This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.
Do you know what you get when you combine working from home and kids being out of school for the summer?
Chaos. Fun yet sometimes stressful chaos.
Now that our kids are home from school until August, I knew I needed to whip our home office into shape so that I could get tasks done efficiently to make more time with the girls. (And also so I don’t pull my hair out.)
I found myself avoiding our office lately and preferring the living room couch instead, so I set out to fix the situation.
In the process, I tried out a couple of home office layout options using a few furnishings from The Home Depot. Furniture is on sale for up to 35% off right now, so I used it to my advantage to make some changes.
(As nice as it is having an office for two, Robert hardly ever uses this space. So I did some furniture swaps to make it an office for one.)
If you have a home office and need help deciding a layout, here are 3 ways to make the most use of your space.
1. Work Table for Two Office Layout
This unfinished dining table we stained a few years ago served us really well as an office setup for two. I like having room to spread out projects.
If you’re mostly paperless without the need for much storage and have two people working in your home, it’s a great way to go.
2. Sofa and Desk for Solo Work
I’m the writer and photo editor around here, so I’m usually glued to my laptop during the day. A lot of times, I preferred sprawling out comfortably on our living room couch rather than working at our office table. So hauling this green velvet sofa into the room was the perfect solution.
I added a fringe detail to the bottom of the sofa’s modern farmhouse silhouette for a grandmillennial look. I’m in love! It’s so soft, feels so luxurious, and only costs a third of the price of similar designer sofas in the same style.
Bonus points: We have an extra couch for guests to crash in a designated space if we ever need it.
I chose this vintage inspired wood desk with a modern pull-out keyword tray to place in front of a window. It is way heavier than I expected, made of solid wood, and shipped quickly to our home within 2 days.
In our friend’s home office/living room hybrid space, we used this same layout trick to place a desk in front of a window to boost productivity. For another friend, we designed a whole family home office with a desk facing the window so their kids could feel more productive in their homeschooling sessions.
3. Sofa and Desk for Client Work
If you receive clients in your home office, this layout might be best. Choose a sofa or a pair of armchairs to place along a wall with your desk facing into the middle of the room. This creates a barrier between your workspace and visitors while establishing an inviting space for guests to sit.
Choose a desk with a solid back without any cord holes so that its placement looks intentional for facing into the room. (Keep in mind though that when a window is directly behind your desk, it can cause eye strain with a glare on your monitor.)
Related: How to Add Fringe to a Sofa or Chair
Office Decorating Tips to Improve Productivity
By the way, you don’t have to totally change your furniture to make the most of your home office space.
There are so many small decorating tweaks you can make to help your work space feel more inspiring to you. (I use these tips myself whenever I have a lot of work I need to finish in a short amount of time.)
Benefits of Facing a Desk to a Window
I swear by placing a desk in front of a window to improve my efficiency. Interior designers and psychologists recommend this for many reasons.
- improves mood
- reduces stress
- reduces eye strain
- increases productivity
- enhances creative thinking with view of nature
Just keep in mind that north or south facing windows work best for a desk. Windows that face east or west will experience harsh glare for half of your workday. In that case, this furniture layout option might not be ideas.
If you have a home office all to yourself to work with a window that gets soft natural light, it’s the perfect opportunity for this desk layout option.
Use Natural Light and Lamps
Harsh, unnatural lights from fluorescent bulbs is associated with heightened anxiety and stress levels. So to reduce stress, open your curtains or shades and add lamps around the room.
I love using a large table lamp rather than a desk lamp on a desk to emit a relaxing glow to still makes me feel productive.
Using sconces on our office wall helps balance the light on this windowless wall as well.
We swapped our too-low pendant light for this bubble flush mount light. I prefer using 3000K LED light bulbs to create a balance between blue light (that can help you feel alert) and yellow light (that can help you feel relaxed).
Light a Candle
Our sense of smell has a significant impact on our mental well-being. Light a candle or use an essential oil diffuser for aromatherapy.
I feel more relaxed when I’m working beside the flicker of a lit candle too. I love the look of this little brass tray and stoneware hands bowl with a striker to hold matches.
Utilize Flowers or Plants
Real houseplants or fresh flowers are ideal, but if you’re like me and can’t manage the upkeep of living plants, fake flowers or plants still help.
Our brains associate them with the relaxing feelings of nature indoors even if they’re artificial.
Play Instrumental Music
This tip is completely subjective based on your personality. But according to the University of Southern California, classical music benefits the brain, sleep patterns, immune system, and stress levels.
I love streaming the Vitamin String Quartet on Spotify when I need to be in deep work mode in the office.
Home Office Sources
You can find all of the furniture and lighting sources we used from The Home Depot below to help you set up your own layout. Furniture is up to 30% off right now, has free shipping on orders over $45, free in-store pickup, 2-day shipping to home, a free in-store returns.
Do you have any other productivity boosting tips you would add to this list? With kids home this summer, all of us working-from-home parents could use all of the tips we can get!
More Home Office Decorating Ideas
8 Home Office Lounge Ideas for a Multi-Functional Space
Cozy Conference Room Design Ideas & Office Makeover
Modern Coastal Living Room / Office Hybrid Room Makeover
