For homeowners who work from home
How to achieve an inspiring home office design
Sviatoslav JerdetchiiCEO & Founder of Craftex. Updated , 4 min read
The short answer
Good home office design starts with the room, not the furniture: a quiet place with daylight beside you, a desk and chair that fit your body, and storage that clears the work away at night.
- Choose the room for quiet and daylight before anything else.
- Set the desk, chair and screen so you can sit comfortably for hours.
- Plan power, data, lighting and storage into the walls, not on top of them.
- For a garden office or loft, check planning and building regulations first.
Working from home gives you the freedom to make a space that works for you. Yet many people still work from the kitchen table, a spare bedroom or a corner of the landing. The laptop moves twice a day and the back aches by Thursday.
Good home office design fixes that with a few decisions made in the right order. This guide covers where to put the office, how to set it up and what to build in. It also covers the rules for garden offices and lofts. Planning a proper room? Book a site visit and we will look at the space with you.
Start home office design with the right room
The room matters more than anything you put in it. Look for three things:
- Quiet. Away from the kitchen, the front door and the television.
- Daylight. A window that can sit to the side of the desk.
- A door. So work can stay behind it at the end of the day.
If no room has all three, you have options. A box room, an alcove, a loft or a garden room can each work, with different rules and costs.
Light the desk, not just the room
Daylight is the best light to work in. Place the desk side-on to the window, so light falls across it. Facing a bright window tires the eyes. Sitting with your back to it puts glare on the screen.
Then add layers of artificial light:
- Soft general light for the room
- A task light on the desk
- Warmer light for the evening, when the room becomes part of the home again
Plan the switching and sockets before the walls are finished. Moving them afterwards means opening up plaster.
Set up the desk, chair and screen
Comfort is not a luxury when you sit for eight hours a day. The HSE asks that home workers can reach a comfortable, sustainable posture. They may not need office furniture to do it.
- Chair: adjustable height and back support, with feet flat on the floor.
- Screen: straight in front of you, at a height that keeps your neck relaxed.
- Keyboard and mouse: close, so elbows stay by your sides.
- Breaks: stand up and change activity through the day.
If you work at home long term, check with your employer. Where the display screen equipment rules apply, they should assess your workstation. They do not have to visit to do it, and you cannot be charged for equipment the assessment calls for.
Build in power, data and storage
A home office looks calm when nothing is on show. That means planning the services and storage into the room.
- Sockets at desk height, with USB points where you need them
- A wired data point, or a strong signal, to the desk
- Cupboards that close over printers, files and cables
- Shelves for books and samples, built to the wall
This is where bespoke joinery earns its place. A fitted desk, shelving and cupboards can turn an alcove or a box room into a full office.
Craftex started in 2016 as a carpentry and joinery company, and joinery is still made under our own control. At Kensington Olympia, we fitted bespoke wardrobes and floor-to-ceiling glass shoe shelving. A study wall is the same craft at desk height.
My experience with Craftex was excellent from beginning to end. They took the time to really listen to what I wanted and then offered practical suggestions that made the design even better. I always felt like they cared about creating a space that worked for me, not just one that looked nice on paper. The end result is an office that feels stylish, welcoming, and very functional for day-to-day work. The process itself was straightforward, well-managed, and never stressful. I’d definitely recommend Craftex if you’re looking for office design and build services in London — they made the whole journey a positive one.
Colour, finishes and personal touches
Choose colours you can work with for hours. Calm, muted tones are easy to live with all day. Save stronger colour for one wall or the joinery.
Natural materials help the room feel like home rather than work. Timber, wool and plants soften the hard edges of screens and cables. Add what you like to look at: art, books, a view. Our high-end interior design team plans these finishes with the joinery, so the room reads as one.
Garden offices and loft studies: check the rules
Building a separate space brings planning and building regulations into play.
| Option | Planning | Building regulations |
|---|---|---|
| Garden office (outbuilding) | Often permitted development: single storey, max 2.5 m high within 2 m of a boundary, 3 m or 4 m elsewhere | Usually exempt under 30 m² with no sleeping space, if non-combustible or 1 m from the boundary |
| Garden office at a listed house | Planning permission needed | As above |
| Loft conversion for a study | Often permitted development, with limits | Approval needed in all cases |
A garden office cannot become a self-contained home under permitted development. It also cannot cover more than half the garden, or sit in front of the house. In conservation areas, outbuildings at the side of the house need permission.
Electrics matter too. Wiring in a garden office fed from the house needs approval, unless a registered electrician self-certifies it.
Space planning lessons from the office
The best home offices borrow from good commercial design. Plan the routes, the storage and the light before choosing furniture. Our office design and space planning work follows the same order. So do the fixes in our guide to common problems during office design and fit-out: most come from planning too late.
Working from home has also changed how London uses its buildings. Some former offices are now becoming homes, as our article on the future of commercial-to-residential conversions explains.
Six checks for your home office
A study designed and built with the house
A home office works best when it is designed with the rest of the house, not added on. Our designers and joiners plan the room, the services and the fitted furniture together. We usually build it as part of a wider renovation. Our construction work starts from £100,000.
Want a study, a loft office or a garden room built properly? Book a site visit and we will look at the options in your home.
Before you set up or build
- A quiet room with a door and daylight to the side
- Desk, chair and screen set for a comfortable posture
- Sockets, data and task lighting planned before decorating
- Closed storage for printers, files and cables
- Planning and building regulations checked for a garden office or loft
- Electrics certified for any outbuilding
