Creating a larger than real life space can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible if you have a few tricks of the design trade in your back pocket. Simple things like appropriately placed accent pieces and mirrors and glass components may be all you need to grow your home office space with minimal investments of time and money.
Here are a few ways to enlarge the feel of even the smallest spaces and work with what you have to create a home office that you can work in.
Smart Side Table
One of the most common problems in an office space is insufficient lighting. A commercial office building may increase the amount of fluorescent lighting to remedy any shady spots, but who wants that in your home office? And installing things like pot lights in the ceiling may not be an option either if it’s a cost prohibitive renovation or you rent your home and can’t alter the structure in any permanent way.
A simple solution to the age old issue of insufficient lighting in a home office is not only inexpensive but it’s also a temporary fix that you can take with you if you move. Add a custom cut mirror to the top of a side table and place a lamp on top! The mirror will reflect the beams from the lamp as well as any other available light in the room and make the space feel immediately larger.
See-Through Furniture
In addition to topping a table with a mirror, why not go all out and incorporate clear furniture pieces wherever you can? This might include a glass table top or even a clear acrylic desk chair.
Whenever you can eliminate the physical boundaries in a room like chairs and tables, you trick the eye into seeing more space because there is less to impede the line of sight.
Bright Bookcases
Another easy way to make the most of the space you have is to replace wooden shelves with glass shelves and line the back of a bookcase with a mirror.
You can purchase glass shelves that are custom cut to order to fit into any existing bookcase or built-in and in various colors and thicknesses. And by lining the back of the bookcase with a mirror, you create the illusion of a ‘never ending’ background that appears to have no beginning and no end.
Placing a lamp inside the bookcase or installing under cabinet LED lights around the interior perimeter of the shelves completes the bright effect of this smarter storage unit!
A few additional tips and tricks include:
- Incorporate glass doors whenever possible. Sliding glass doors are ideal for a smaller space because they eliminate the room needed for clearance when opening and closing the door. If sliding doors are not an option, replace your standard wood door with a French door or one with a single or multiple panes of glass.
- Keep your glass clean. Nothing destroys the illusion of nothingness faster than smears or smudges that scream for attention!
- Be careful; keep the material in mind. Although many types of glass are tempered and created for strength, be sure to use coasters when drinking hot coffee or tea and don’t overload the glass surfaces with heavy items.
What types of glass and mirror updates do you want to try in your home office?
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