Which Room Should Be The Home Office?

The world has seen a sudden surge in the number of remote workers recently. But as much as it sounds fun and comfortable, there’s one big issue: where do you find the space? Of course, you can work from your bed or couch, but that’s not feasible for a full-time office job. Sooner or later you will long for an office set up. But which room should be the home office?

According to many experts, your living room has the most potential among all other rooms in your house for being an office. But if you don’t like anyone interfering with you while working, opt for a closet or basement office instead.

It seems like once you have settled your mind, the rest becomes easy. So, today we will help you see every potential corner of your house with new lenses. Are you ready?

Which Room Should Be The Home Office?

We wish it was that simple to announce one particular room as the best option. You have to understand that houses are not designed keeping the “work” aspect in mind (most of the time). So, any room you pick will have certain benefits and slacks. At the same time, every house is built differently. Just because some bedrooms have windows doesn’t mean yours will too.

The best option would be to renovate a spare guest room into a home office. There’s no downside to that. But it’s hard to get an empty room in most of the houses. What should you do in that scenario? Well, looks like you have no option but to share another room’s space. So, here we go with our analysis of which room you should pick for a home office.

1. Living Room

Your living room has enormous potential. Do you have a small family that rarely uses the living space? They might stay most of the time in their rooms or the dining area. In that case, you can work without any disturbance from the living room.

Another reason why living rooms work so perfectly is the lighting quality. Almost every house has a living room which is brighter than the other rooms. You can use that to your advantage. 

We would suggest picking the window side for placing a desk. If the sun bothers you a lot, try to place the desk perpendicularly. Make sure the desk has lots of storage options. Because you won’t like adding cabinets and other non-aesthetic items inside the living room. That just kills the vibe.

Moreover, it’s nice to use the room’s break as well. If your living room also has walls like that, you can hide your desk behind it.

Things You Need To Be Aware Of

Even though living rooms are a wonderful option, there are certain things to consider. When there are guests, you will have trouble working peacefully. But that’s temporary. 

Also, you have to be very careful with desk selection and organization. Since people judge your taste through the living room, you can’t afford to mess up the room’s theme. If the whole living room is decorated with greenery here and there, make sure to add small flower pots or cacti on the desk as well. It’s called following a Biophilic design.

 You need desk accessories like candles, picture frames, and other stuff that might not be functional. If you fail to do so, a disorganized desk is the first thing any visitor will notice after entering your home. 

Should You Choose It?

Yes, you should choose it if the living room is rarely used in your home. And more importantly, if you have a spacious living room in the first place. It’s a little costlier to set up an office within a living room due to the accessories and sleek desks you need. But if you can pull it off, you are going to love it.

2. Bed Room

Since you have chosen to bring work inside the home, why not push it inside the bedroom as well? That way, the rest of the house can maintain its previous appearance. You just bring a desk and essential office supplies inside the bedroom.

The biggest plus point is that you don’t have to continuously worry about ruining the aesthetics of a living room. The freedom to customize is your biggest flex here.

Since it’s room for sleeping, there’s a chance it will lack sufficient lighting. If you don’t want to fix the ceiling light, just make sure to install an extra source of overhead light or lamp for your desk. 

While working from your bedroom, we highly suggest you don’t get up and sit on the bed in the middle of your shift. It’s very easy to get distracted when the bed is so comfy.

Things You Need To Be Aware Of

The only and most important issue with a bedroom office is a confused mind. You will have a hard time resisting the bed whenever the job gets a bit stressful. Soon, you will be snoring in your bed instead of fighting the deadline. Imagine a person who hardly wakes up on time to go to the office.

How is he going to stay focused and motivated when the office is inside the bedroom? You got the point, right?

Also, the bedrooms look unwelcoming or less comfortable when all you see are files, books, and cables. You won’t feel it the first day. But it will snatch away the refreshment you felt after entering the bedroom.

Should You Choose It Or Not?

The bedroom is a hit or miss for most people. There’s no middle ground. If you are naturally a motivated and disciplined person, you will do great with an office desk beside your bed. However, for average people fighting with procrastination to get the simplest task done, bedrooms are not the right choice.

3. Walk-In Closet

Closets are not basically a room. And, converting a closet into an office requires a lot of tools and craftsmanship. But that’s not the same case with a walk-in closet. A walk-in closet is almost like a small and crampy room. It has a door and lots of storage shelves on the wall. You won’t have any problem storing your office supplies here.

