5 ways to transform your home office

You can’t put a price on having a practical and stylish home office – it could even improve your productivity!  

Whether you’re working full time from home or if you’ve got a desk in the kitchen that is used by the whole family, your office space needs to fit into the scheme of your home, feel functional and organised. The WFH phenomenon isn’t set to change anytime soon, so here are our top tips for improving your home office.

1. Introduce some wall panelling

This may sound like an expensive option, but our new range of lightweight, easy to install wall panelling is very good value – and a fraction of the price of traditional wood panelling. If you have high ceilings, it will help to make the room feel warmer and you can decide whether to take the panelling right up to the ceiling or just below the dado rail. Either way, adding wall panelling to your office will give it the classic, grown up feel of a gentleman’s club. Bring a bit of stately home or hotel style to your home office and paint them any colour you like.     

Shop our range of sustainably made, lightweight wall panelling here.

Wall panel No.120 

2. Update the handles and knobs on your office furniture

If you know your office needs a bit of a makeover, but you don’t want to spend a fortune, why not consider updating the hardware? Contemporary and stylish handles can completely transform a piece of furniture lifting it from average to elegant for very little money and effort.

Our carefully curated collection of accessories was born out of necessity – I wasted hours trawling through websites when I was renovating my own home. That’s why I’ve done the hard work so that you don’t have to. Choose from tactile, knurled bar handles or contemporary, long wooden handles that bring warmth to any room.  

Shop our full range of knobs and handles here.

 Long wooden handles with scoop detail

3. Get organised!

Good design doesn’t just make you feel good, it can massively improve functionality too. The way we live our lives can be improved by the smallest tweaks. We sell library ladders that are often used alongside floor to ceiling storage and shelving, making use of every last bit of wall space (increases your storage by 30% in fact!). Files, notebooks, documents and reference books can all be efficiently stored away and accessed from the very top shelf by a stylish library ladder. De-clutter, organise your filing systems and completely overhaul your daily working routines.

Our range of library ladders come in both standard and bespoke sizes. They can be fitted with a full rolling ladder, hook rolling or swivel rolling option or simply a hook over ladder that can be stored away when not in use. If the idea feels a bit out of your reach, then think again, they are much more versatile than you think and make a clever and quirky addition to any office space. 

Read our guide to choosing a library ladder here.

4. Choose a calming colour scheme

It’s no surprise that the popular paint schemes are erring towards earthy, natural and nurturing colours. With home as our sanctuary away from the chaos and uncertainty of our wider communities, keeping calm and grounded is important. This extends to your office space where bold colours could be distracting. Stick with neutrals and soft greys that are soothing and are a good backdrop for paintings, clocks or busy pin boards.

Neutral colours in your home office scheme

Image c/o Farrow and Ball

5. Delineate open plan living

Rooms have now become multi-purpose with many different family functions to contend with.

It’s important for everyone to delineate the space and stay sane!

By installing a sliding barn door, you won’t lose valuable space with swinging doors getting in the way. They neatly roll along the wall and out of the way for easy access to an under the stairs office space or side room off your hallway. It makes that little nook or old store cupboard feel more like a room and your office equipment and piles of paper can be hidden from view, rather than being tidied away every evening!

Sliding barn doors are the ultimate space saving room divider with an unfussy Shaker style, perfect for urban contemporary or country living. 

Choose from our range of sliding barn doors here.

Tag us on social media using @libraryladderco and share your own office spaces with us!