5 Tips for Creating a Productive Home Office

For those who have the luxury of working from home—or even those who only occasionally work from home—designing your dream home office can be an investment in your yearly output.

Gone are the days of the stuffy basement office. Today, the best home offices are bright and highly designed, blending seamlessly with the rest of your home décor. Here are five tips for creating a productive home office, which we’ve learned through our years in real estate:

Make small office spaces feel larger by keeping furniture and décor minimal

Nothing slows productivity like clutter and tight, claustrophobic spaces. But not all homes come with a big area for a home office. That’s why, if you do have a home office on the smaller side, it’s important to choose furniture sparingly and keep décor to a minimum.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t infuse your small space with personality. This small home office at 460 Las Palmas Avenue in Hancock Park manages to have décor that does not overwhelm the space—while still including pops of bright pink color and unique design elements like those gold gilt mirrors.

Use built-in shelving for a finished, luxury look

Instead of just putting a desk in a bedroom, really invest in making your home office functional and permanent. One of the best ways to do this is to install custom built-in shelving (or find a home that already has them) in your home office.

For example, the home office at 26536 Oak Meadow Drive in Valencia feels as rich and solid as an out-of-home corner office would. Plus, the beautiful woodwork in the custom shelving lends the office a definitive, luxury look—perfect for wooing high-dollar clients.

Transform a nook into an office with a robust desk

If the home you love doesn’t come with an added space for a home office, you can transform a nook, hallway, landing, or loft into a cozy office. The simplest way to do this without taking up valuable space is to opt for a large, sturdy desk with a hutch or built-in shelving. This way, you’ve got all the storage you need, but your set-up won’t take up too much space.

The previous owners of 2001 Stradella Road in Bel Air did just this, using a beautiful dark wood desk to create a private space in an open area.

Add personality to your office with pieces that make you smile

The most exciting part about designing your home office is that you have free reign to make it just as you want. So, opt for pieces that are the opposite of what you’d find in a typical office building.

Depending on your style, that could mean anything from filling your office with greenery and raw wood to, as this office at 2212 Laurel Canyon Blvd does, choosing bright modernist pieces inspired by the glamour of old-world Hollywood.

Put your home office in a room with lots of natural light

Studies have shown that being exposed to plenty of natural light throughout the day improves your quality of life and quality of sleep. In turn, you’re not only happier and healthier but also more productive.

So, selecting a room in your home that fills with natural light throughout the day might be the key to being productive as you work from home. For example, the home office at 1273 Hauser Blvd in Beverly Center/Miracle Mile feels light, airy, and open thanks to its large French doors and additional large window.

Ultimately, when creating your home office, it’s important to think both practically and aesthetically.

Consider your work style and whether you need plenty of storage or whether you’d work better in a clean, streamlined office. But also consider the design of the space, opting for choices that will make you feel alert and at home. For you, that might mean adding splashes of vivid color, a large art piece, or keeping everything neutral and soft.