As you think about building your dream luxury home, don’t forget to think about including a modern home office space. More and more people are working from home either full-time or part-time, and that trend is here to stay.
3 primary ways to approach a home office setup.
- Create a designated office space in a FROG, basement, bedroom space, or maybe a stately room situated just off from the foyer near the main entrance.
- Opt for a multi-functional office space that shares a corner in other rooms like the kitchen, great room, living room, or guest room.
- Have a small hidden office space in the closet under the stairs, in the kitchen, or in a guest room.
Luxury home office options for a custom home design
When you are designing a home, be sure to include defined spaces for you, your spouse, and your children to be able to work at home or study from home. If you think through your needs thoroughly before you begin the building process, you will thank yourself later.
Your custom home builder or architect can help you find plans that accommodate your family’s specific needs now and on into the future.
8 possible home office layout ideas
Any of these ideas can be a luxury home office with the right design, materials, and home office decor.
- A separate home office with an outside entryway for clients
- A desk area in the kitchen or great room
- A guest bedroom/office combo
- A homework room for the kids that doubles as a small home office
- A home office with a library
- A soundproof home office adjacent to the kitchen with french doors
- A workspace for everyone in one room if you won’t need a quiet space
- A home office in a separate building in the backyard (if zoning allows)
Not only do you need enough space for a proper desk, work area, and storage, you need a place where you can feel inspired and productive. Home office built-ins like a custom desk with shelves, cabinets, and cubbies can make your workspace professional-looking and efficient.
You can certainly involve an interior designer to help you custom design your home office and help with home decor, or you may find ideas you love yourself that you can include in your floor plan.
Many clients desire dual home offices. You may want one large shared office for two or, if you need more privacy for calls and clients, you may decide you each need your own space.
Navy blue home office with white trim and french doors.
10 Important factors to consider with home office design
While you are planning, weigh these important concerns so that you can have a home office layout that works best for you.
1. Lots of natural light — If your office is dark and gloomy, it can be quite depressing and un-motivating. Make sure to have plenty of windows in your workspace, it will help boost your mood, your mental health, and your physical health. Natural light also increases focus and productivity for many people.
Having plenty of windows (and maybe even a skylight) is an easy way to reduce stress and create a place you really enjoy being day-in-day-out for years to come.
2. A place for clients — If you will be meeting with people in your home office, be sure to include a professional, welcoming area for them. Perhaps one that doesn’t require them to walk through the rest of your home.
An office close to your front entrance or in the basement with a direct exterior entryway could be ideal.
Be sure to have seating for them on the other side of your desk or in a comfortable sitting area with a table to share for meetings.
3. Enough space — Be sure to account for all the furniture, storage, seating, and technology you’ll need to work comfortably from home in the long-term. We’d recommend at least a 10ft x 10ft room, if possible for a single-person office. But the bigger, the better. Especially if you need to accommodate two or more people or you will be having large group meetings.
A moss green home office offers a soothing atmosphere.
4. Engaging colors — In 2022, many people are opting for monochromatic rooms where the ceilings, walls, and maybe even the furniture are all saturated in the same bold color. Some other home office paint colors that are popular right now are deep greens, mossy greens, golds, and dark grays.
If that seems like too much, you can always go with a pop of color as an accent rather than drenching the entire room in one color.
Or if you are feeling very daring, maximalism is bringing wallpaper back in a big way with large patterns and bold colors. Don’t worry, this is not your parents’ wallpaper from the 80s. It’s fresh, vibrant, and easy to remove.
5. A charming window seat — The custom bench can provide storage, and the cushioned seat can accommodate extra guests or may be a handy place to take a coffee break.
Window seats also offer a place to daydream, read, and absorb some much-needed natural light during the day. And they are just so nostalgic and welcoming. Every office needs one!
6. Great lighting — Home office lighting has to be thoughtfully designed for optimum productivity. Use multiple layers of light to create an inspiring atmosphere. Add recessed lighting to fill the room with ambient light. Or consider home office light fixtures like elegant chandeliers or modern ceiling lights to fill that purpose.
Then add custom lighting to provide the right amount of task lighting for you to work. A desk lamp, for example.
For a welcoming atmosphere for clients, add mood lighting. Table lamps or floor lamps placed around the room, especially in dark corners, are a professional touch.
7. Glass doors — It’s extremely helpful to have some type of door you can shut during online meetings. Especially if you have a spouse working from home or children at home during your work hours.
Most of our clients prefer to home office doors with glass, like french doors — which blend in beautifully with a Craftsman-style home, to create a dramatic entryway to the office while still allowing them to see what is going on in the household.
If you have a more industrial or contemporary home style, you may also want to consider glass partitions and swinging glass doors.
A coffered ceiling in a blue room is a beautiful modern home office idea.
8. A coffered ceiling — For a truly luxurious effect, consider a separate room for your home office with a real wood trim coffered ceiling. Wood beams run across the high ceiling in both directions, creating deep “boxes” in the ceiling. Paint the ceiling a similar color to the walls or a different color from the wood molding for a dramatic pop.
Or opt for unpainted, natural wood to keep the beauty of nature overhead as you enjoy the appearance of woodgrain.
For other creative ceiling ideas, consider custom molding, a glass ceiling, ceiling beams, or a tray ceiling.
9. Built-ins and molding — If you desire a stately home office, having custom built-in cabinets, shelves, crown molding, and decorative wall molding can help you achieve the desired effect.
Adding some built-in home office cabinets, bookshelves, and a built-in desk gives you personalization to meet your specific storage needs while providing an opportunity to showcase your sense of style. Another great thing about a custom desk is that you easily create a home office for two with one large desk or side-by-side built-ins.
The right home office shelving helps you keep your paperwork organized, allowing your workspace to remain uncluttered and stress-free.
Try placing the built-ins behind you for a professional home office background for your video conference calls.
10. Different textures — To avoid having a sterile, uninspiring room, think about using a variety of thoughtfully planned textures to your space. If you use hardwood floors, add a beautiful, washable home office rug for color and some softness, as well as sound dampening effects.
Add interest to your office by having one wall with reclaimed wood or a brick accent wall. Other ways to add tactile interest include textured wallpaper, textured wall panels, bead board, shiplap, or ceiling beams.
Home office decor like artwork, light fixtures, sculptures, and furniture offer opportunities to introduce different fabrics, colors, and textures, as well.
A white home office adjacent to the luxury kitchen.
A custom home workspace can help you get the most out of building a custom home so that you have everything you need right where you need it. Imagine not having to drive or commute to work. And think of how productive you could be if you had the right space at your fingertips!
One huge advantage of going with a luxury home builder is that you get to design the home that works best for your family goals and your business goals.
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