One of my favorite rooms in our house in Germany is the home office. It’s always so bright and filled with natural sunlight because it has huge picture windows overlooking the deck. Our dogs love to sit out on the deck while I get work done in the mornings. Since everyone seems to be working from home for the foreseeable future, I thought I’d share a little bit about this room. Maybe it will give you some inspiration to set up your own home office!
Sit/Stand Desk
We bought this sit/stand desk from Ikea and I think it was such a good investment. The surface area is so big, so I have enough room to do everything I need. I have room for binders and spreadsheets for work I do for an organization over here, fabric and a sewing machine for crafts, canvases and watercolor paintings – everything. Being able to adjust the height at the click of a button is great. I can move it down for Zoom meetings and I can move it back up to cut fabric. Sometimes I raise it up to do standing barre workouts (pregnancy has thrown my balance off a bit).
For easy to reach office supply storage, I got this simple drawer unit from Ikea in bold blue to add some color to the white room. The drawers hold a lot of supplies, which I think is important for an office space. I hide all of the necessities in here – extra pens, pencils, paper clips, stapler, envelopes – plus all the miscellaneous items that accumulate in an office. Another amazing Ikea find is the electronics storage box. It hides a power strip and all of the cords plugged into it to keep the room looking tidy.
Home Office Shelves
When I envisioned my dream home office, I knew I wanted a wall of shelves behind the desk. Ikea had exactly what I was imagining for a great price. I bought three of them, and on my next trip to Ikea I’m going to buy one more. This is such an easy way to spruce up a blank wall and to display photos, awards, and books.
How to decorate open shelves
Open shelves can be a blessing or a curse because it’s an easy way to elevate a room, but it’s impossible to hide clutter. Here are a few tips for decorating:
Mix up what goes in each space – Don’t put all of the books in one section – maybe set up four books laying down, and then in a different row have a few books standing up. Layer some books over a storage box, and top some books off with a picture frame. Spread out your awards and pictures throughout the shelves instead of putting them all on one shelf.
Vary the heights – Put a tall picture frame next to a shorter stack of boxes. Then next to that, add a taller vase or a purse or a bag. Varying heights creates some unexpected excitement.
Hide clutter in storage boxes – All of these storage boxes are from Ikea. I have boxes of different textures, and I dressed up plain white ones with gold dot stickers. These boxes hold miscellaneous things, from shipping supplies to old important documents to random art supplies.
Add in cute accessories to store and display – Cute purse? Check. Great hats? Check. Instead of tucking these accessories away in the closet, display these in their own spot on the shelves.
Chaise Lounge Corner
One of my favorite parts of my home office is the chaise lounge by the window. This lounge is so comfortable and chic. I got it several years ago on Overstock.com and I’ve loved it every since. This is the perfect little nook for reading, daydreaming out the window, and Netflix breaks. It’s also my gratitude corner – I have a daily devotional and gratitude journal on the window shelf.
Bar Cart Corner
Of course, no office is complete without a little reminder of happy hour! This gold bar cart is from West Elm and adds another spot for storage, greenery, and fun to the home office.
I have no affiliation with Ikea but have been pleasantly surprised with the furniture I’ve bought from there! For more on our German house check out our dining room and dream closet.