A report out last week revealed that 21% of Londoners are now freelancers and another, from the Office for National Statistics last year, reported that 13.9% of people in work were based at home. Given what we know about the housing situation in London, it’s pretty safe to assume that a lot of that workforce are likely to be working cheek-by-jowl - at least some of the time - with flatmates, partners and the distractions that come with these things.

Sure, we all have our own ideals about the optimum home office, our own particular objects of desire (any nearest and dearest please take note of these Kaare Klint safari chairs) and Pinterest boards full of dream design schemes, but in reality, there’s a pretty good chance we’re working with our laptops on our knees with headphones on.

As we’ve noted on these pages before, size needn’t be an obstacle to creative use of space; if the movers and shakers of the Tiny House movement have shown us anything it’s that innovation doesn’t have a minimal square footage, so with that in mind, here are some design notes we’ve compiled to help you carve out a little niche of space at home to focus in.

Niches, nook and crannies of whatever size actually give you a great starting point for setting up a home office. In the example above a length of worktop (available at any DIY store or Ikea) is simply cut to fit the dimensions of your alcove. Using this approach to creating a desk is perfect as it utilizes every inch of space - something that can’t be guaranteed if you buy a table.

This little gem of an idea from Ligne Roset took inspiration from vintage travel suitcases and doesn’t it show? It’s a clever way to create a work surface without cutting into a room and the closure mechanism means you really can shut up shop when you clock off for the day. Having a specific zone for work is imporant: you need to be able to differentiate between work and home, even if these two things share a common postcode.

What’s great about the scheme below is that whilst it may have the kind of square footage many of us can only dream of, the size of the desk is something we can all probably accommodate: if you work mainly in front of a computer, there’s not necessarily any real need to have a traditionally-proportioned work area.

“Yes, yes”, we hear you cry “this is all very nice, but I really don’t have anywhere I can work at home: no nooks, no crannies - what are you going to suggest next? I turn over my wardrobe?”

Erm….

OK, so we acknowledge that whilst this is a brilliant use of space and pretty spacious too, doing so may very well leave you without adequate storage for things wardrobes were designed for… Still, we’re including it here anyway because houses have their idiosyncrasies and we’ve lived in enough places to know that it’s entirely possible you *do* have an extra cupboard that’s not doing much. Let’s for a moment assume you do. The set up here is - like the chalkboard alcove above - a very simple arrangement of shelves resting over batons on the side of the cupboard and some shelf fixings easily obtainable from somewhere like B&Q.

What seems to be conspicuous by its absence in a lot of Pinterest-friendly images of home offices is the clutter. Who knows, perhaps we’re the exception, but work often necessitates stuff, be it paperwork, invoices, brochures, stationary. Sure, it’s very nice to have only a few pictures and ornaments on show, but what seems like a beautiful aesthetic seems an unlikely proposition in the real world.

If you’re short of space in your flat, you’re probably going to prioritise storage over a capacious work zone (especially now the laptop makes almost anywhere work-friendly). If there are things that can be temporarily stored away, using a self-storage company like Boxman can prove very cost-efficient, and because everything’s kept track of digitally, it’s an absolute cinch to get things back when you need them.

Back in 1960 designer Dieter Rams created a shelving system that is seemingly so well engineered that it’s still being produced today. It’s key selling point is exactly this versatility and longevity: it’s designed to move with you, so - as long as your lease allows you to make holes in the walls - isn’t a bad choice for a renter, price tag notwithstanding. As with any piece of design iconography, there are myriad imitations to suit any budget, like this one from good ol’ Ikea.

If your lease prohibits you from being within a hundred yards of nails, power tools or rawlplugs, using small filing cabinets such as the ones below as legs for your desk (which can again be made from a length of wooden worktop) is a flexible option that’s not likely to get anyone’s knickers in a twist. Plus you’ll have somewhere to stash all your paperwork.

 

If you’re short of space and need some extra storage, Boxman can help. Our team of friendly drivers will deliver an empty box to your house for you to pack up at your leisure and then will return to whisk it away to storage when you’re ready. It’s also a doddle to get your things back - just drop us a line and they’ll be back with your precious belongings before you can say “Those Kaare Klint safari chairs are just divine”…