Whether you're an artist, self-employed, or working from home, the importance of having an adequate workspace is paramount to ensuring a productive and comfortable workday. Whatever your situation, you can set up a makeshift home office within the space you already have, without necessarily needing a dedicated space in your home or apartment.

Indeed, a lack of space doesn’t mean that you can’t have a unique home office. To the contrary, there are a few options available that aren't only aesthetically pleasing but also offer practical strategies to maximize the space in your home. These tips and tricks are suited to both tenants and homeowners, as well as small or big budgets.

Renovation Ideas: 10 Home Office Examples

1. A dedicated home office space with a centrepiece desk

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Here's an example of a workspace that's conducive to both creativity and productivity. Picture a room that's entirely dedicated to your home office, with a large wooden desk that's positioned as the centrepiece, further fostering your unfettered imagination. This central setup creates an unparalleled space where reflection is forged, allowing you to completely immerse yourself into even the most complex of tasks. Don't forget to add a large rug beneath the desk, a few armchairs, pretty light fixtures, and a nice plant, and there you have! 

For easier ways to maximize your space, beyond that of your home office, check out our article on 5 Ways to Maximize Storage in Your Small Home.

2. An all-in-one storage desk

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For another space-efficient design ideally suited for small apartments, a multi-purpose desk is perfect for compact space organization. One of the most common models found on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest consists of mounting several shelves or a small bookcase, with a built-in desk section. An all-in-one desk is best suited to efficiently carry out daily work-related tasks while providing a practical space to store items, file folders, and documents. With this type of desk, everything is within arm's reach. 

You can find an example of this kind of drawer desk in our article on renovations and rentals: Small and Simple Affordable Work for Bedrooms, as well as several other tenant-friendly tips and tricks.

3. A closet built-in desk

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Now here's a spot where you wouldn't normally find a desk: your closet! It's the perfect makeshift and discreet home office space when you don't have a spare room for a dedicated home office. We first came across this concept in a YouTube video by Alexandra Gater.

Gater, whom we also mentioned in our article on design ideas, 9 YouTube Channels to Follow, is a stylist and interior decor expert who, while documenting her small apartment renovation, decided to transform her wardrobe into a mini editing studio for her YouTube videos.

4. A floating desk

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As with floating shelves, the visual appeal of a legless desk blends perfectly with the sought-after minimalist aesthetic commonly found in interior design. While a sleek look might not be your cup of tea, this type of desk can still add an interesting appeal to any room, especially the legless desk aspect, further alleviating the space. This type of workspace will allow you to work and plan endless hours and videoconferences at will, all within the confounds of a sleek and modern workspace. 

5. A colourful office with an accent wall

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A fairly simple, yet certainly visually striking, option is a wallpaper accent wall in your office. Doing so will add a touch of colour and texture to the room. This solution is especially advantageous for smaller quarters or windowless rooms. You can also add a few decorative accessories here and there to tailor your office space to your personality and further make the space appealing. For more ideas or to learn all about the advantages and disadvantages of wallpaper, these few links could enlighten you on the subject: Wallpaper as Wall Covering Inspirations and Paint and Wall Covering Renovation Guide. 

6. A customized desk with a built-in bookcase

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Storage space and overall organization on a desk should never be overlooked as an orderly workspace will help improve your focus level. A built-in bookcase could serve several different purposes, such as book storage or display several decorative pieces and accessories.

For an aesthetic and rustic look, consider adding a rolling ladder so that you can reach the top shelves. Also, this will make your home office very impressive and grand, especially since your guests will instinctively gaze upwards.

7. Nook and cranny home office hack

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If your home is set up in such a way that you have a few nooks and crannies waiting to be filled, setting up a desk will easily suit such a space. Not unlike the aforementioned closet option, using a smaller, vacant corner rather than leaving it empty is a space-efficient way to design a home office space. Also, it'll allow you to make use of a tucked-away, small corner to work.

8. A well-lit home office with a view

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If possible, set up your home office in a room that gets a lot of natural light, where you can position your desk or workspace facing a window. By doing so, you'll bathe in natural light and have ample space to add a large desk with storage for you filling folders, as well as a comfortable chair.

9. Turn your office into a makeshift gallery

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Should you currently have a dedicated home office or workspace-dedicated corner in your home, but are still looking to add a little bit of liveliness to it all, unleash your creative juices and decorate your walls with your favourite works of art.

By designing a gallery-like wall, you’ll be adding a simple feature that'll completely overhaul your home office vibe while adding a fresh flair to the room as a whole. Such a space is perfectly suited to work on projects, find inspiration, discover new hobbies, and express your creative side. It's the perfect alternative if you have no desire to undertake the wallpaper route.

10. A DIY office space

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For creative minds, there are many ways to add different visual features to your workspace without spending large amounts of money. If you need inspiration, there are a few YouTube channels that show you how to mount a plexiglass sheet to make a makeshift whiteboard.

Also, in terms of a makeshift wall calendar, you can easily get chalkboard paint at your local hardware store to personalize your walls, while staying organized. Furthermore, you're free to add a few shelves to showcase your favourite things.

As a bonus: A full-on cork wall! You can get cork rolls or sheets to hang on the wall of your choice to pin all your important notes and papers.