How to Set Up Your Home Office in a Small Space
How to Set Up Your Home Office in a Small Space
Remote work not only tests our creativity—staying motivated, setting boundaries, finding quiet time—it also reshapes expectations of our home office designs. We know the pieces of a traditional office setup. But how do you bring those principles into your small home office? Whether you’re carving out a workspace at your dining table, repurposing an overlooked nook, or even setting up shop in a hallway, Herman Miller asked pros for ideas about how to maximize your home office.
Storage Ideas for Small Spaces
Small home offices often need to pull double duty, so the flexibility to bring out or put away your work essentials is key. There are three ways to make the transition as seamless as possible:
From Mess to Artful Curation
If you thrive with lots of color and inspiration around you, storage like the desktop Formwork Accessories and Eames Hang-It-All are vibrant options to both display your objects and add more beauty to the room.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Professional Organizer Rebekah Love recommends clearing your desk at the end of the day to encourage better work/life balance. The Edel Mini—a desk with small real estate, yet plenty of drawer space—is the perfect companion.
Adaptable Storage
Forget the hulking file cabinets from the offices of the past. You can add on extra storage with the sleek OE1 Trolley, an all-in-one mobile filing cabinet, second seat (with its complementary cushion), and bar cart.
How to Light Up Your Small Office Space
What’s the easiest way to transform your home office? The right lighting. Here’s how to add subtle brilliance to your small space.
Focused Lighting
Herman Miller's task lamps illuminate what you need to focus on and let everything else dissolve away. Task lighting creates natural delineations in your room—without putting up physical walls.
Warm Lighting
Often, the corporate office’s harsh fluorescent lighting is the furthest thing from “warmth.” Swap it out for the soft glow of the Nelson Bubble Lamps for a versatile fixture made for your home and work life.
Colored Lights
For anyone who needs a low-light room for their work, the Neon Tube LED incorporates personality into your setup without distracting your focus.
Design Ideas for Your Small Home Office
Decor might not feel like a priority for a home office setup. But when you’re in the same space for most of the day, a visual palate cleanser is a must.
According to experts, many design-minded folks stay motivated by strategically placing reminders of what matters—like framed images of family and loved ones—throughout the workspace. Or it could be an object that sparks your imagination, like the Girard Wooden Dolls Collection or Nelson Clock.
