How to Incorporate an Office Space into your Apartment

If you work from home, you know how important it is to have a dedicated office space. Having an area that’s clear from clutter, organized, and calming can help lower stress and boost productivity during the workday. However, some apartment-dwellers find it challenging to find the space to create an office in their unit.

To help you find some apartment office ideas, Redfin consulted us to get our advice on how to create a stylish and productive workspace – even if you’re low on square footage.  In addition to the tips from Office Skills on how to keep your work area clutter free, the article also highlights the importance of having a dedicated workspace, including some unique ideas on how to utilize the closet space in your apartment.  Check out our tip below by reading the full article compliments of Jenna Hall of Redfin or reference the original Redfin article on Apartment Office Ideas for a Stylish and Productive Workspace

1. Create a dedicated office space

Make sure you have a dedicated space for your office to separate your work mindset from your home mindset. If you start every day with your laptop at your kitchen table, move to your couch, and finish up emails in your bedroom, you won’t have a place to get away from work. We recommend a desk or workspace, no matter how big or small, where you can fully focus on your day job, so you can leave that work behind at the end of your day. – Porvata

2. Utilize closet space

If you have a small rental home, don’t worry – big home office dreams can still happen in small spaces. “Hook” your next client as you set up shop in your coat closet. Add a drop-down desk, some lighting, and shelves, and hang those coats on hooks by the door. – OhMeOhMy Blog

Closets aren’t just for clothes anymore. Save space and build a desk, shelves, or whatever else your home office needs inside your closet. This way, it’s hidden away when you have guests, but you’d be surprised how much you can build inside a closet. Paint it a fun color and leave the doors open – you’ll get tons of compliments. – Gloucester Design

3. Keep your space clutter-free

For ultimate productivity, always keep your desk and work area clean and free of dust and clutter. Arrange your work area efficiently by keeping items you use frequently like your printer, phone, inbox, and working files within easy reach. Personalize your home office space by adding a few family photos and plants, but don’t go overboard as your goal is to keep your work area professional, orderly, and clutter-free. – Office Skills

4. Maximize your office storage with a tall bookshelf

Add decorative storage boxes to hold printer paper and supplies, a desktop file box for important papers, and an inbox for incoming papers. This frees up your desk (or dining table) for work and helps create a system for handling paper in your home. – Smallish Home

5. Choose simple decor

When designing an office space in your apartment, consider placing your desk in front of or by a window. This maximizes productivity and improves focus. While it might be tempting to fill this space with all manner of mementos and knickknacks, sometimes these items can compete with our attention and create unnecessary clutter. Instead, furnish your office space with a single inspiring quote, air-purifying plants, and an oil diffuser to reduce stress. – Caroline Solomon Home

6. Invest in ergonomic equipment

Comfort is important and ergonomics is equally as important. Spend a little extra on ergonomics; a good chair that has your back, a combination of an ergonomic keyboard and mouse (even when using your laptop), and a standing desk are all great investments. And as a productivity hack, get a second monitor — it’s worth its cost. – Indefiniteloop

7. Choose multi-functional furniture

It’s rare for people to have enough space to reserve an entire extra room to be an office. The trick? Office furniture that hides what’s inside. Get a secretary desk that closes up at day’s end or filing cabinets designed to look like end tables. – PixiesDidIt!

8. Find the perfect location

When designing a home office in an apartment, consider the location carefully. Will you enjoy sitting in this space all day? Consider how you orient the desk for both comfort and productivity. And last but not least, don’t allow your home office to be the dumping ground for clutter. Clutter negatively affects your focus, making you less productive. – Amy Slenker-Smith of Simply Enough

9. Keep decor renter-friendly

When I started designing my home office, I had to think about how to keep it renter-friendly without drilling into all of the walls – so to maximize my space, I had to think vertical and utilize renter-friendly decor. In my home office, I added several small shelves for inspiring artwork and peaceful decor, and a large pinboard for my calendar and other notes, all using command strips. – Simple Modest Mom

10. Consider transformable furniture

Have you ever thought about pulling a whole workstation out of a bookshelf? Transformable furniture is an amazing way to grant more versatility to any home environment. It changes and adapts according to our needs – such as creating a comfortable home office station that quickly disappears behind a door when it’s time to declare the workday over. Transformable solutions are much more than space-saving: they’re a functional, smart, and elegant way to make our homes more resourceful and able to support our different daily activities. – Atim

11. Turn a reach-in closet into a room with a view

With your desk facing away from the closet, remove the doors and place bookshelves and/or printer stand against the back wall for added storage and function; hang a print under the upper shelf or apply a peel and stick mural, then frame the opening with tension-rod-mounted curtain panels to complete the look. You have now established an effective workspace with a beautiful background for those video calls. Can’t spare the closet space? Place storage on either side of the closet and find an interesting backdrop that you can hang like a curtain in front of the doors, easily moved aside to access the closet space. – Home Style Harmony

12. Save space with Murphy-style wall beds

Let’s face it, home is no longer just home; recently it’s become a hub for all of life’s activities – schooling, office/work, relaxation, and family life. When living in an apartment or condo, multi-functional space isn’t only helpful, it’s necessary. Murphy-style wall beds can turn a singular use space into a beautiful, organized multi-use room. Wall beds can be customized with hidden storage options, hinged desk surfaces, and casements with shelving and drawers, essentially turning your bedroom into a home office with ease. – Midwest Commercial Millwork Inc. 

13. Personalize your space

Pick a statement item such as wallpaper, a unique light, or a fun piece of furniture, and build off of it. For me, it’s a green velvet swivel chair. Everything else is neutral, so the chair really pops and gives my office space personality. – Artful Agenda

Originally published on Redfin.com