How to Design a Luxury Home Office

The home office is a unique space. It needs to be designed for productivity, complete with the practical storage, workspaces and lighting that a traditional office would have. But add in the ‘home’ element, and there are other challenges to contend with: space, possibly a need for a multifunctional area, and a desire to create a room that is homely as well as practical.

They’re fun challenges, though, and as the below home office design ideas show, there are plenty of ways to create a contemporary, luxury and timeless home office. Whether you’re working with a big room or a small nook, you’re looking for built-in home office storage ideas, or you’re wondering whether to choose brass or bronze hardware for your office cabinetry, let these luxury studies serve as your inspiration.

In this London home, interior designer Amalia Boier created a built-in study designed specifically for the clients’ needs. This meant bespoke shelving sized for book collections and home office equipment, plus a few decorative elements to create a space that was warm and inviting. Built-in cupboards with our Grove Cabinet Handle in our satin antique satin lacquered (SAS) finish, and a built-in desk with our Grove T-Bar Handle in the same finish, add more practical yet stylish storage. As for the overall design, a mix of muted and rich natural tones creates a space that balances professionalism with domestic life perfectly.

One of the best things about going bespoke with home office cabinetry, is that you can create something uniquely your own – and this oak bookshelf in a project by Vancouver-based Jenny Martin Design is truly unique. The cabinetry fits the room with clever (and stylish) storage solutions, with shelving and drawers with our 888 Bin Pull Drawer Handle in our aged brass (BEL) finish. But the real magic lies behind it. The shelving unit opens up to reveal a secret playroom for children, proving that home offices can be for both work and play. This is contemporary home office inspiration at its finest.

Home offices don’t need to be cold and corporate, and this luxury study designed by Enchanted Berkeley in the Bay Area is the perfect example of that. The integrated walnut desk and bespoke olive green cabinetry with our Bakes Cabinet Knob in our dark aged brass (DAB) finish offer premium storage and work spaces, while feeling organic in their finishes and textures. The addition of textiles and a few select pieces of art bring softness and a touch of personality to the space.

How do you design a contemporary home office in a period home? Take a leaf out of this Greek Revival-inspired project designed by Jean Stoffer in East Michigan. This timeless home office features wood-panelled walls, bookcases, and cupboards with our Cotswold Cupboard Latch and Queslett Cup Pull in our aged brass (BEL) finish, creating a dark and cosy feel of traditional luxury studies of the past. For the contemporary twist, cream-coloured mid-century furnishings and soft textiles lighten up the space.

Home offices can be more than a place to work. In this multi-purpose room designed by Lauren Woods Interiors in Toronto, there’s not just an integrated desk with bespoke cabinetry that functions as the workspace, but built-in shelving complete with a ladder, that makes it feel like an old-world library the whole family can enjoy. Adding to this luxurious, timeless home office is the addition of our Queslett Cup Pull and Cotswold Ball Cabinet Knob in our polished brass lacquered (PBL) finish.

Small spaces don’t mean you have to sacrifice when it comes to a study. As this small home office design by Rebecca Hughes Interiors shows, a cosy nook can be just as practical and efficient as a large area. Built-in home office storage in duck egg blue provides ample storage as well as a sense of calm, with a built-in desk that makes the most of the space. Our Gaumont Cabinet Handle and Gaumont T-bar Handle in our satin antique satin lacquered (SAS) finish create a timeless, luxury feel.

In a Victorian house in London, Sims Hilditch adapted the existing study to create a functional modern space that was sympathetic to the original period features of the home. On one side of the study, the existing joinery remains, updated with blue paint, our Queslett Cabinet Knob with Square Backplate in our dark bronze (DBZ) finish, and patterned wallpaper, while another antique dark wood desk is nestled perfectly into a nook on the other side. An eclectic mix of textiles, paintings, and well-placed mood lighting creates a warm, homely feel, without distracting from the room’s primary function.

Once you’ve decided on your home office design, it’s time to choose the hardware to go with that all-important cabinetry and storage.

First, consider the best hardware finishes for high-use workspaces. Solid brass and bronze cabinet hardware is durable and timeless, so it will hold up well in areas that are used frequently, and won’t date.

Next, think about the style of your room. In our guide to choosing cabinet hardware like an interior designer, Anna Hudson at McCroskey Interiors gives this advice: “If the room is more subtle, we will select hardware that is sleek and quiet. If the room looks like it can take more detail, we will opt for something with more presence and a bolder style. Furthermore, is the room leaning more masculine or feminine and how does the hardware we select play into that? It’s really about looking at a room and deciding how to best balance the space with the hardware we choose."

And lastly, think about where you’ll place that hardware. The best home office design is practical as well as aesthetically pleasing, and hard-to-reach drawer knobs and cabinet pulls won’t create a functional space. Read our ultimate cabinet hardware placement guide to find out the best place to fit your knobs, pulls and handles.