“Hello! So… I just bought a one bedroom condo and I’m super excited about it. I’m pretty confident about what I want to do in all the rooms except for the formal dining room. The room is pretty large, long and narrow with a chandelier mounted in the center of the room. With only one bedroom, I’d actually like the formal dining room to serve as a place to eat AND my home office. Any ideas on the type of furniture I should look for that will make the room look cohesive, but still serve two purposes? Thanks!”

Jamie says…

…Assuming you have side entries along the longest walls I would suggest centering the dining table underneath your existing chandelier. It might be nice to incorporate a dining table that can seat 6 if your space allows a table of that size. A built-in wall system of book shelves and a desk is a tailored look that will be cohesive with the rest of the dining room and serve as a practical use of the space. The wall opposite of where you choose to place the built-in wall unit is a space that is perfect for a small sideboard and a small side chair. You can use the sideboard for storage and serving if you have guests over. The side chair acts as a nice space for you to look over paperwork, or a read a good book if you want. The furniture layout below shows a the configuration for your space that I’ve described. I hope this was helpful. Good luck!

Note- the floor plan is a 10’ x 20’ room drawn to scale.

In many homes there is a room in the house that serves more than one function.  In these spaces it’s important to consider all the ways the room will be used when it’s time to settle on a design.  Here are some design ideas that will help your home office pull double duty as a guest room…

• Sleeper sofa.  Get a sleeper sofa for your guest room/office.  It can serve as a great place to sit and read, and pull out into a bed for overnight guests.  Before making a purchase be sure to measure your room to ensure that the bed will fit when pulled out.  If there’s not enough room to pull out a bed, consider getting a sofa that, when the back cushions are removed, is the same depth as a twin bed.  This is true of a sofa like the Ava.
• Storage ottoman. This is a great piece to serve double duty in your double duty room.  Use it as a flat surface for papers or books when the space is being used as an office, and store linens, pillows and other guest items inside for later.  Be sure to check the weight of the piece.  You don’t want it to be too heavy assuming you may have to move it out of the way when guests stay overnight.
• Wall-mounted shelving. Instead of a more traditional bookshelf that rests on the floor, consider wall-mounted shelving for your room design.  This way you get linear space to store items without taking up floor space.

Do you have a home office that also serves as a guest room?  How have you made it work for you?

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Wall-mounted desk system.  Think about having a wall-mounted desk system installed, especially if you have a small space.  You have the surface area you need to work without taking up as much floor space as a traditional desk would.  Here’s a look at a wall-mounted desk system used in a bedroom…

Dual purpose desk chair. Have your desk chair be the same chairs you’re using around your dining table.  This way when you have dinner guests, you can easily add additional seating and maintain a uniform look around the dining table.

Storage, storage, storage.  When designing any space, be sure to consider how much storage space is required to make your space work for you. This will help to make selections of furniture and organizational pieces easier.

Don’t ignore the floor.  Depending on the flooring in your home office space, you may want to consider an area rug.  If you have wooden floors, it’s a great way to add warmth to the space, bring in color and define the work area.

Set the mood. Think about what mood you want the space to evoke. Fast-paced, upbeat environment or a relaxed, calm space? This will help in your selection of materials, finishes, fabrics, colors and accessories.

Color! Color! Color! Painting or adding some sort of wall covering to the walls (either a pattern or texture) will make a world of difference in the overall look of the space. Stark white walls are never an option! Walls with color will bring life and character to your home office space which will help in motivating you to want to do work.

Hello,

I don’t have a floor plan to share, but I’d like to make a 7′ 11 x 10′ room (with no windows by the way…) into a home office.  What sorts of pieces should I be looking for to keep the small room from feeling cramped?  I really just need the basics – desk, chair and some shelving.

Thanks!

What do you think?