The Top 58 Home Office Desk Ideas

“The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office.” – Robert Frost

Staying productive is easier and more rewarding when you have a designated workspace. All you need is a desk to get started.

Check out these home office desk ideas to improve your work experience and level up your home decor in the process.

1. Glass Top Home Office Desk Ideas

Glass-top desks are a great home office idea, especially if you want the room to look as large and open as possible. Since a glass desk is mostly transparent, it creates the illusion of less bulk than a traditional desk.

Silver accents and neutral colors will give your office desk a contemporary appeal. Any supportive chair or bench will work — don’t be afraid to try one with a unique shape.

To create a mid-century modern-inspired office, go with a warm color scheme and plush details. Accent your glass-top desk with gold, brass, or wood accessories. As for seating, pick an upholstery style that stands out against the rest of your decor.

2. Space-Saving Home Office Desk Ideas

Many people neglect to buy a proper desk because the room it’s in will serve multiple purposes. While a classic secretary desk offers a great way to tidy up when you’re not working, it doesn’t save much space. Instead, consider a wall-mounted standing desk that folds up.

If you have a spare room with an empty closet or awkward nook, you might be looking at the perfect place to tuck a desk.

Your choice of desk is just one space-saving decision. Look for ways to shrink your office area when it’s not in use. For example, your office chair should fit snugly underneath your desk.

3. Minimalist Home Office Desk Ideas

Does a messy desk stress you out? Or do you want to create a home office space that doesn’t detract from the rest of the room’s furniture? Either way, a minimalist desk will set your mind at ease.

Designing a minimalist workspace starts with the desk itself. Look for a standard writing desk with zero ornamentation. Keep the desktop clean and free of accessories — consider setting up your printer or other bulky items separately in a closet.

Organization is crucial to maintaining a minimalist space. If possible, choose a desktop with a built-in drawer underneath for a little extra storage. A wall-mounted shelf or pegboard can help make up for the lack of cabinet doors below.

4. White Home Office Desk Ideas

If you’re someone who thrives in a clean work environment, white office decor is sure to be your cup of tea. White desks are easy to find in all different styles. If you want to reimagine a desk you already own, a coat of paint is all you’ll need.

White goes with everything, but too much color will negate your clean design choices. Use jewel-toned metals as your accent shades, focusing on furniture hardware, light fixtures, and wall decor.

If all-white walls are too dull, don’t reach for wallpaper or a bucket of paint. Decals are an excellent way to add dimension and some color to the space without sacrificing your white walls.

5. Small Home Office Desk Ideas

A small desk can be just as functional as a large one, especially since most of today’s work happens on a computer.

If your need for a small home office desk is due to limited floor space, look for furniture that is tall rather than wide. You can add your own DIY desk expansion with mounted shelves or cabinets.

6. Wood Home Office Desk Ideas

Solid wood furniture is quite durable and, more or less, timeless. Restoring an old table or desk is a great way to get gorgeous home office furniture on a budget.

Remember that natural wood comes in varying shades. An unstained wood desk will give off a much different air than one stained burgundy. Likewise, plywood or reclaimed shiplap look much different than polished pine or mahogany.

7. Modern Home Office Desk Ideas

Modern architecture is all about clean lines. You also see a lot of fun geometric shapes in modern decor. If modern decor inspires you, you can easily mimic these trends in your home office design.

Keep an eye out for furniture featuring unusual cutouts or unique desk leg designs. Since modern desks don’t offer much in the way of integrated storage, you may need to invest in a matching set of shelves or turn to storing things in a closet.

Use green potted plants and stylish light fixtures to accessorize your modern office desk. Try doing the unexpected with a wall- or ceiling-mounted lamp. Fill empty wall space with a sleek mirror or oversized canvas.

8. Rustic Home Office Desk Ideas

Whether you go for an elegant or industrial version of rustic decor, pay close attention to your desk’s finish. Natural wood is the best material for this style. However, you’ll want to choose furniture with a white-washed or distressed finish.

Live-edge wood is another option that will add a ton of character to a rustic office design. Stick with cast iron hardware throughout the space. If you go with an upholstered chair, pick one with contrasting steel tacks along the edges.

9. Custom Home Office Desk Ideas

If your home office doubles as a separate living space, nothing is more valuable than a desk that truly fits the room. While the best solution is a custom or DIY desk, you can find plenty of space-saving designs in ready-made furniture.

You probably won’t find a Murphy desk in your neighborhood furniture store, but this desk design is ingenious. Murphy desks mount to the wall and fold away when not in use. You won’t find a better option for a compact, convertible office space.

