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21 Budget Home Office Ideas That Look Expensive

budget home office ideas

Design by Emilie Fournet Interiors / Photo by Kasia Fiszer

If you find yourself in need of a dedicated home workspace but don’t want to spend a month’s salary building one out from scratch, there are plenty of ways to set up a stylish and functional home office that won’t break the budget.

Modern home offices can be located in a quiet corner of the living room, bedroom, guest room, basement or attic, depending on your space. Your home office should be tailored to your requirements and preferences, but don’t forget to prioritize the essentials: good lighting, comfortable seating, and a work surface with adequate storage to fit your gear and your needs.

Check out these ideas and DIYs that prove you don't need to spend a fortune to set up a budget home office that looks like a million bucks.

  • 01 of 21

    Use What You Have

    budget home office ideas

    Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Kaitlin Green

    You can source affordable office furniture, equipment, and decor for your home office at your favorite thrift store or online marketplace, but before you buy anything, shop your house first. An underutilized dining table of any size can be moved to a quiet corner as a makeshift desk, like this live edge bedside home work station from Emily Henderson Design. Place your desk by the window with a view of the outside world to benefit from natural light and remind you of the priceless benefits of working from home.

  • 02 of 21

    Make It Monochromatic

    budget home office

    A Beautiful Mess

    A Beautiful Mess built a simple DIY home office computer desk that is painted in the same monochromatic shade of blue as the walls for a seamless look.

  • 03 of 21

    Add Plants

    budget home office

    Neva Interior Design / Patrick Mancliere Photography

    This Parisian bedroom office from Neva Interior Design has a simple built-in corner worktop with a vintage wood swivel chair that's kept clear during off hours thanks to a nearby built-in with plenty of closed storage. A wall of simple shelving that is stacked with trailing vine plants creates a mood-boosting budget living wall.

  • 04 of 21

    DIY a Wood Top Desk

    budget home office

    The Merrythought

    This DIY wood desk from The Merrythought is made from an Ikea Alex drawer unit with a plywood top and simple wood dowel legs, finished with maple board edging to make it look more polished. An industrial style chair complements the black storage drawers.

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  • 05 of 21

    Prioritize the Essentials

    budget home office

    Lobster and Swan

    If working from home is a lifestyle and not a temporary condition, creating a budget home office that will go the distance means prioritizing spending on the essentials. Pair a budget-friendly secondhand desk and chair with quality task lighting like the Anglepoise lamp in this home office from Lobster and Swan, a design classic that will outlive your career and can be passed down to the next generation.

  • 06 of 21

    Stick to Black and White

    budget home office

    Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Photo by Amber Thrane

    To keep it simple and affordable, stick to a crisp, easy palette of black and white. Then add in a few wood-toned and natural accents to create a warm minimalist zen home office space like this one from Cathie Hong Interiors.

  • 07 of 21

    Define Space with an Area Rug

    budget home office ideas

    Anita Yokota

    A colorful patterned area rug helps define this small home office from interior Anita Yokota that is furnished with affordable pieces and packed with personal touches that prove that you don't need to spend a lot of money to create a warm and home work space that will feel like an upgrade from your office cubicle.

  • 08 of 21

    Squeeze It In

    budget home office

    Studio London Co.

    Studio London Co. added a simple Parsons table style desk and matching white desk chair with brass accents and a matching lamp that blends seamlessly into this NYC apartment living room. If you don't have the budget for new furniture, source used home office equipment online, or repurpose a console table from elsewhere in the house.

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  • 09 of 21

    DIY an Oversized Wall Calendar

    budget home office

    A Beautiful Mess

    An oversized wall calendar that doubles as decor is an easy DIY project that doesn't cost the Earth but can feel like a giant upgrade for those who like to keep their agenda visible and accessible, like this coral pink acrylic DIY wall calendar from A Beautiful Mess.

  • 10 of 21

    Convert a Walk-In Closet

    budget home office

    Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Erin Kelly

    This small walk-in closet turned home office from Leanne Ford Interiors has an effortless hideaway feel, with vintage furniture and inspiration images tacked up on the wall. A glass door insert lets natural light flow into the tiny space, covered with a piece of caning that lets light through even when the door is closed. You could sub a semi-transparent solar shade or some cafe-style curtains instead.

