Compact Home Office Desks

The neutral color palette here doesn't steal too much focus from the rest of the room and the small desk details and wall frame cluster keep it from feeling unfinished.

Shelf Under the Stairs

Add a floating shelf, and a small space beneath the stairs is transformed into a tidy workstation. The corkboard on the wall displays clippings and reminders and the front of the shelf opens with hinges to hide paper clutter.

Bachelor Pad Nook

Even the most unlikely corner can function as a work area. This master bedroom nook instantly became an office with the addition of a few floating shelves and a refined desk chair.

Homework Helper

If you're able to renovate, building a custom study space may be the best option, as it was here for contractor Chip Wade, host of HGTV's Elbow Room. The station is private enough to curb distractions, but open enough that it still feels connected to the room.

Corner Curios

Don't overlook corners. You can buy a corner desk to effectively "hide" a workspace and make it blend into the room, or you can take a small, traditional desk and turn it into a room feature. Here, Rate My Space user fleamarkettrixie took added some Tiffany blue flea market finds to spruce up this space.

Minimal and Modern

Choosing a white desk and chair is a smart strategy if you don't want to add too much visual weight to a room. The clean lines of these pieces also make them feel light and airy.

Masculine Area

Sometimes a workspace can actually help unify a room, as this desk area does with its sculpture, pistol painting and red cords on the wall. A brick room can be challenging to decorate, but these details certainly add interest.

Tiny but Flexible

This little cranny is only 3' x 3', but it utilizes the 10 feet high vertical space nicely with custom built-ins that are the same color as the wall (a bit of eye trickery), and all the surfaces can be stowed away or rolled out as needed.

Vintage With a View

Pick up a vintage desk, pair it with a woven chair. Plant both in front of a bedroom window. Decorate with framed photos, flowers and a lamp, and you've added form as well as function to an overlooked space.

Hidden Away

Take an awkward bit of empty space and put it to use. Here, the previously unused square footage just off of an apartment's entry is now occupied by a private office space.

Wash Room Workspace

Can an office fit in a space the size of a stacked washer and dryer? This cozy little cubby proves it can! (Bonus: Bet you'll get your wash done more quickly by working next to the laundry, too.)

Closet Office

An unused closet has office area potential, as shown here by Rate My Space user Jennifer Jones. The elegant wallpaper and shelving make it pretty enough to display, but she could also choose to conceal the office area with tension rods and curtain.

Loft on Wheels

This industrial-modern desk set seems like it's monopolizing the loft, but all the pieces have casters, so they can easily be rolled out of the way. Mobility is key when you need give the room another purpose!