5 Steps to Setting Up a Shared Home Office Space
Ever since COVID, working from home has become even more popular. In fact, one in five workers is currently working remotely, so the odds of having a shared workspace at home have increased even more. We’re going to provide you with a guide on the most important things to consider when setting up your shared home office space and some organization ideas.
Here at DutchCrafters, we have received thousands of orders for office furniture and have furniture specialists who have helped customers design their dream spaces. We think we have a pretty good idea of how to utilize your space and which pieces would fit best in your home office.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Define Your Shared Office Home Need
- Measure Your Space for Your Shared Home Office
- What Kind of Furniture Do You Need for a Shared Home Office?
- Layout and Design for a Shared Home Office
- Cable and Tech Management for a Shared Home Office
5 Steps to Setting Up a Shared Home Office Space
Step 1: Define Your Shared Office Home Need
When you first start thinking about a shared home office space, you must consider your needs. Are you and your partner working from home? Is it a space designated for managing the household, paying bills, etc? Or is it a mixture of both? This can help you determine your layout and what furniture you will need in your office.
Step 2: Measure Your Space Your Shared Home Office
It is imperative that you know how much space you need when setting up your home office. Especially in a shared setting, you want to make sure there is enough space for two desks, chairs, and storage. Time to pull out the measuring tape!
Step 3: What Kind of Furniture Do You Need for a Shared Home Office?
Once you have established your need and how big your room is, it’s now time to consider what furniture you need.
- Desks
- Office Chairs
- Storage
- Lighting
Desks
Of course, you’ll need a nice desk to get your work done. Let’s go over some of your options.
The Writing Desk
The writing desk is a great option for a home office. It is also ideal if you have a small room to work in, as it is relatively simple and compact. Usually, a writing desk has a desktop, and sometimes, there are attached drawers. This choice is good if you are looking for a no-frills setup.
The Amish Santa Rosa Work Desk is one of our best-selling desks at DutchCrafters, and for good reason. It has a simple design, with two pencil drawers and one for your keyboard. It serves a basic purpose.
The L-Shaped Desk
The L-shaped desk is great if you are looking for more space. You can also easily place it in the corner of a room. The benefits include working space on either side of you and included storage. The Amish Santa Fe L-Shaped Desk is our top-selling L-shaped desk. This desk has everything you could need built into it, including drawers on either side and keyboard drawers at the top.
The Partner Desk
The Amish His & Hers Partners Desk is great because it saves space by using only one piece of furniture, and you each have your own storage areas. The chairs’ opposite sides also reduce the risk of running into each other. This setup works very well if you are looking to collaborate often.
The Standing Desk
Standing desks are becoming an exceedingly popular option for working people. They allow one to stand or sit and disrupt the routine of sitting in a chair for eight hours. The Amish Freeport Adjustable Standing Desk lets you adjust and move your desk up and down with ease throughout the day. It also has included drawers to stow away office supplies.
For even more ideas, check out our blog, which provides the ultimate guide for picking the right desk.
Desk Chairs
Desk chairs are important to consider when setting up your office. You want somewhere comfortable to work and a chair that makes doing your job at home easier. Everybody has a different idea of the perfect chair.
This Amish-made Clark Executive Desk Chair with Gas Lift is what one sees in their head when you think of the words “office chair”. It has a high back to sink into and armrests when you need a little break. There are wheels on the bottom to help you move around easily and a gas lift where you can adjust your height.
Here we have the Amish Midland Modern Armless Home Office Chair. Its armless design allows you to move freely. If you do work that requires more than just working on a computer, this chair is good for you. You can roll around with ease, and it also gives you the freedom for a nice, good stretch.
This Amish Heritage Swivel Dining Room Chair or Office Chair is a great option for versatility. You can keep it in your office, and when the workday is over, you can roll it into your dining room for extra seating.
Bookcases
A bookcase is always a great storage option. It provides easy access to work resources, a place to display photos or work awards, and looks great. You want to make sure you have one in your home office, as it provides storage for items that you might not need right at your finger tips, but still close by.
The Amish Home Office Sensible Series Bookshelf, like its name, is the best and most sensible option for your home office. This bookcase is listed as our top solid wood bookcase. It comes in three sizes, so you can choose the best size for you. It also has a basic and sleek design, which makes setting up with your other pieces of furniture easier.
Or, if you’re looking for another option, there is the Amish Arts and Crafts Mission Bookcase, which embodies the Mission style and comes in even more sizes for your needs. The slatted sides allow you to easily see what is on your bookcase and the design fits well with many styles.