  • 11 of 21

    Hang a Wall Desk

    budget home office

    Design by Emilie Fournet Interiors / Photo by Kasia Fiszer

    If you're short on space and work on a laptop, consider installing a wall-mounted mini desk in the bedroom or wherever you plan to work that can be folded up so that it virtually disappears when not in use, like this one from Emilie Fournet Interiors.

  • 12 of 21

    DIY an Inspiration Board

    diy budget home office

    Most Lovely Things

    Most Lovely Things blogger Annie Diamond created a DIY plywood and cork inspiration board for her home office to display favorite quotes and motivational slogans that keep the creative juices flowing.

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  • 13 of 21

    Repurpose a Table Lamp

    budget home office

    Most Lovely Things

    While investing in a quality desk lamp can upgrade your home office space, there is nothing wrong with using a table lamp from elsewhere in the home in the meantime. In this home office from Most Lovely Things, blogger Annie Diamond added a table lamp to her desk with a warm bulb to create an inviting glow that is a world away from the harsh florescent light of your average office.

  • 14 of 21

    Move Into the Guest Room

    budget home office

    Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Max Kim-bee

    Leanne Ford Interiors pushed the guest room bed to one side to make room for a large communal desk that allows family members to co-work, and cordoned it off with a curtain so it can be hidden from view if desired. Large mood boards add an inspirational element that double as a ready-made Zoom background.

  • 15 of 21

    Go Vertical

    budget home office ideas

    Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Christy Q. Photo

    Adding a leaning wall desk and comfortable chair to an empty corner of the bedroom or living room is an easy recipe for a simple home office like this one from Cathie Hong Interiors. Wall desks are available at all price points and can be sourced second-hand online. Style yours with books, photos, plants, and storage for essentials so that it looks like part of the decor. Choose an upholstered chair in a soft fabric and your favorite color to keep your remote work space looking homey.

  • 16 of 21

    Add Salvaged Shelving

    budget home office

    Lobster and Swan

    This DIY budget home office for two from Lobster and Swan is set up along a whole wall to save space. The home workspace is anchored by an inexpensive Ikea work top with trestle legs and a couple of storage drawers with a long open shelf made from an upcycled wooden floorboard that allows each partner to personalize their side.

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  • 17 of 21

    Build a Cloffice

    budget home office

    Fantastic Frank

    If space is at a premium, commandeer an unused closet, niche, alcove, or pass-through space. Then paint the inside, add a worktop and some open shelving, grab an extra chair from the dining table, and you've got yourself a budget-friendly cloffice like this one from Fantastic Frank.

  • 18 of 21

    Build a Double Standing Desk

    budget home office

    A Beautiful Mess

    This shared home office from A Beautiful Mess has a DIY standing corner desk that's built for a couple, with bar stools for seated work. The DIY workspace was made with a simple wood shelf and metal wall brackets. The compact design keeps the rest of the room open for a keyboard, music recording equipment, and a sewing machine table.

  • 19 of 21

    Make It Multicolor

    budget home office ideas

    Design by Maestri Studio / Photo by Jennifer McNeil Baker

    This simple home office space from Maestri Studio has color and flair thanks to a few simple decor elements: colorful illustrated jungle wallpaper; a multicolored stripe upholstered chair; and a vintage-style wall sconce. You can emulate this look on a budget with inexpensive peel-and-stick wallpaper; a secondhand armchair sourced online; and a flea market sconce.

  • 20 of 21

    Install Corner Shelves

    budget home office

    Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Photo by Amber Thrane

    Wrap-around corner floating shelves give this white-walled home office from Cathie Hong Interiors a finished look. The airy white shelves are styled with a well edited selection books, plants, and objects that make it comfortable and inviting without feeling cluttered.

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  • 21 of 21

    DIY a Transformable Corner Desk

    budget home office

    A Beautiful Mess

    This DIY transformable corner desk from A Beautiful Mess is made from two pieces of birch plywood and powder coated metal hairpin legs that can be set up as a corner desk or turned into an extra long workspace depending on your mood or needs.