With the widespread move to remote work, most of us have had to set-up a home office. While it is nice to have a dedicated room for a home office, many times we need to use a small bedroom or guestroom. Perhaps you live in a small apartment and it is the only place you have room for a home office. Maybe you have an extra guestroom that can double as an office. Below, I’ve covered some ideas for setting up a productive home office in a small bedroom.
What is wonderful is that setting up an office in a bedroom doesn’t have to be complicated. With a few basic items and some pretty accessories you love it can be both functional and beautiful. I show my simple home offices I’ve set up below. I love how productive and comfortable I feel in them.
General guidelines for setting up you home office in a small bedroom
- Keep a separation between the ‘bedroom portion’ and the ‘office portion’ – so it doesn’t interfere with your work or sleep.
- Make the home office decor pretty so it matches the decor or your bedroom. You want the office to be visually appealing so you will be motivated to work. You also want the office aesthetics to blend in nicely with your bedroom.
- Keep clutter away – Since you won’t be able to completely separate your office from the bedroom, it is especially important to manage clutter, by not having too many accessories or paper. Same goes for the bedroom portion. Make your bed and put away stray clothes.
- Make the space ready for virtual meetings – If you take Zoom, Teams or other online meetings, you really want to consider making the space ready with proper lighting, power, background, and wi-fi.
Ideas for setting up a home office in a small bedroom
Where to set-up the home office in the bedroom
Find a nook or a corner – Offices that are in a bedroom are perfect to put in a nook or corner of the room. Try facing the desk away from the office. Make sure there is an outlet in this area. Keep the whole office and all accessories in one section. Don’t spread it out around the whole bedroom.
Make sure your online meeting background does not show your bed — Use the ‘blur’ background, ‘cover the bed’, use a green screen, and/or a virtual background. For some reason, if for space constraints, you have to show the bed, and you are unable to use a virtual background, make sure the bed is neatly made up.
Use a fan or white noise machine – This blocks out external noise, whether inside your home or from the outside. It also helps with focus.
Make sure you can get wi-fi in the bedroom and the section that your desk is in – Make sure you test the wi-fi before you set-up your home office. You’d be surprised at how the signal strength can vary based on the section of the room.
Consider adding a partition — If your bed near your office tends to ‘draw you towards it’ to sleep, consider adding a partition, such as room divider or a green screen. This will also be better for your sleep so you don’t have to worry about looking at your office.
Find beautiful, simple decor that appeals to you
Find a small desk that matches the decor of the bedroom – Think, cozy, beautiful, yet functional. Below are two of my small bedrooms in my home. One has the desk my husband used growing up for school work. The blue desk has farmhouse style that matches the decor of the guestroom that I found in a local furniture store.
Find a pretty office chair, that is comfortable – There are lots of options for office chairs and you can go crazy with ergonomics and features. I choose to use modest office chairs that are comfortable yet adjustable to make sure I am positioned correctly. Make sure it is aesthetically pleasing to you so you will actually sit in it.
Make sure there is plenty of room on the desk for your computer and monitor – You want ample room for the computer, a monitor if you use one, your mouse, and a notebook and pen.
Add simple but attractive accessories – wicker baskets, plants, beautifully designed wastebaskets, flowers are great ideas. But not too many. I have a little tabletop chalkboard that I use for guests to post the wifi code. Choose items that make you happy.
Put your desk near a window to you can have natural light in your office – I love to have my desk near sunlight. I adjust the blinds in the afternoon to keep it shaded and open it up in the morning or for virtual meetings.
Turn the desk away from the bed so you are not looking at the bed. – You can add a partition behind you or just simply place the desk in a corner away from the bed.
Make sure the office in “virtual meeting” ready
Make it teleconference ready – Make sure you prepare your office for virtual meetings. Have adequate lighting, clear clutter, double check the background in your computer camera. Make sure you can’t see the bed or messy clothes in the camera. Another perk of a bedroom is having a closet nearby. Keep last minute teleconference clothes handy.
Consider adding a green screen – If you take a lot of online meetings and use a virtual background, a green screen is a nice accessory to have. In a small office, it also serves as a partition. You may consider using a portable green screen that you can easily collapse if you are not using it or if you have guests.
Add lamps if your work at night or if it is dark – Since you may take Zoom or Teams meetings, add lamps if you need additional lighting or if you work at night.
Pay attention to neatness
Pay extra attention to clutter – Use drawers or baskets to clear clutter from your desk or surrounding office area. In a small space, it is especially important to keep it neat. If you have file cabinets, make sure they are pretty. Old metallic file cabinets can be an eye sore. If you have to use them, consider placing a beautiful table cloth over it to cover them.
Make sure the bed is made and the room is neat – the objects in the bedroom will impact your brain and work. Make sure the surrounding area is neat and aesthetically appealing. The office will impact your sleep if you sleep in here. Similarly the bedroom will impact your office. So if it is cluttered it will make it harder for your brain to work here and you will not feel like being in your office.
Be able to clear it quickly for guests or company – If your bedroom doubles as a guest room and you have frequent guests, make sure you are able to clear any clutter quickly. If you can’t do so, then it might be too messy. I also like to store my laptop away so they can use the desk if necessary.
Store other items such as papers, books, folders, and bulky items elsewhere – Since you are dealing with a small space and want to keep it neat and minimal, store other office items elsewhere such as in closets, or a garage. For items such as a printer, you’ll need to determine if it makes sense to put in in the office or store it in another bedroom. My husband’s office is a bit bigger, so we keep a central printer there.
Working from home is a great joy. Having a functional yet beautiful home office is key to a productive workday. Transforming a small bedroom to double as an office area is very feasible and even fun to do. Making it comfortable and pleasing to you is the goal and the key to happiness at home and work.
