20 brilliant ways to include an office in any home

Though this may be a holiday home, its owners (the couple who founded the Spanish architecture studio Casa Josephine) desired somewhere to catch up on business in a relaxed atmosphere. To do so, they employed a neutral colour and materials scheme in the open-plan living space, complete with their own pine-based ‘Weekend’ lamp. The natural palette is offset by black and white checked tiles in the window alcove and on the desk – a motif that crops up elsewhere in the home. casajosephine.com

Situating a desk in a bay window can mean great views, but when light is an issue you need curtains that are just as attractive. Nobilis’ ‘Oia’ fabric in this project by architecture studio Plutarco harmonises with terracotta-hued walls and the ‘Indochine’ armchair by Charlotte Perriand, creating an inviting space for work, but also a room that functions as a library and cinema. plutarco.design

Interior designer Constance Laurand turned what could have been an awkward alcove of unused space in this apartment in Lyon into a small desk area, with a 1954 ‘Tonneau’ chair by Pierre Guariche and a dedicated library for comics. Decorative flourishes to zone the study include a glossy khaki-coloured lacquer paint called ‘L’Orénoque’ by Ressource and a complementary green-and-white striped wallpaper named ‘Octave’ by Maison Janette. constancelaurand.com

Fashion designer Roksanda Ilinčić is known for her colourful clothes, so it’s no surprise that this project she designed in London’s King’s Cross is brimming with saturated colours and graphic shapes. Everything hinges on Charlotte Perriand’s classic desk, the ‘Table En Forme Libre’, which is topped with a vintage red Italian lamp and framed by a pair of Mario Botta’s ‘Latonda’ chairs. roksanda.com

This luxurious high-rise apartment in South Beach, Florida, by US firm Charlap Hyman & Herrero is full of opulent details that make the everyday feel seriously glamorous. In this study – known to the client as the ‘screening room’ – a fluffy cobalt-blue Beni Ourain rug and 1970s Afra and Tobia Scarpa ‘Monk’ chair contrast with the bespoke stainless-steel cabinetry and desk. ch-herrero.com

Concealed behind linen-satin Dedar curtains lies this characterful study. Designed by the architect Luciano Giorgi for Milan-based contemporary-art gallery owner Martina Simeti, it features a vintage desk and a ‘Superleggera’ chair by Gio Ponti for Cassina. Meanwhile, boldly patterned wallpaper by Francesco Simeti adds an explosion of floral pattern, effectively transporting those working in the room into a verdant, faraway land. studio-lgb.it

Heath House, a Grade II-listed villa in north London that has been renovated by Proctor & Shaw, contains a neat, compact workstation on the landing above the stairs. It’s a smart use of space, seamlessly integrated into the interior thanks to the continuation of a limited materials palette: Douglas Fir beams and speckled white/grey resin-based terrazzo flooring. proctorandshaw.com

As both the workspace and home of the founders of quirky, fun-loving Valencian design studio Masquespacio, it’s no surprise that the interior here is a lesson in maximalism. Featuring theatrical layered curtains, pastel tones and the studio’s trademark generously proportioned furniture (the desk appears raised on decorative bricks), the workspace is as enlivening as it is inspiring. Like a creative jump-start. masquespacio.com

Not all of us need our study for work all of the time. Depending on the day, you might want to use the desk set-up as a dressing table, or even a place to practise a creative hobby. This was the case for the mother and daughter who lived in Oceanview, a house in Vancouver. As such, local design studio PlaidFox played with the traditional home office, adding a stylish Juliana Vasconcellos dining chair, a custom burl-wood desk and a funky vase by Gaetano Pesce to create a flexible layout. plaidfox.com

A floating shelf built into a quiet nook in your house makes a chic desk, with the added bonus of no legs to clutter the area. If you subscribe to the ‘tidy room, tidy mind’ school of thought, then try a simple, monochrome scheme. Note also the hard materials: not a soft furnishing in sight. Making your décor slick and non-cosy will inform your posture and mindframe that this is a site of industry, not a space for relaxing in.

Make use of ‘dead space’ under your staircase by slotting in an office, like New York design practice General Assembly has in this Brooklyn apartment. Genius ideas include the slatted wall that lets light filter into the study from upstairs and the way the desk wraps around it to create extra workspace.

This unobtrusive study is the ideal space for part-time homeworkers to catch up on paperwork. It’s wonderfully simple to create, too – simply build bookshelves and make sure you have enough plug sockets nearby. Swedish eco furniture brand Norrgavel uses a change in wall colour to mark out a work zone in this open-plan home.

Cork, as well as being a sustainable material, is also a stylish one. Take the pinboard idea further and clad a whole wall in it. Not only does it act as a moodboard, but it also absorbs sound, keeping your study peaceful. This wall is by Swedish cork expert Eslövs Korkfabrik, but try Cork 24 in the UK.

Short on spare rooms to covert into an office? Condense your clothing into a capsule wardrobe to free up space so that you can transform a built-in cupboard into a small but perfectly formed workspace. Paint the interior white to keep it light, or commission an electrician to put in a spotlight to save using precious desk space for a lamp.

Lack of natural light is a classic complaint of office workers, so take advantage of being at home and put your desk in prime position beside a window. Add an element of luxury, such as these velvet curtains by Kvadrat, and foliage (a money plant seems appropriate) to transform a study area into a place you look forward to spending time in.

Want the relaxing effect of greenery, but without the pressure of keeping plants alive? Opt for a green and white colour scheme. Add a ‘Fiber’ side chair with sled base – popular for its sturdiness and supportive back – by Muuto, which also created the organically-shaped ‘Leaf’ lamp.

Reclaimed materials can make a characterful and affordable workspace. In this study belonging to the Sussex-based duo behind curated shop The Future Kept the desk is made from a local skatepark’s surplus plywood, while the string reel was fashioned from parts of a clothing rail in an old walk-in wardrobe.

Retro furniture can be exactly what’s required to give a modern home office some personality. With its large-scale map drawers for storage and a stylish wooden tailor’s table that provides more space than the average desk, Swedish illustrator Mats Gustafson’s office in Stockholm has the quiet, contemplative air of a museum or gallery.