Home offices are invaluable. Whether you work from home or are in need of somewhere to sort out your personal admin, these rooms offer the physical space and the headspace to get things done, calmly and quietly. But for those who live in small houses or flats, a separate space is simply not an option. The solution? Incorporate a desk into your main living room or bedroom. And we’re not talking a haphazard set-up with a rickety foldaway table, or a stolen corner of the kitchen table. This is about carving out a dedicated space for a proper, purpose-built work station. Yes, you will require the assistance of a carpenter or handyman (unless you’re an extremely proficient DIYer), but the result will be more than worth the investment. These are three of the cleverest designs we have seen for a small but perfectly formed home office in miniature.
The think-box
This design by Nicholas Spencer and Sophie von Wedekind for a house in west London is a stroke of genius. A half-landing upstairs has been transformed into what Sophie and Nicholas refer to as a ‘think-box’, with the addition of reeded glass doors that fold back to create a light-filled yet sound-proof vestibule off the main bedroom. Opposite the built-in desk is a cupboard that houses a desk chair – a lucky find in just the right size – that can be wheeled out whenever the ‘think-box’ is in use (watch the video below to see it in action).
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Here, the grown-ups in the family can take work calls or get on with their tasks in peace, while keeping an eye on everyone else’s comings and goings through the obscured glass – it really is the best of both worlds. Then, when the work is done, you can simply close the doors, stow away the chair, and enjoy your evening or weekend. If you’ve got a neglected half-landing or any sort of underused in-between space, the think-box might be the solution you’ve been looking for.
The in-betweener
‘Working on this scale,’ says Tom Bartlett of this compact pied-à-terre in Marylebone, ‘is a bit like working on a boat. You get to do lots of little things that make a big difference.’ One such little thing is this very smart desk. The dining room and sitting room are divided by a chimney breast (pictured below), so Tom had the idea to install a felt-covered folding door on one side of the fireplace, to allow these rooms to be combined or separate as needed. He also knocked through the narrow bit of wall on the other side of the chimney breast and added a wall-to-wall desk that can also be closed off with a matching folding screen. All you have to do is draw up a chair – perhaps one from the dining table or a small side chair in the sitting room – and your work station is ready to go.
‘I find that issue of open-plan spaces versus privacy quite interesting,’ adds Tom. ‘With open plan I always think, “Really, do you want to hear your partner coughing wherever you are, wouldn’t you like to be able to close a door?” So it was quite fun to be able to work those issues out.’ The same idea could be applied to lots of different spaces, and if access is a problem (few of us have a dual-access room, after all), you could even install a hinged desk that can be folded against the wall when not in use. What’s not to like?
The nook
A bedroom can be a good spot for a desk, as you can shut yourself away and escape whatever else is going on at home. That was exactly the thinking behind this little nook in the bedroom of a 11-square-metre Parisian apartment – one of the tiniest homes in our archive – reconfigured by designer Marianne Evennou. A built-in desk like this is actually one of her trademark moves in bijoux homes. ‘They take up less space and are also practical,’ she explains. ‘Plus, they create a separate workspace, which enriches even the smallest apartment with another distinct zone.’
Here, the desk is flanked by custom-built wardrobes and drawers, ensuring the bedroom still has plenty of storage and that every last inch is put to good use. The half-and-half paint effect on the walls also helps to create a subtle sense of division between the desk space and the bookshelves above. It is an inviting and inspiring place to work, read or even jot down a few ideas before bed.