As for the renovation, you have to invest in a high-quality ceiling light. The desk doesn’t need to be so spacious. Go for a sleek one with lots of legroom. As for the chair make sure it’s small but ergonomic. 

If you have a budget, get a repairer and take the useless shelves out of the wall. Of course, you wouldn’t need so many shelves to store files, books, and other paper documents. It would be nicer to get at least one of the walls clean. That might increase the space a little. Use rugs under your desk, cushioned chairs, and so on to make the office feel more welcoming.

Color the closet walls and don’t hold back your artistic side. It will make the Cloffice (closet+office) more likable for sure.

Things You Need To Be Aware Of

You can already guess the problem here. The room is so crampy and there’s no window on the walls. It might feel a little suffocating as you start working. But we have seen remote workers, especially females who got used to this type of home office. 

Moreover, you can’t bring cool office furniture if you are settling with a closet. Since it’s already short of space, you don’t want to put more stuff inside. 

Should You Choose It?

If you don’t have permission to use family rooms for your office space, the closet seems like a better option. Normally female employees choose closets over their living room or bedroom. The reason is the kids continuously interrupt their parent’s work.

Surely you can accessorize your living room office however you like, but not with privacy. If that’s something valuable to you (like a mother of a toddler), you should definitely consider an office. 

4. Dining Room

Families are slowly abandoning the traditional dining room. Most family members enjoy eating at the kitchen table nowadays. And, if you only have small kids or not at all, the dining room must stay empty most of the time.

That’s why smart people are choosing the dining space to build an office. Once you analyze this option, it looks like a bridge between a bedroom office and a living room office. Unlike the posh living room area, you don’t have to be so guilty about putting a desk in the corner of the dining room.

Just make sure to match the eating table’s material and vibe. If it’s a red oak table, try to get a wooden table for your desk as well. That’s more pleasant to the eyes.

Another big advantage of a dining room office is that nobody stays here for long. Even if you are entertaining the guests, the lack of entertainment options like TV or comfy couches, makes them pick other rooms (the family or TV room). 

Things You Need To Be Aware Of

One major problem with the dining space is its location. Just like the living room, you don’t have a door to close. Especially it’s situated right in the middle of your kitchen and living area (for most houses). 

So, people are always going to pass through you to get food or go outside. That’s not a big deal. However, if you need intense focus while working, the movement might bother you. The problem of dim lighting is also present inside this space. So, you have to think of getting desk lamps to avoid stressing your eyes.

Should You Choose It?

We think it’s a feasible option if you are too particular about not ruining the living room. Plus, everyone can’t pull off a bedroom office. It’s hard to maintain a rest & work balance. 

5. Basement

We bet you didn’t expect it. The basement is the dark horse of every house. You can convert it into a little studio, workshop, or even a home office. Basements have an entry door (plus point) and then it leads to a downfacing staircase. You can see, the space is huge. You can even set up a large corporate size office down there with lots of furniture and cabinets.

Moreover, the scope for customization is huge. Don’t like even a little amount of sound? Turn the walls soundproof. Want something cool like motorized desks and chairs? Go ahead and bring them. You don’t have to consider blending with the rest of the home. 

Being able to hide this office from everyone’s plain sight is the biggest benefit of a basement office. Is keeping your desk look like nobody has touched it not your cup of tea? Then, the basement is your way out my friend.

Things You Need To Be Aware Of

The problem with a basement is its temperature, lighting, and overall surrounding. It definitely has the least aesthetic walls and might even need repairing. So, that’s a lot of fixing you have to do.

Should You Choose It?

Men tend to like the basement office more than women. Around 66% of basement office users are male. The DIY techniques required for this heavy transformation might have something to do with this. If you are okay with undertaking such a big remodeling project, you should go ahead.

Before You Go!

There’s no right or wrong when choosing the best home office for you. It depends on how you use each room and what makes you feel comfortable. If you have enough nooks and corner inside the house, go ahead and use that. But if all the rooms inside your home are packed with stuff you can’t move, the Cloffice idea looks much more appealing. You can try it even if it’s not a walk-in-closet.

Here’s our guide on how to convert your small closet into a home office. It’s a detailed tutorial to easily reuse those old shelves. Check it out if you like the idea.