- 5 min read

Home office for a business entrepreneur

Home offices are used more often these days, with remote working becoming not just a trend but the norm, and supported both by employers and sought after by employees. Especially since the train service is less than reliable and costs a fortune and global pandemics have us staying at home. Today I am looking at home office spaces that are over the top and are perfect for those entrepreneurs out there who need a space that not only is inspirational but looks good for client meetings too!

The importance of big desk space

Do not underestimate the importance of a big workspace. As an entrepreneur, juggling plans, invoices and orders, you will need all the space you can get and an IKEA Micke desk on its own won't cut it. You will need to leave paperwork on your desk overnight (and likely many coffee mugs too) so that rules out the kitchen table too.

Having a low budget though does not mean running out of style. Maximise your worktop footprint with a custom built desk sounds expensive right? Well not, if you hack IKEA products like kitchen worktops for example. In this space, designed by Melissa Coleman (The Faux Martha), the warm walnut butcher block desktop, is actually a countertop. Long term, this worktop can be repurposed or sold. Its colour helps getting it looking good longer than a white desk would.

The ALEX desk base is a very popular choice for other desk combinations and has plenty of space for filing paperwork and keeping stationary hidden. Using a long worktop also allows you to use more than one chair or a chair and a stool which can be permanently stored under the desk when not in use.

This room also features one of my favourite colour combinations - white, black and tan. This combination can really take you a long way and you could use it with vintage and mid century furniture as well.

Left to right: leather dining Twist chair, Wood Furniture | Eames style tan office chair, by Kallevig | Eames style tan leather chair, Cult Furniture | John Lewis & Partners Reid Faux Leather Office Chair, Tan

Custom Built desk spaces

A custom build desk with a floating worktop as shown in this House in Leiden will help maximise all available space in the room, including awkward corners. The floating shelves above the desk can be used to hold filing folders as well as art and books. (Image Credit: Clairz Interior Design).

Leather chairs, Perch and Parrow, £225 for two

This design can work with cabinetry too. If you are planning to rent a space, a 4m by 5 m space would be sufficient to hold your desk space as well as a client meeting zone (this space is also by Clairz Interior Design). My advice however would be against building custom desk spaces in someone else's property unless you have a very long lease (and one that allows you to make such additions in the first instance.

Design by: ABC Projects

How to create a zone for your desk in the room

If you are blessed with a large enough space to allow you for a desk to be centrally located in the room (or anywhere away from a wall) then you can create a zone within the room by using an area rug. Depending on the size of the room, you can also use see through bookcases that can work as room dividers.

Design by: Enzo Architecture & Interior

Design by: La Plume Studio

Using wallpaper to separate your office space

Above and below, a colourful office space with focus on art, designed by Linda Lagrand

Make an impact with lighting

A statement light feature can impress prospective clients and help you get the next deal. But it is not necessarily efficient when it comes to using this as task light. The pendant in the photo below is designed by William Brand of Brand van Egmond.

Above, designed by: Piet-Jan van den Kommer

If adding floating shelves, ask your carpenter to add led strips for ambient lighting. The space below is designed by ABC Projects.

Accessories for your office space

If you've seen this Pinterest board of mine, you know that I just love the combination of green and pink. It's a contrast that does not feel dated and both colours work well with each other. Green is very relaxing as a colour and can help you concentrate, something that is really good when you're trying to do some work. Pink and green are often found together in nature, so yes, they rock together, plus pink looks so preppy!

Read more about the psychology of green as a colour here.

Zebra hide (natural painted cowhide), Tom Dixon brass bowl set, Ebb & Flow obsidian lamp, all from AMARA; abstract screen print; brass double sided wall light , geometric screen print in green and pink.

The Girl Boss Office

Jewellery designer Jennifer Fisher’s office is full of character! It looks like someone is actually working in there, it's a bit messy and has a vintage ceiling light. Her desk is easy to find (or make) with a wooden surface toped with glass for that sparkly look. The wall behind her desk is used as a mood board. The walls are dark - I would use from Mouse's Back or Salon Drab to recreate the look here - and are teamed with rich wooden floors. This is a Girl-Boss office, fit for this entrepreneur. It's an inspirational space where decisions are made and clients are met. Totally fitting for Jennifer's kick-ass jewellery range.

Kate Moss and Twiggy prints via Etsy

Not for the faint hearted this one! Abigail Ahern's home office is whimsical with its colour-everything-dark style. A piece of advice though because I have tried this style at home (see photos further below): be prepared to have a flashlight nearby as you will not be able to find anything around the room if everything - including your ceiling - is painted this dark. If you want to go for the 'dark all over' look, consider going a couple tones lighter: the end result will look darker as light will have nowhere to bounce on. It's like a black hole this one, but you know what? I'm digging it! Bring on the flashlights!

Here's the mancave I prepared for my husband at home. The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball railings. Initially even the ceiling was painted in the same colour. With only one medium sized window, you needed a flashlight! In the end, I had to re-paint the ceiling in a bright white.

Naturally, painting a home office so dark, gives it almost den-like qualities. You want to hide in there, and no wonder it givesn you a feeling of security. It's so nice, the husband barely wants to come out of it! To finish this look, try desk lights with colours that will pop against the dark walls. For a similar lamp try the Anglepoise 1227. But that's not all. The room is a bit dramatic, so you can have fun with extravagant art and even more lighting. The Frida Kahlo/skeleton print below is by Butch Antony. The Zeus "Underground Error" print is limited edition from Pictures on Walls.