There are many options for the perfect bookcase in your office. The most important step is ensuring you have one, not only for work-related books but also as a place to store beloved photos or other treasured items that inspire you to work. If you’re looking for more, we have a dedicated blog about the BEST solid wood bookcases.
Filing Cabinets
Now, bookcases aren’t the only storage option for your office. Filing cabinets are especially important if you work with paper documents often. They provide an organized space to put important papers and folders. There are a few variations of filing cabinets to consider. You can get a stand alone cabinet, or one that slides under your desk.
The Amish Craftsman Mission File Cabinet is a stand-alone filing cabinet. In this style, you can get two, three, or four drawers. The simple Mission style allows it to fit seamlessly into your office and mix with your other furniture.
The Amish Duncan File Cabinet with Three Drawers is more ideal for a cabinet to tuck away. Its flat top allows you to slide it right under your desk to keep it out of sight but still close, making it a perfect place to store important documents.
Lighting
The last accessory to consider when setting up a shared home office space is lighting. There are several options when it comes to this choice. You can get unique desk lamps to match each individual style, or a larger floor lamp that gives lighting to the whole room. Get matching desk lamps if you prefer a more organized look. Or, for a tasteful mix of design and bright light, and a chandelier hanging in the center of the room. We have a variety of options for you to consider.
Step 4: Layout and Design for a Shared Home Office
The Layout
We have your furniture picked out. Now, how do we set it up? We have a couple of options.
You can have your desks next to each other, with filing cabinets on either side. This arrangement also allows one wall to hold bookcases and one to be the sole workspace.
Another option is to have your desks face each other. Working from home with a partner allows you to check in with each other by peeking over the computer. In this case, you can designate a separate area in the room just for storage.
There is the back-to-back option. This set-up is ideal if you tend to hyper-focus on your work. You can get in the zone and feel distraction-free. When you need time to decompress, you can roll away and connect with your partner just behind you. In a similar vein, you can set up individual corner desks. Put a bookcase or filing cabinet in between for shared usage.
You must consider your work style and what works best.
The Design
Here at DutchCrafters, we have expert furniture specialists who can help you select the perfect details for your desk. You and your partner can choose to get the same desk for a cleaner, more uniform look, or if you take pride in your individuality, get a different style. You can also get the same style desk so the shape is the same, but customize your options to make them fit for you.
You want to ensure everything looks nice when all combined together. For further tips on mixing wood types and stains, read our blog here to get the best design tips on mixing and matching your décor.
Step 5: Cable and Tech Management for a Shared Home Office
As one of the services we pride ourselves on, you can customize your desk to your heart’s desire. When sharing an office space, there are going to be lots of cables to organize. Add grommet holes, USB charging decks, and lighting to your pieces. Make your desk work for you and organize those cables so you can keep a clean aesthetic.
Grommets are your friend here! They allow you to slide cables through the desk rather than run them behind it. The result is an almost hidden cable and a cleaner, more organized look. You can learn more about grommets here.
There are also some accessories that can help with cable management. Velcro cable ties can help you neatly bunch cables together. Once they are bunched, a sleek cable sleeve can be slid over, and it’s like there are no cables in sight!
With customizations like these, managing your cables and tech is made easy.
Conclusion
Setting up a shared home office space can be both a challenge and an opportunity to enhance your work-from-home experience. By considering your needs, measuring your space, choosing the right furniture, and proper cable management, you can create a workspace that is both functional and one that meets both your and your partner’s styles. With these tips and ideas, you’ll be well on your way to setting up the perfect shared home office.
More Resources for Home Office Spaces
- Watch: Handcrafted Elegance: Exploring Amish Office Furniture
- Read: Office Desks That Help Declutter
- Read: The Benefits Of An L Desk
- Read: The Power of the Writing Desk
Whether you live in an apartment, small home, bungalow, ranch-style farmhouse, or manor, there’s a spot that can be turned Read more
Far too many Americans suffer from a squeaky bed. The creaks and squeaks can keep you up and cause you Read more
Fast Furniture is Quickly Filling Our Landfills In 1960, we "only" threw away 2.1 million tons of furniture in the Read more
You read the headline correctly. An Amish Furniture retailer won the Best Contemporary Furniture Award in 2024. DutchCrafters Amish Furniture Read more
Aspen Foltz is a resident expert on Amish furniture. She studied Media and Communication Studies at Florida State University and is the former editor of the online publication HerCampus. Her work creating content about Amish furniture and Amish culture can be found all over DutchCrafters.com. In her downtime, she enjoys music trivia and reading.