Shelving is another excellent way to maximize functionality in your home office. You can use these shelves for storage or as a way to free your work space from bulky electronics.

10. Elegant Home Office Desk Ideas

Just because a home office is functional doesn’t mean it can’t also be dripping in elegance. An office space that looks great can even help motivate you to be productive and keep everything well-organized.

You can find elegant desk designs that fit all types of decor. Whether you go for something modern, contemporary, or classic, look for high-quality hardware and other small details that will make your finished office really shine.

Skip the utilitarian office chair in favor of something more elegant. Opt for a design made with leather or a plush upholstery fabric.

11. Workstation Home Office Desk Ideas

With multiple monitors, computer accessories, and printed documents, having a dedicated workstation sounds pretty great. But you might already have a workstation desk setup without even realizing it.

Workstation-style desks hold everything you need in one place. In the case of a home office, this usually means things like a phone, printer, and at least one computer.

True workstation desks feature a separate nesting piece that expands for a larger work surface. If you want to convert your regular desk, be on the lookout for a filing cabinet or side table to fill this role.

12. Simple Home Office Desk Ideas

Beautiful home design doesn’t need to be overly complicated. This is especially true for a home office, where keeping things simple can lead to a more productive and relaxing space.

Even the most basic furniture can come to life with vibrant hues. Choose one or two bright accent colors to highlight while keeping the rest of the room neutral.

The hardest part of simplistic decor is the fight against clutter. Commit yourself to the belief that less is more when it comes to office accessories. If an item can’t stow away in a drawer or closet, do you really need it?

13. Two-Person Home Office Desk Ideas

Working solo or as a team, there are many scenarios where two people must share an office space. To pull this off, you’ll need to make a few adjustments to your desk setup.

Choose a symmetrical desk with plenty of drawers and cabinets. If two people share a home office for work, the last thing you want is to mix up important documents or supplies. Get ahead of organization mishaps with divided storage and labels.

Assume that two people will be using the desk at all times. This means double the lamps, double the outlet access, and double the chairs. Not only will this improve functionality, but symmetrical designs are super pleasing to the eye.

14. Corner Home Office Desk Ideas

There are few home office designs that save space quite like a corner desk. This is also the best way to keep all of your tools and documents within easy reach — no more getting up from your chair every two minutes.

For extra storage, hang floating shelves above your desk. You can also use these shelves to display additional decor. For those days when multitasking is a must (or to make the space dual-purposed), mount a tablet or TV overhead.

15. Industrial Home Office Desk Ideas

If your goal is to curate a stylish yet masculine office space, industrial decor should definitely be on your radar. These trends work especially well in a room with exposed plumbing or ductwork.

There are two subtypes of industrial design you can turn to for inspiration: Urban-inspired design (which most people think of when it comes to industrial trends) and rustic-inspired design.

For either of these aesthetics, choose a desk that is simple in both shape and style. Look for furniture made of distressed wood and cast iron-finished metal. A leather task chair will contrast nicely against the industrial elements in the room.

16. Executive Home Office Desk Ideas

While not ideal for a small space, executive desks are both attractive and highly functional. With an executive home desk, you’ll never need to worry about having too little desk space or being overwhelmed by clutter.

To stay true to the executive office aesthetic, place your main desk in the center of the room. Frame the desk with coordinating cabinets for added storage space.

If the room allows, pair your executive desk with shelving and additional desk space on the back wall. If not, elevate your home office decor with a large piece of artwork or gilded mirror behind your chair.

17. L-Shaped Home Office Desk Ideas

Even if you have the luxury of an entire room dedicated to your home office setup, it’s important to choose a desk that maximizes your functional space.

With this style of desk, you can nearly double your workspace without taking up much more square footage than a regular computer desk. An L-shaped desk also offers plenty of extra drawer and cabinet space for your must-have office supplies.

If you don’t have the budget for brand new office furniture, you can create a DIY desk that mimics this style. Simply place a cabinet or table of similar height next to your desk and you’ll instantly have more working space.

18. Black Home Office Desk Ideas

For a simple, contemporary home office, go with a black desk. While sleek desks will give off a modern aesthetic, you can also opt for one made of black-stained wood for something more elegant.

Pair your black desk with neutral colors — white will provide the greatest contrast. You can warm up your home office design with potted houseplants and natural wood elements. Gold hardware will add a pop of luxury. Invest in a velvet or leather desk chair to finish off the look.