page is a really stylish option that combines work-space and attractive storage.
Investing in budget-friendly furniture pieces like this makes it easy to create a stylish, multi-functional space.
Another great option if you only need a designated office space part-time is a convertible, fold-out desk (think "murphy desk" ... or a desk that functions as a murphy bed, but with a desk instead of a bed). These inexpensive pieces are great options for small bedroom offices where you want a desk sometimes, but don't want to lose the floor space when you're hosting houseguests. They can be purchased for less than $150 usually, and installation is simple. Here's one of my favorites from Southern Enterprises so you can picture what I'm talking about:
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Or, if you're handy ... you can build a custom "Murphy Desk" that's perfect for your space, like the one described in the tutorial video from Danielle at Coral below (well worth the 3:42 watch time!):
If you're intimidated by a project like this, but love the idea, you could just buy a pretty butcher-block folding wall desk that's ready to install, like this one.
Stay Organized
Office spaces can become cluttered very quickly. You’ll want to stay on top of staying organized and not letting clutter build up. Not only will you be more productive in an organized, tidy office setting, but you will be ready for any unexpected guests as well. It’s a win-win when it comes to organization!
Hide the Office ... Sort Of
If your small bedroom functions primarily as an office space, you don't need to hide that role completely, but investing in multi-functional furniture that allows the room to feel like a guest room for guests, and an office for you should be your goal. Nothing can make guests feel unwelcome like putting them up where they are made to feel in the way.
What you want to do is hide what you can to make your office feel warm, welcoming, and intentional for guests who use it as a bedroom while they visit. Paperwork that you need to keep but don’t use every day can be hidden in a stylish filing cabinet. Binders, folders, and business papers are easily hidden in a cube desk -- just tuck them behind a family photo or home accent decor at the front of each cube.
What you want to do is hide what you can to make your office feel warm, welcoming, and intentional for guests who use it as a bedroom while they visit. Paperwork that you need to keep but don’t use every day can be hidden in a stylish filing cabinet. Binders, folders, and business papers are easily hidden in a cube desk -- just tuck them behind a family photo or home accent decor at the front of each cube.
Create a Beautiful Space
A little office artwork and inspiring decorative pieces go a long way when it comes to making a room cozy. If you are using a cube desk or something similar, use one cube for a vase of flowers. In another cube you could have your business or professional development books with some nice bookends. Vinyl works great for a space saving way to decorate. There’s plenty of vinyl wall art available to purchase that fits any theme you have throughout your home.
Create the Illusion of More Space
Mirrors are your best friend when it comes to transforming a small space into a larger, brighter one. They really do create a lighter area and it will help give the illusion that the room is bigger than it is. This is going to be especially important if you don’t have a lot of windows in the room. Windows also make small areas seem larger than they are.
If you only have one window in your small home office, consider hanging a large mirror or a collection of smaller mirrors as a gallery wall on the opposite side of the room. This will reflect the natural light and create the illusion of space.
Another trick (if your small home office or bedroom does not have a window), is to place a mirror on the wall and place a table lamp or floor lamp right next to it. Not only will this reflect the light throughout the room, but it creates the illusion of depth to the wall with your mirror, making the room appear larger than it really is.
Many people encourage homeowners to choose light colors for small spaces to give the illusion of openness, but one final idea I'd offer to create the illusion of space is to make the wall at the far end of your home office an accent wall. Whether you buy some trendy removable wallpaper to apply, or simply use paint, creating an accent wall can create a feeling of depth and distract from the small footprint of your room. In my home office (which was a small bedroom), I've painted the walls white, and the accent wall is a dark blue (Naval, from Sherwin Williams). It's a beautiful color to hang wall art on, and it draws the eye and deepens the room, making it appear larger than it otherwise would.
If you only have one window in your small home office, consider hanging a large mirror or a collection of smaller mirrors as a gallery wall on the opposite side of the room. This will reflect the natural light and create the illusion of space.
Another trick (if your small home office or bedroom does not have a window), is to place a mirror on the wall and place a table lamp or floor lamp right next to it. Not only will this reflect the light throughout the room, but it creates the illusion of depth to the wall with your mirror, making the room appear larger than it really is.
Many people encourage homeowners to choose light colors for small spaces to give the illusion of openness, but one final idea I'd offer to create the illusion of space is to make the wall at the far end of your home office an accent wall. Whether you buy some trendy removable wallpaper to apply, or simply use paint, creating an accent wall can create a feeling of depth and distract from the small footprint of your room. In my home office (which was a small bedroom), I've painted the walls white, and the accent wall is a dark blue (Naval, from Sherwin Williams). It's a beautiful color to hang wall art on, and it draws the eye and deepens the room, making it appear larger than it otherwise would.
Provide Storage for Your Guests Too
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While you need plenty of storage for your home office, you also don’t want to forget somewhere for the guests to put their belongings when they stay. Behind the door storage solutions, corner shelves, and above-the-door shelves are all great ways to add in extra storage without losing too much room.
Also consider having a folding suitcase stand or luggage rack tucked away in a closet. Setting that up will make them feel welcome and organized when they arrive ... like they're staying in a hotel! |
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2 Comments
3/18/2021 07:22:02 am
I'm planning on moving into a small house, and I'm trying to figure things out to ensure that I have enough space for everything. It makes sense that I would want to consider getting a bed that can fold into the wall! Beds take up a lot of space, so being able to fold one out of the way with ease is just what I need.
8/3/2021 10:20:34 am
I like that you mentioned a murphy bed being a good way to keep the room looking professional when needed and having a comfy bed when needed. My wife and I have been trying to decide if we make the spare room in our home an office or a guest bedroom. I think that if we use a murphy bed we could do both.
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