You can easily create a workspace anywhere in your home with nothing but a mini desk and chair. Home offices can feel overly secluded and take up a lot of space, while a mini workspace can be set up with only a few square feet.

I created the workspace in the picture for guests to my home who need a desk to work at when they visit but might feel uncomfortable if they were to sit in a home office by themselves in another person’s home.

Where to set up a workspace

When it comes to planning the layout of your home, it’s important to think carefully about what activities will take place in each room. The energy of each room should align with how you want to feel while doing those activities.

A mini workspace is an excellent choice for a library, music room, or studio. While sitting at a desk won’t be your primary activity in those rooms, they are quiet spaces where someone can work at a desk while other guests or family members are engaged in quiet activities in the same room. If you have a large household, some people also set up nooks next to their kitchen or dining room where children can do their homework or play in sight of anyone in the kitchen.

Where not to put a workspace? While a lot of hotel suites have a desk, your bedroom at home is not the best place for a workspace if you have trouble falling asleep at night. Do you really want to be thinking about the work on your desk a few feet away while drifting off to a peaceful slumber?

Choosing furniture for a workspace

A lot of furniture manufacturers today offer mini desks that can be incorporated into a nook rather than a home office. A typical mini desk will measure about 3-to-4 feet by 1.5-to-2 feet. You should be able to choose from high quality materials such as solid wood and glass at a modest budget. Because a mini desk uses less material than most furniture, even a top notch desk won’t break the bank.

You’ll want to pair your mini desk with a chair that’s comfortable for guests of all sizes and stylish enough to fit into the rest of the room’s decor. An ideal chair will have an adjustable back and seat with materials that match your interior. I chose the chair in the picture because it had a textured upholstery that meshed well with my other furniture and gold detail that would coordinate with the lacquered brass throughout my home.

Learn more about optimizing the energy in your home with feng shui.