Working at home has many benefits. You can set your own hours and don’t have to get dressed up for work. However, there are some drawbacks to joining the work-from-home world. It can be difficult to concentrate when all your creature comforts are available distractions. It’s also tough to move from room to room trying to get comfortable. You really need a permanent place to work if you’re going to be successful. But not everyone has a large spare room to create a home office. Here are some inspirational home office ideas for people who work at home.

Loft the Bed

You probably haven’t considered lofting your bed since college, but if you live in a small space or your guest room is doubling as your office, it can be a great way to reclaim space. You can even share space with your kid if that’s the only room you have – simply loft their bed and they’ll be excited about sharing with a mom or dad who works at home. Set up a simple desk under the bed and you’ll be in business.

Think Vertical

Traditional desks and shelving units take up a lot of floor space. This can make it hard for the home office worker who doesn’t want to clutter their environment. Think out-of-the-box by using vertical bookshelves or ladders to organize your work.

The Cove

If all you have is a small corner of the family room, customizing it as an office will actually make the home more aesthetically pleasing. Paint the corner a nice color, like blue or green, to separate it from the rest of the room. Your desk chair and desk should be as well designed as the rest of your furniture. Invest in a nice, well-designed chair that is pleasing to the eye, rather than the $99 black task chair available from Staples.

Custom-Build the Desk

Working at home often means fitting furniture into a tight space. Consider building a custom desk that is meant to fit the space. You can hire a handyman or do it yourself. IKEA makes it simple to find desk components that will fit almost any area. As a bonus, IKEA is inexpensive in comparison to the major office stores, and offers cleaner lines and better customization.

Lighting Matters

Lighting is key in any space, but it can also help the home office feel comfortable and bright. This is especially important if you work in a small, dark space. Consider a floor lamp and use daylight bulbs that mimic sunshine.

Create a Closet Office

You may hate the sound of turning one of your closets into an office, but if you can spare the storage space the results are worth it. Remove shelves if necessary, paint it a pleasing color, and hang things on the wall that make you want to be in the space. Just as we discussed earlier, having a comfortable chair really helps ensure it’s a space you want to use.

Use Any Space

In this picture, you can see how the home worker used a simple drop down desk to convert a small corner of the kitchen to a home office. This demonstrates that it is possible to get a desk setup even if it has to convert to something else when not in use. People who live in tiny homes or efficiency apartments have used this trick for years.