If you’re going to work out of your own home you need to create a space that is both personal and productive. It needs to be streamlined and organized so that you can easily find any item in the office that you need. It needs to be comfortable in terms of design and ambience. And it needs to fit in with the rest of your house whether it’s in its own room or is just a corner of a multi-purpose space. In short, your home office needs to be an uncluttered extension of who you are. If you’re struggling to find a way to set up your home office to achieve these goals, you might want to get a clue from some of the coolest home office setups around.

1.    It All Fits. This home office setup features seven monitors of varying sizes, all of the necessary keyboards and mice and even a place to put the cell phone. It’s not cluttered but it’s not bare either. The décor includes a terrific Herman Miller Aeron ergonomic desk chair and a little bit of art on the wall. And the wall itself is a terrific addition; it looks exactly like white brick but it’s really white brick wallpaper that absorbs some of then noise from the computer fans.

2.    His and Hers. It is increasingly common for both the husband and wife in a home to need to work out of a home office. This design puts the work space in the middle of the room and divides the room up into a “his and hers” set-up. If one decides to get cluttered, it shouldn’t significantly impact the space of the other. They can work together in harmony. The black-and-white contrast coloring enhances the dual purpose of the space.

3.    The Computer Isn’t the Priority. Believe it or not, not everyone needs to make their computer monitor the primary focus of their work space. Although it’s important to make a place for it, some people require space to lay out their projects and look at their work. Photographers are a great example of people who need this kind of space. This large wrap-around home office set-up with strategically placed computer equipment offers that kind of open space.

4.    A Place to Read. If you have the luxury of an entire room in your house that can be devoted to the home office, you should implement a design that lets you use different parts of the room for different types of work. This design keeps your computer work contained to one area and gives you a lounge area where you can kick back and read research materials and other documents.

5.    Art for Daydreaming. Just like in the real office, you sometimes feel like you need to escape from the home office. In order to be able to daydream, you need something to look at. If you can’t place your desk in a way that will look out a window, another great way to create daydream space is to hang art behind your monitor. Landscapes are a great art choice for a wandering mind but whatever you like will suffice.

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Single-Display Set-Ups

1.    Natural Lighting. This great little set-up places the comfortable desk in front of a huge window. This means that you can enjoy some natural lighting throughout the day. If it’s impacting your ability to see the computer screen, you can close the gauzy curtains to get the light without the glare. A little bit of sculptural art adds some funky flavor to an otherwise basic set-up.

2.    Corner Curves. You can take a corner and make it into a great little work space by using a curved desk that comfortably nuzzles you in. The desktop is kept nice and clean with just the items that are needed placed on it. The only fun addition is a trendy lamp that casts light upwards into the room to keep your eyes from straining when it gets dark.

3.    Add a Plant. This set-up shows how adding a plant to the side of a desk can really bring life to a home office space. The desk itself is the desk of a working professional, although you can tell that the owner has a fun side because of the unique spiral lamp. Adding plant life brings additional warmth to the environment which is what distinguishes the home office from the actual office.

4.    The Big Screen. When you have a huge computer monitor, you need a long desk. Hopefully you opt for a flat screen so that you don’t also need a wide desk. Those are just too bulky for most home office spaces. The narrow-but-long desk is the perfect piece of furniture for the person with a massive screen.

5.    Corner Flaps. One of the best ways to add some room to your desk without making a mess is to get a desk that has corner flaps on it. In this set-up, the flaps are used to hold the computer speakers. They could also be used to add sculptures, books or a lamp to the desk. These additions don’t clutter up the desktop, a move which would make it harder for you to get your work done.

6.    Multi-Level Desk. Another great way to set up your desk in a home office that is rather small is to go with a stacked desk. This shows how you can set your monitor up on the top level of the desk and put the keyboard on the third level, leaving your second level free for any papers, books or other materials that you may need while you are working.

7.    Life is Just a Game. Let’s face it; some people have all the luck. If you happen to be someone who makes a living playing, reviewing or designing video games or digital music then you need a workspace that is set up to let you play. Turntables and car racing game equipment are added to this set-up to make you love your work.

8.    Designed to Fit In. If you’re going to add a home office to your home then you might want to think about matching the décor to the rest of the place. This picture shows a dining room, living room and office space. With a little bit of art and the right coloring on the furniture, the entire place is streamlined into a cohesive design.

9.    Custom Designed. If you are in a position that allows you to afford a custom-designed home office then you can create any look that you’d like for your space. This one uses a monitor on the wall to save space on the narrow desk and enhances organization with clipboards on the other wall. Personal touches include pictures and a place for magazines.

