We had the privilege of creating a home office for an entrepreneur whose side hustle is growing legs and couldn’t keep living on the dining table anymore. (Check out her inspiring enterprise here: lotus.eco)

This boss lady knows what she wants – an organised space where she can store her paperwork and samples; a desk area that maximises natural lighting, which can also double as a meeting table for her team; and ideally, a home for her beloved book collection.

It involved taking over the second bedroom where the built-in wardrobe still does double duty daily as her husband’s closet, so we were mindful of catering to his very minimalist visual sensibilities. And because the home is a rental property, it meant no wall fixtures for the storage units and the client’s preference for minimal investment in modular pieces that could potentially be moved into their next home.

We repurposed bookshelves that she already owned, turning one on its side to provide low storage under the windows, and stacking another on top to house her books. We sourced an Ikea Kallax unit with drawer inserts for discreet storage, keeping the shelves on the bottom half open for larger items. The clever thing about the Kallax unit is the mix-and-match inserts can be moved throughout the unit to suit your needs.

We coordinated the white shelving with a compact dining table for the desk space. The table’s bamboo top matches the client’s dining table and sits perfectly within her style while adding a natural element to the space, and the white leg accents tie back to the white wall furniture. Using a dining table as a work desk comfortably accommodates dual-screen work and provides plenty of space as a meeting table. The table’s central placement in the room is where the team gathers, as well as to maximise natural light from the two windows either side and the ceiling lights overhead. A table lamp was brought in from another room to lend a metallic pop and task lighting near at hand when required.

Proof that it’s possible to put together a neat and hardworking home office for under $500! Interested in one for yourself? Get in touch now!