Living in the city means creatively using every square inch of our tiny space. When we moved into our condo, one of the big projects we wanted to tackle after getting settled was to thoughtfully add an office space to our family room. With only two bedrooms and a growing family, the second bedroom (previously Grant’s office) quickly became baby’s room!
We live on the second floor of a classic three-flat building in Chicago, with an alcove space over the stairwell. The previous owners used this area as a dining room, but from the moment we saw our home, we knew it would be the perfect spot for a home office. It’s about 10′ wide and 5′ deep, so maximizing storage is key.
We’re working with a local cabinet company to design the space – our goal is to have a modern, minimalist, streamlined, and very organized home office, especially because it’s an extension of the family room and visible from the kitchen. We’ll both work from this office, so having enough actual working space is key.
Small Space Home Office Inspiration
We’re thinking a black and white color palette with storage cabinets, drawers, and a window bench!
The Office Design
Our designers took our inspiration and turned it into this design (with a lot of my mom’s help – she was instrumental in figuring out how to best utilize this space and actually created a sketch that looked just like this rendering).
We’ll have plenty of shelf storage, some lower drawers, a 5′ desk with two drawers (one on each side), upper cabinets with under counter lighting, and a window bench with storage (and an outlet for the printer). The desk and window seat wood slabs will be stained black and the cabinets will stay a matte white without any hardware.
In a pinch, we’re thinking the desk could turn into a wet bar/appetizer area for a party and essentially be an extension of the kitchen.
Once everything is installed, we might add some wallpaper or tile, and think about a glass wall to separate the space from the rest of the house.
We can’t wait to see this come to life!!
