Our excitement over the plans we’re designing for the showhouse office has spilled into our own home office. That, combined with the fact that the room has been looking a little neglected lately—its armchair and Expedit were both commandeered for the nursery—has pushed us to finally give the space some attention. The chalkboard still reads “Merry Christmas,” which is a clear sign this room needs a refresh.
We love this room because it’s bright and roomy, and with the baby arriving in about six weeks we want to consolidate our work life so it won’t constantly encroach on family time. Right now a lot of our business stuff spills across the house—my accounting binders live in a kitchen cabinet because our desk wall lacks storage—so the goal is to create a functional, organized home office that fits our long-term needs.
We’re skipping small, temporary updates and jumping straight to a more finished space. Unlike a kitchen or bathroom, the office doesn’t need costly appliances, counters, or tile, so a full, thoughtful makeover is feasible now. We think we can create a workspace that will grow with us, instead of making a bunch of half-finished choices we’ll want to undo later. (For more on how we approach smaller Phase 1 projects, see the note in our process.)
This room’s best asset is the natural light and that pretty bay window at the back. We want to keep the bay as a focal point, but after considering built-in bench seating we decided against it because the window is shallow, a bench wouldn’t be very functional for an office, and it might interfere with our usual holiday tree placement.
Of course, the room also presents layout challenges. The doorway on the opposite wall is off-center, limiting symmetry, and the front windows sit low to the floor, which makes it difficult to place furniture on that side without blocking light or creating an awkward street view.
With those constraints in mind, we set clear priorities for the redesign that address both function and aesthetics:
- Two Desks: We need dedicated workstations for both of us. Sherry often spreads out at the kitchen table, but we want a proper desk area for her and a larger desk for my needs with more drawers and workspace.
- Expanded Storage: Improved filing and storage will centralize paperwork—tax documents, side projects, and other records that are currently scattered around the house.
- Large Meeting/Craft Table: A versatile table in the center of the room will serve as a meeting area, project space, and photo shoot spot thanks to the abundant natural light.
- Planning Wall: A big whiteboard, pinboard, or magnetic wall will keep calendars, to-do lists, and idea boards visible to both of us, replacing our current fragmented systems of phones and notebooks.
- Doors for Sound Control: French doors would add style and help with soundproofing during calls or focused work sessions.
- Kid-Friendly Zone: We’d like a flexible area that accommodates small children now—Clara’s drawing desk is already in the room—but can transition to bigger kid needs in the future so the space isn’t outgrown quickly.
With those goals set, we began floor planning and tested a few layouts using room-planning apps. The current furniture arrangement is humble, so the first step was scaling pieces up to match the room and the goals above.
One idea was centering a larger table in the bay and wrapping an L-shaped desk into the corner for storage, similar to our last office. That felt a bit cramped, though, and wouldn’t take full advantage of the windows.
We also tried making the desks the central feature by placing them symmetrically around the bay. That arrangement created problems: one desk would sit in front of a low window and block the street view, and accessing seats would be awkward because of the central table.
Our preferred plan returned to an original concept: continuous storage across the back wall with integrated desk spaces. This keeps the bay window visually centered by adding balance in the opposite corner and leaves the room’s middle open for a large, movable table. It also lets us keep laptops on the meeting table when we want a view, instead of feeling trapped at a desk against a wall.
Update: Clara’s long desk already has room for two chairs and can fit more children if needed, so it will accommodate both kids.
Update #2: We tested desk placement along that back wall for glare concerns—John has worked there for months without an issue because the sun falls low enough that it doesn’t hit screens directly.
We’re leaning toward the integrated-storage-and-desk layout because it best suits how we work. Before we start though, there’s a lot of prep: painting the blue trim around sixty-six window mullions that require multiple coats will be a time-consuming task. But once the trim is done, we can move forward with furniture and organization that will make this bright, light-filled home office both beautiful and practical.
How would you prioritize a home office? Do you work at a kitchen nook, a corner desk, or a dedicated room? We’re curious how others balance storage, workspace, and family life when designing a home office.