Whether you are downsizing, or already own a small home, it can be a challenge to find space for a home office without having a dedicated room. Custom designed small offices can be incorporated into a new small house plan, or you can look for nooks in your current home that is just wasted space.  Here are a few ideas for finding space for a small home office.

The Closet Office

Think about the space in your closet. Small walk-in closets are an ideal space to tuck a work surface in with filing cabinets or computer equipment space below and wall mounted shelves above. Instead of buying a standard office desk, you can use a door leaf and have it cut to size and installed to fit perfectly. A dedicated desk chair is optional as you can always borrow a chair from the room your closet is in. Add task lighting and you are ready to go.

The Staircase Office

Another idea is to use the space underneath your stairs. If you have a closed staircase you can break open the wall that encloses it and insert a small desk into that space below the stair. If you already have an open staircase, it will be a lot easier to capitalize on that small space. Be sure to find a desk that fits neatly: it should not stick out on one side becoming an obstacle. If you can’t find an appropriate desk, you can work with a cabinet maker to build a custom desk with shelves.

The Dining Room Office

If you do prefer your dining table because you can spread out on it, you can think about complementary furnishings that blend well with your dining table and will invisibly store your office equipment. For example, you can use a bench on one side of your dining table with storage capacity underneath - think of it as a large box with a lid that is the seat of the bench, some piano chairs have such a secret compartment underneath the seat.

The hidden corners in your small house may not have ever appeared to you to be usable space but you will be surprised how a few subtle moves can make the use of your space so much more efficient. You can work with a designer or cabinet maker to micro-tailor your space and furnishings to maximize your use of it.

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