Room Sources: Desk | Office Chair | Baskets | Wall Sconces | Wall Art
When designing a home office, the first question you should ask is, where should I place the desk? Considering the desk is the most important piece of furniture in the office, desk placement should be the most important part of the design process!
Until this year, we had always used a spare bedroom or dining area for our home office. But when we finally moved into our new home, we had a designated room for our office and desk. Here are some things we took into consideration when deciding where to place our desks in our new home office.
Things to Consider When Deciding the Best Desk Placement
While planning out your desk placement, there are several things to consider. Some may want a nice view, while others would rather not have any distractions. Desk size, room size, and room design also have lots of impact on where to position the desk.
Desk View
Having a nice view may help you feel less constricted while working from home. It is normally the rule of thumb to have the desk facing the entryway door, but some would rather have a nice view and face the exterior window which may be on the opposite side. This definitely makes it easier to give your brain a mental break by enjoying the nice scenery outside of the window. Sunlight can help you have a positive mood and help create a better overall work environment.
Although a great view is tempting, like I mentioned, most designers would say to place the desk in the center of the room facing the room entrance. This could be great for those who are easily distracted by the outside. It also allows you to see anyone coming and going from the office area.
Desk Size
Evaluating your desk size to the size of the room will also help figure out the best placement. If your desk is larger it may be a good fit for the center of the room. If the desk is smaller and you have a need for multiple desks, you may want to consider doing two small ones on each side of the room.
This will balance out the room and give more options if you need the extra desk space. This is good for people like us who have more than one working from home or even a home school situation with multiple children.
Room Design
Room design and layout will sometimes help determine the overall desk placement in an office or room. Windows, built-ins, and even lighting are all things to consider.
We have built-ins in our office which ended up being a perfect nook area for a smaller desk. Considering we have two desks, one for Henry and one for me, we placed the smaller one in the built-in bookcase area and the larger desk on the opposite wall. This allowed the light fixture to be in the middle along with the window.
If you choose to do one larger desk in the room, placing directly underneath the light fixture is always a great idea. This will allow things to look centered and also give you more light for your work area.
Another thing to consider when choosing a desk placement for an office is the location of electrical outlets. If you have a computer and equipment that needs to be plugged in, it is important to be near an outlet. Some homes have outlets in the center of the room on the floor which is very convenient for placing a desk in the center.
Ultimately, your desk placement needs to fit the needs of you as an individual. This is normally the first big piece of furniture in the office area. After you have figured out the perfect desk arrangement, you can then get started decorating the rest of your room to complete the perfect space to be productive!