Small Office Space Ideas That Make the Working Day Easier

Jun 12, 2024 · Mike Thakur

The desk fitted perfectly in the photograph. Now it's in your office, the drawer won't open without moving the chair and there's nowhere for the bag except exactly where you put your feet.

We've all met furniture that was more impressive online.

Making a small office work starts with the space you need to use, not the amount of furniture you can fit inside it. Give yourself room to sit, move and do the work. Then decide what else has earned a place.

Lay out the day before you lay out the room

Where do you sit for focused work? Do you use two screens? Does a colleague need to move past you? Will clients come into this room or meet you somewhere else?

Measure the room and the furniture, including the space a chair needs when someone is actually sitting in it. Allow for doors, drawers and access to sockets.

A desk that fits against a wall can still be too big for the room. You have to fit as well.

Keep the everyday tools close

Put the things you use every day within easy reach. Give cables a route, paper a place to go and equipment a proper home.

Closed storage can help when work needs to be put away, while a small amount of open storage keeps useful items visible. Before adding wall-mounted shelves, check the building rules and what fixings are permitted.

If a pile keeps returning to the same corner, it may need a process rather than another attractive box.

Check your light and your screen

Sit where you'll actually work and look for glare on the screen. Try the lighting at different times of day if you can, and think about what the camera sees during calls.

Position the monitor, chair and keyboard so you're comfortable using them. An office that photographs well but leaves you twisting sideways all afternoon needs adjusting.

For lighting or furniture changes in a rented office, agree what's allowed before ordering anything.

Don't make one room do every job

If you have access to meeting rooms, lounges or shared facilities, think about which activities belong there. Confirm the booking arrangements and costs rather than assuming they're unlimited.

A private office doesn't necessarily need its own conference table, coffee station and storage for things you use twice a year. Shared amenities can leave the room free for the work that happens every day.

At WorkLodge, included meeting-room credits vary by office size. Ask what your particular membership provides.

Know when rearranging isn't enough

Sometimes the room is simply wrong for the number of people or the kind of work. Another shelf won't solve a team that has outgrown the space.

If you're choosing a room from scratch, use our private-office design guide to think through the layout, calls and visitor experience before you move in.

Come look at the office options with your actual setup in mind. Bring the measurements. We'll leave the mystery-sized desk out of it.