How to Create the Best Home Office for Your Living Situation
Whether you’re battling noise or are short on space, these guides can turn your office into a distraction-free zone.
Peek inside some of our favorite designers’ home offices, and get their tips for creating a successful WFH setup of your own.
Photo: Kalon Studios
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Herman Miller Striad Lounge Chair
Markus Jehs and Jürgan Laub designed their Striad Lounge Chair (2016) in layers, like a ski boot, to deliver exceptional comfort. “How a design looks should not be far from what it does,” says Jehs. “Function brings its own aesthetic.” Striad features a rigid outer shell for stability, a softer inner shell that’s molded to cradle the human body, and perfectly positioned cushions for ergonomic support.
ShopHP Tango X with Charcoal Linen Cover
Built to match the way you live and designed to use with the HP Smart app, Tango X helps you stay a step ahead by connecting and printing from any device, anywhere. HP Photo and Document All-in-One Printers are designed for families and other home users who want a device capable of printing everything from documents, email and web pages to rich, bright lab-quality photos - with copy and scan tools too. Dynamic security enabled printer. Only intended to be used with cartridges using an HP original chip. Cartridges using a non-HP chip may not work, and those that work today may not work in the future. Photo Courtesy of HP
ShopTelecommuting can take both a physical and mental toll—especially when you’re suddenly working in tight quarters with partners, roommates, children, or other family members. Tip: Invest in high-quality, noise-cancelling headphones, and keep shared live/work spaces clutter-free.
Photo: Stephen Kent Johnson
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FLOS Tab Table Lamp
Keep better tabs on tasks with the Flos Tab Table Lamp. Designed by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, the Tab features a unique bent head that adjusts as needed for perfectly placed task lighting. The entire fixture is composed of die-cast aluminum, with a porcelain reflector in the head.
ShopHerman Miller Formwork Paper Tray
Kondo divides her papers into two categories: papers to be saved and papers that need to be dealt with. For forms that need to be filled out and bills that need to be paid, a desk tray is a smart fix for stashing temporary papers that eventually will be attended to.
ShopFeeling cooped up and stressed out? Here are some essential tips from designers and builders of small spaces.
Photo Courtesy of Calvin Cheng & Chau Wing Chung
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Observatory Ubi Mobile Bag Catch
Co-founded in 2001 by Ayako Takase and Cutter Hutton, Providence-based Observatory strives to create products that reflect a compassionate understanding of the needs and aspirations of end users. Its Ubi Collection (2016) is designed to empower individuals with more control and personalization of their workspaces, no matter what size they might be. The easily movable Ubi Mobile Bag Catch provides versatile and convenient bag storage, an adjustable shelf and ample space for personal items. Made in U.S.A. Photo Courtesy of Design Within Reach
ShopEames Aluminum Group Executive Chair
Herman Miller introduced the Eames Aluminum Group in 1958 as Charles and Ray Eames' response to the need for high-quality indoor-outdoor furniture, and soon moved inside exclusively. The sophisticated, high-back Eames® Aluminum Group Executive Chair is a commanding desk chair from any angle. Its lightweight aluminum frame with suspended upholstery is streamlined and supportive, offering maximum comfort in a minimal profile.
ShopHay Copenhague 90 Desk
In collaboration with HAY, brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec designed the Copenhague 90 Desk (2013) as part of a furniture series created for the University of Copenhagen. The school’s requirements included functionality, durability, ease of cleaning, and a welcoming expression. The designers responded with the space-saving CPH 90 Desk, topped with new nanotech linoleum featuring a soft-touch ultra-matte finish that’s resistant to fingerprints and easy to clean. Made in Denmark.
ShopA few direct-to-consumer furniture rental services that have been working to reinvent the way people furnish their homes now also have the ability to temporarily help service a nation full of home offices.
Photo: Feather
The best home office designs encourage creative thinking and spark a sense of well-being while engaging with your specific needs.
Photo Courtesy of Michael and Christina Hara
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Finn Juhl: Life, Work, World
The first-ever comprehensive monograph on one of Denmark's most influential Modernist design pioneers. Danish architect, interior-, and industrial designer Finn Juhl is best known for his furniture. Credited in the creation of the international 'Danish design' phenomenon of the 1940s and 1950s, his interior for the Trusteeship Council Chamber at the United Nations Headquarters in New York introduced Danish Modern to America. A resurgence of interest in Finn Juhl's work, the advent of the retro trend, and Juhl's elevation to cult status in Japan places him firmly at the forefront of mid-century Danish design.
ShopNormann Copenhagen High Work Bookcase
For work or home, books or toys, Work is the shelving unit for everything. Simon Legald has taken his inspiration from industrial storage shelving to create shelving with a clear function and a pure, minimalistic expression. The bookcase has wooden frames and steel shelves that can be placed where needed. Work is available in modules with 6 or 3 shelves, as well as corresponding expansion modules with one open side for attachment. Photo Courtesy of Norman Copenhagen
ShopHerman Miller Sayl Chair
With a ventilated back for air circulation and tilt limiter that lets you adjust tension and range to your liking, this chair accomplishes a great deal with only the essentials. “I knew that creating a work chair is one of design’s greatest challenges, an intimidating project in every possible way,” says Swiss designer Yves Béhar. “There is no place to hide in a chair. Every part serves a structural or tactile purpose.” The Sayl chair is 90 percent recyclable.
ShopDespite being part of your home, your office space should be secluded and soundproofed, so as to avoid constant distractions that extend your workday.
