- Rooms
- Home Offices
- Home Office Design & Planning Ideas
- Give Your Home Office Character
Give Your Home Office Character
- Furniture
- Accessories
- Basics
More and more of us have home offices these days, but it’s very easy to fall into the trap of focusing on the ‘office’ part, and neglecting the aspects that say ‘home’. It doesn’t have to be this way. You can make this space as stylish and comfortable as every other room in your home by bringing in essentials and accessories with character – and they don’t need to cost much.
Swap In A Vintage Desk And Chair
The desks sold on the high street and in DIY stores are often highly practical, but not winners in the style stakes. Instead of opting for a modern version, think about shopping around for a desk with pre-loved character at a car-boot or antiques market. You’ll need to bear in mind the need to run wires from a computer to the wall socket, as old desks were, of course, not built with this in mind, so think about whether your choice has the necessary opening to run cables – or the option to create them – before you buy.
Modern chairs can also be unattractive choices for a home office. If you opt for something with vintage character, do make sure it’s still a functional option so you don’t end up with back strain if you’re working long hours. However, classic 20th century office chair designs are still sold today, so old definitely doesn’t mean un-ergonomic.
Shop For Vintage Furniture
When you’re buying old furniture for your home office, it pays to take care over inspecting each piece. Look at the condition. A few marks can give it character, and will not affect its function, but if the drawers won’t open, it’s not going to solve your storage issues. Think about what the piece needs to do, and whether it’s in a condition robust enough for the job, as printers, computers and so on can be weighty.
Don’t forget to measure your prospective buy rather than relying on your visual assessment. Furniture will look smaller in a shop, field or sale room than it does at home, so it’s easy to get it wrong.
Sort Out The Storage
An array of cardboard box files, boldly coloured folders and plastic containers for your paperwork will do nothing for the ambience of your home office. Make sure that you have plenty of home office storage furniture that will allow you to hide these behind closed doors. Rather than going for contemporary pieces, shop around for older furniture you might be able to re-purpose as a home for your filing. Second-hand wooden wardrobes and cupboards will suit your room and the interior can be reconfigured to suit your needs.
Look out, too, for beautiful old chests and other old office furniture that will give your space a vintage feel that’s warm and welcoming.
Comments
How To Decorate
We've got quick and easy step by step guides to common decorating jobs
Decorate By Room
Search all of 4Homes
Be inspired to create your perfect home...
Search 4Homes product finder
