Modern Home Office Ideas

Are you looking for modern home office ideas? In this blog post, I am excited to reveal my photography studio and home office makeover! In fact, I turned a small spare room into my photography studio AND home office. Before this, I actually worked on the couch in the living room. However, as a parent, I struggled to stay productive while working from home with kids. Of course, many people have set up makeshift home offices during the pandemic. But for me, a calm, functional, and modern office environment was a priority! Besides, this is where I planned to have meetings with clients and shoot portrait sessions.

Believe me, there is so much that you can do to a small, spare room. And to prove it, I’ve gathered 8 simple modern home office ideas to walk you through the process! It was not easy (for my husband) but it is absolutely rewarding (for me). Believe it or not, this makeover was actually a “birthday gift” from my husband, Brian! He surprised me with paint supplies and encouraged me to let my creativity flow.

Choosing the Perfect White for Photography

First up was the paint color! Since the original color of this bedroom was blue, I needed to decide on a new color for the walls. As a colorist, I am very picky about choosing the perfect white for a naturally-lit studio space. After trying out different shades of white on the walls, I chose SIMPLY WHITE by BEHR.

Keep it simple!

Next, keep the layout simple! A small change of the furniture layout makes a big difference. To make the small room feel open and welcoming, I put the desk directly in front of the window and a bench by the window. Once you decide where to put your desk and bigger furniture, you will have a better idea to decide on other fixed elements.  

An Office Reflects Your Brand Identity

Also, I know that I want something that reflects my brand’s personality and value-elegant, vibrant and modern. This means that I need to keep my branding colors in mind. Therefore, I purchased the other fixed elements for the studio according to my branding colors. When it comes to color palette, there are three major categories: main colors, accent colors, neutrals. As you can see from my mood board, I focused on a neutral palette of whites, gold, sage green, terracotta, and blush pink.

Make It Comfy

The goal of this studio was to have an airy and inviting seating area that felt warm yet sophisticated. First, I knew I wanted acrylic, velvet and gold metal as the main materials. Then, it took me months to find this minimalist modern bench with gold metal legs that fits my brand perfectly!

As with my choice for the bench from Wayfair, this comfy cream plush velvet by At Home is the same hue and finish as the bench! To top it off, I put a super soft, warm and cozy area rug by the seating area! And voilà, the consistent furniture set created the soft and welcoming mood I wanted to set.

Create Minimalist Magic

Now, you might notice my obsession with mood boards. I am a big fan of minimalist style and modern décor! The rule of thumb, according to MYDOMAINE, is “one in, one out”. If you are not sure what to include in your office, always choose quality over quantity and prioritize functionality and style! For example, the white and gold contemporary geometric vases play a supporting role to the furniture. The finishing touch? A blush pink abstract art painting to tie the wall in with the mini muted pink planters!

All About Lighting

As a wedding and portrait photographer whose style is light and airy, I want to transform this space and make it into a light and bright dream photography studio. So I made intentional choices when it comes to curtain.

First of all, floor-length curtains will elongate your window and make your room feel ‘taller’. In addition, the fabric choice matters a lot if you want to allow more natural light comes in. After doing some research, I finally found an affordable and elegant white curtain from IKEA that allows natural light comes through. To ensure a sense of balance, we took down the bulky nickel ceiling fan and installed a low-profile modern flush mount light.

Go Green

A unique indoor succulent does a great job of adding pop of color to a minimalist home office! I bought different types of low-maintenance succulents to add visual interest to the white wall shelf. My favorite is the heart-shaped Sweetheart Hoya plant (aka Valentine plant)!

When choosing indoor plants, I always opt for a potted monstera or fiddle-leaf fig to put in an empty corner. They are very easy to care for and fast growing!

Functional Accessories

To make the most of the small spare room, always think multi-purpose. For example, a full-length mirror in the corner is an easy way to make a small space look bigger and brighter. Meanwhile, my clients can make sure that they look good before a photoshoot! One more little tip: make sure to angle your mirror right so it gives the illusion of depth.

Another example is the wood letter board. It serves not only as a décor, but also a photoshoot prop! Above all, this acrylic tray accent table can be used as both a tray table and a place to display sample albums! Did you notice how the gold metal legs of the tray table echo those acrylic floating frames on the gallery wall? Yes! That’s the key to success in this space – attention to the mix of materials!

Portrait Photo Studio

The best part of this office makeover is turning a small spare room into a portrait photo studio! If you are portrait photographer who is interested in this transforming your spare room, I will be sharing more tips and information in another post. Watch this Instagram Reel first and stay tuned!

Last but not least, I hope these modern home office ideas inspire you to create your dream home office. Feel free to pin and share these images! Got any questions or need suggestions? You can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook! I have also included a shopping guide below for your information.

Minimalist Modern Home Office Shopping Guide:

1. Cream Upholstered Bench // Wayfair
2. Evie Medium Planter with Stand // Crate and Barrel
3. Zea Mini Blush Footed Planter // Crate and Barrel
4. TOFTLUND Area Rug // IKEA
5. Acrylic Floating Frames // Artifact Uprising
6. Martinsen Full Length Mirror // Wayfair
7. Wood Letter Board Brown // Target
8. Acrylic Tray Accent Table // At Home