10.    Have a Drink. At the end of the work day, many people head to happy hour at the local bar. With a rolling cart in your home office, you can create your own little bar and drinking space on one end of the room. The comfy chair and rug make this part of the room a place for relaxation while the wooden flooring and organized work space make the rest of the room great for productivity.

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Multiple-Display Set-Ups

1.    The Zen of Bamboo. A good home office is designed in such a way that it emanates peace. It is in this type of environment that the individual can get the most work done. That’s why minimalist approaches to home office design are the ones that make the most sense. This simple set-up features 2 laptops and a desktop computer with extra lighting from a desktop lamp. The open-frame bottom of the desk has been enclosed by taking an IKEA bamboo room divider and chopping it in smaller pieces to line the desk. It’s working relaxation.

2.    The White Party. The simplest way to create a cleaner look for your home office is to choose white computers instead of the traditional grey or black designs. As this set-up shows, the white notebook and desktop computer and white speakers work well against a white wall to make you feel like you’re in a fresh space. A little color from books on the wooden desktop keeps it from feeling too much like a doctor’s office.

3.    The Value of Shelving. When you’re working in a small space, you need to make good use of the shelving on and near your desk. This set-up shows how a printer can be set up on a high shelf to get it out of the way. Music players are on a shelving unit next to the desk. This leaves room on the desk itself for multiple monitors.

4.    Room for an Assistant. This home office is great for someone who occasionally uses the services of an assistant. The main desk has multiple monitors and lots of work space. The assistant’s desk is smaller but functional. When the assistant isn’t there, it could be used to lay out projects. A little art and a clock give some character to the home office space.

5.    Offset it with Art. This display shows how you can take the shape of your computer setup into consideration when creating the rest of the design for your office space. Playing off of the two elongated horizontal rectangles that are made by the large computer monitors, smaller vertical rectangle art has been hung to create a unique geometric look for the home office. This makes the room look polished and planned without requiring a lot of effort.

6.    The Executive. Some people just can’t work professionally unless their home office resembles that of a professional office in the financial district of their city. If that sounds like you, get a big desk that will make you feel like the top level exec in the office building. Make sure that you have a window view. On the walls, combine pictures of your children with framed certificates to finish off the professional design.

7.    A Place for Every Tech Item. This type of design allows you to fit every tech gadget that you have into one area of the home office. Two computers, two laptops, an extra server, speakers and a phone are all worked into the design. A table at the side of the desk adds extra desk space so that the items don’t have to be on top of one another.

8.    Back to Back. If you have to work in a home office with someone else then you might find that it’s a good idea to position your desks so that they are facing away from each other. This allows each of you to have your own space without bothering one another. Of course, it reduces privacy in the sense that your partner can turn around and see your screen at any time so it only works if there’s a lot of trust and openness in this room.

9.    A Little Color Goes A Long Way. The home office doesn’t have to be drab in its color choices. It’s your space. If you like orange, go with orange. Paint the walls, choose colored furniture and add a few pillows or colorful lampshades to bring some life into that room.

10.    Benefit of Bulletin Boards. One of the quickest ways that an office space can become a mess is through spreading out papers all over the desk. Adding bulletin boards to the home office gives you a way to look at everything that you need to see without creating a space that looks like a whirlwind went through it.

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Office Setups in Multi-Purpose Rooms

1.    Working Outdoors. This is an example of how to create a simple setup with your laptop when you’re working outside. You’re seated close enough to the pool to feel like you’re on vacation but far enough away to keep the notebook safe from the water. You’ve got your phone, camera and other items plugged into your laptop and you’re ready to get to work even though you’re not inside.

2.    Gazing Out the Window. If you can’t actually work outdoors, you might want to set up your laptop on a desk that looks out the window. This type of design turns your back to the rest of the room which is great if you’re working in a multi-purpose space. The bookcase can hold any books and notebooks that you need for work as well as any entertainment items that might be used in the rest of the room.

3.    Create a Corner. Another way to create a space that’s all your own in a room that’s going to be used for other things is to set it up in such a way that it becomes its own corner. This desk manages to successfully contain three desktop monitors and a laptop along with two keyboards. The set-up encloses the person who is working which helps to minimize distractions coming from the rest of the room.

4.    Use Walls. Yet another method of designating a home office in one part of a room is to install miniature walls that effectively designate your part of the room as a separate place. The walls don’t have to be tall and they don’t have to extend across the boundaries of the room. They simply serve to suggest that the office is a different room and so should be respected as such.

5.    Work in your Pajamas. The real reason that anyone wants to work from home is that it gives you the luxury of being able to go to work in your pajamas. With this home office set-up, you can stumble out of bed and straight over to your computer. Gaze at the city skyline while sipping your coffee and reading your morning news online.