Photo: Ivan Brodey
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Karimoku New Standard Homerun Paperweight
This paperweight takes the form of a scaled-up inkpad stamp and matches the character of the Homerun chair series. The paperweight comes in four colours so you can easily mark the different paper piles on your desk. Photo Courtesy of Leibal
ShopBDI Sequel Lift Desk
The BDI Sequel Lift Desk combines the ergonomics and health benefits of a sitting/standing desk with high quality BDI design. Motorized and programmable, this desk is effortlessly raised and lowered as needed to any comfortable height. And it blends in perfectly with the rest of the Sequel office family with a black micro-etched glass top, a variety of wood finishes and advanced cable management capabilities.
ShopHerman Miller Eames Storage Unit
The innovative Storage Unit (1950) was designed to be configured to fit a specific space or need. It’s available in several configurations and two color schemes: “multi” with birch fronts and brightly colored (red, white, blue, and tan) side and back panels or “natural” with birch fronts and neutral (grey, white, tan, and black) side and back panels. This original is an authentic, fully licensed product of Herman Miller, Inc. Eames is a licensed trademark of Herman Miller. Made in U.S.A.
ShopWorking is much more pleasant when you have natural light to brighten up your space. If you aren’t lucky enough to have a window, then invest in some stylish lighting.
Photo: Noah Webb
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Observatory Ubi Mobile Bag Catch
Co-founded in 2001 by Ayako Takase and Cutter Hutton, Providence-based Observatory strives to create products that reflect a compassionate understanding of the needs and aspirations of end users. Its Ubi Collection (2016) is designed to empower individuals with more control and personalization of their workspaces, no matter what size they might be. The easily movable Ubi Mobile Bag Catch provides versatile and convenient bag storage, an adjustable shelf and ample space for personal items. Made in U.S.A. Photo Courtesy of Design Within Reach
ShopTo combat a sterile office, introduce warm, personalized accents into your workstation, focusing on textiles to create visual interest and depth.
Photo Courtesy of Ari Hatzis
Make a distinction between places of repose and of work in the home. Whether it’s a seat at the kitchen table, a desk in a nook, or an entire office, seek out a space that is dedicated to work so that your mind will connect that area with a place of productivity.
Photo: Derek Swalwell
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Menu JWDA Concrete Table Lamp
The Menu Lighting JWDA Concrete Table Lamp exhibits a softer side to the roughness of industrial materials, smoothing pure concrete in to a cylindrical base that supports a rounded glass diffuser. The white glass is delicately cradled within the base, and glows warmly once lit. A stylish brass rotary switch buttons the collar of the grey base, acting as a dimmer that can control the amount of ambient light from the fixture.
ShopKartell Componibili Storage Unit
The Componibili Storage Unit (1969) takes its name from componibile, Italian for “modular,” consisting of individual storage modules equipped with a sliding front door and tongue-and-groove design to offer attractive, stackable storage. Componibili was designed by Anna Castelli Ferrieri, who was one of the first women to graduate with a degree in architecture from Politecnico di Milano. She then went on to become a prominent architect and designer before co-founding the company Kartell with her husband, Giulio Castelli, in 1949. Made in Italy.
ShopPlants are known to help increase our oxygen intake, and researchers have found that they can increase office productivity, as well as reduce stress and the number of sick days taken.
Courtesy of Arthur Hitchcock
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Bose SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphones II
Freedom. Convenience. The big advantages of wireless headphones. But Bose gives you a better wireless experience all around. Deep, immersive sound at any volume. Clearer calls at both ends of the communication. Seamless switching between two connected Bluetooth devices, so you’ll never miss a call or that movie you’re watching. Once you hear them, we think you’ll agree they’re the best-sounding wireless headphones you’ll find anywhere.
ShopEileen Gray: Her Life and Work
A fascinating rediscovery of the life and work of Eileen Gray, one of the twentieth century’s most important designers. In this illustrated biography, we learn the origins of designer Eileen Gray and the details of her groundbreaking career. Gray began as a creator of opulent lacquer furniture and transformed into a pioneer of modernist design. Staying firmly independent, she developed a distinctive take on materials favored by fellow International Style designers, such as Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, and Mies van der Rohe. Her talent made her an object of admiration among American expatriates such as Gertrude Stein, and her designs are now globally renowned―E-1027, the ship-shaped home she created on a cliff near Monaco, was hailed as a triumph of deluxe modern living and her Dragons chair fetched $28 million at an Yves Saint Laurent auction in 2009. This new edition of the biography by Peter Adam, the only surviving person to have been close to Gray during her later years, is a uniquely intimate survey of her life and work. Comprehensively updated and illustrated with material from Gray’s personal archives―correspondence, photographs, and architectural sketchbooks―Eileen Gray tells the full story of her life and reveals fresh details about her largely overlooked paintings, exchanges with Le Corbusier, and the fate of E-1027, the first building she designed. This book will be a welcome resource for fans of Gray, as well as those who are interested in design.
ShopHartô Hyppolite Desk
Hartô's Hyppolite is a mid-century inspired but still modern secretary desk designed by Florence Watine. An attractive combination of oak veneered top and metal legs, Hyppolite's sleek design doesn't take much space in the room but still gives you plenty of space for work. The three compartments and three drawers allow you to organize all your papers and office supplies and work on a clean desk. Hyppolite has been manufactured in Europe.
ShopBuild your own lightweight, versatile desk out of copper pipes using our step-by-step video and guide.
From autonomous cars to rolling office pods, the future of work is likely to be increasingly mobile—think BYOD on steroids.
Illustration by Fredrik Broden
Prefab ADUs are the perfect solution for those in need of a separate home office.
Courtesy of Plus Hus
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