Whether you regularly work from home or just need a small area to do out-of-hours admin, finding a comfortable spot to work can be tricky.
If you're looking to plan the ultimate small home office idea, then you might want to consider building in a hidden desk area, like this clever homeowner, who was determined to add not only a workspace, but extra living room storage ideas too.
Hidden desk makeover
When Anna Bray and her family moved into their new house in South-east London, they had a very empty interior and were keen to add some bespoke storage.
'The house had lovely old bones when we bought it, but no one had lived in it for a couple years,' Anna recalls. 'Our living room was in desperate need of some TLC. We thought we’d add a clever unit that could double as a social place to be with the kids when they’re playing on the weekends, and an office during the week.'
Before
The bare room was ready for a makeover and to be turned into a useful, practical spot the family could use each day. 'The hidden desk was the main thing on our wish list,' says Anna. 'My husband and I work from home but I wasn’t keen on the idea of using two bedrooms for studies – or sharing one, as we're often on calls.'
After
When the doors are closed, you'd never know what was behind them. Having called in the services of Bespoke Carpentry London to build the storage piece, Anna couldn't be happier with the result.
'This discreet little desk met all my needs,' she says. 'The full unit includes a seating space with a hidden toy drawer and filing drawer, a desk with shelving and a pull-out drawer for storage, and a coat and shoe cupboard. I wallpapered the inside of the cupboard myself after it was all painted.'
On the other side of the hidden desk is a cupboard for coats and shoes. 'I hate having shoes and coats everywhere, particularly in winter, so everything gets popped in here out of the way,' says Anna.
Shelves for the family to store books make this multifunctional area decorative as well as useful, while the built-in bench seat underneath creates a spot to sit. 'I really like sitting on the built-in couch space when I want to change up my environment and be a bit more relaxed,' says Anna.
'I love that I can close the door on my work day and symbolically be done with it. With blurred home and work boundaries, that little daily act each day feels very important. I also love that the desk is this quirky hidden little blue space in an otherwise calm, white room.'
We couldn't agree more.
