Due to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have found themselves urgently needing to create a small home office. Setting up a beautiful and comfortable home office that encourages productivity can be a challenge, especially in a small space. For those who have limited space, it quickly becomes clear that their best bet for creating a convenient workspace is with a small computer desk.
It should come as no surprise that a proper home office will require a computer desk, but not everyone has the space for a large workstation. Luckily, small desks are designed to take up as little space as possible while also providing the user with a large enough surface area to work on and remain productive.
Small computer desks will generally measure less than 60 inches long by 30 inches wide. Their small size makes it easy to fit them in tight spaces that might currently go unused in your home. Small computer desks are versatile and lightweight making it possible for you to set up a creative work area in your home. Keep reading to discover a few ways to make the most of your space and your small computer desk.
Use Your Corners
Corners are spaces that often go unused in our homes, but these small areas are filled with potential! Oftentimes, we tend to avoid filling our corners to avoid creating cramped spaces; however, sometimes you have to work with the space you have available. Rest assured, there are ways to use your corners without compromising the look of your room.
Consider the layout of your home and the size of your rooms. Odds are, your largest spaces are your bedroom and your living room. Now look at the corners in each room and see if they are all occupied or not. Chances are some of them will be free, and one might just offer enough space for a small computer desk! We tend to avoid placing furniture beneath our windows as well, but if you have one near a corner, this could make a perfect work area with a view!
If you think you’re still low on space and want to avoid a cramped and cluttered corner, try moving some of your other furniture around to create a nice balance. Ideally, you want your furniture pieces to be a few feet apart — this will help your room look longer, whereas pieces stuck together tend to make the space feel smaller.
Remember, you will also need a chair at your desk, and you’ll want enough space to easily back your chair up and sit down.
Maximize Your Closet
If you have a small home or studio, then perhaps you have already put some of your corners to good use. If that’s the case, then you might want to consider your closet space. Some apartments come with large closets with double doors. If you have very few clothes and can manage to keep them in one half of the closet, you might be able to designate the other half for a mini workstation.
Try placing your desk directly inside your closet to see if it fits. Do your closet doors open wide enough to easily move a chair around as well? If so, then you have a potential small home office spot in your closet!
While this space might not provide the most stimulation — what with facing a wall all day — there are ways to ensure you feel comfortable and motivated while working in your makeshift closet office.
To begin with, you’ll want to make sure you have adequate lighting; you want to avoid squinting at your computer all day and straining your eyes. Try hanging a light from the ceiling or the clothing rod if you have one that is built-in. You can also try a simple lamp on your small computer desk, but to save as much work surface as possible, you can always look for lighting solutions that can be placed directly onto your wall.
Next, to stimulate your creativity and productivity, give yourself something to look at! You might not have access to a window, but you can decorate your walls. Give yourself the illusion that you are looking outdoors by placing a large landscape poster right above your small computer desk. You can also try hanging frames and photographs of your loved ones to boost your morale.
Repurpose Awkward Nooks and Crannies
Sometimes, houses and apartments come with awkward little spaces that can appear odd and useless at first, but with a little creative thinking, can become interesting workspaces.
For example, perhaps your home has a chimney that cuts off part of the room and creates a space beside that is far too small for your main furniture. This nook might be able to accommodate a small computer desk. If it does not fit at first, try placing the desk on its shortest side, widthwise. If your chimney is not very deep, then you might have plenty of space to move your chair around as well.
Another spot that often gets unused is the awkward space beneath a staircase. The slant created from the stairs means that people cannot stand in this area, but if you work while sitting at a small computer desk, you should be just fine. In fact, having a small desk in this space can help fill the room and create cohesion in your home. Moreover, having your desk and chair in this area means that they are not occupying space in your living room or bedroom.
Keep in mind, however, that, much like a closet, nooks and crannies will require adequate lighting and personal touches to make the space feel comfortable and efficient.
Create a Multipurpose Room
If you really want to use your space to its fullest, then you might consider setting up a multipurpose room. For example, you might want a dual bedroom/home office that is used for sleeping and working.
A great way to create a multipurpose room is with furniture that can be conveniently placed out of sight when not in use. One such piece would be a Murphy bed. These clever units allow you to fold your bed away into a cabinet when you are not using it. Doing so frees up your floor space and provides you with more room for other activities.
You might not have enough space in your bedroom for a bed, a desk, an office chair, and maybe a dresser and a nightstand. After all, you need room to move your chair back and forth when working. However, you could have a small computer desk permanently set up in your bedroom with a Murphy bed and a rolling chair. You would simply have to roll the chair to your desk once the bed is up and roll it back out of the way when you pull your bed down for the night. You could even move your small desk if it is very light and you keep only the essentials on the desktop.
As you can see, setting a home office in a small space is possible; it just requires some creative thinking and a small computer desk! Now that you’ve read about the different ways you can set up a small computer desk in your home, we hope you feel prepared to create your home office and get to work!
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