Hi! I'm moving into a 1 bedroom condo that was built in the early 2000s and has some strange design choices. I'd love some help figuring out how to make this space livable and workable for two people without spending a ton of money.
My partner and I both work from home. I'm required to use a desktop, but he usually just works on a laptop, usually on the couch or in a chair. The living room space has a built in desk (in imo the worst part of the room) and a built in dining table. We watch movies and will probably have our TV in the same place as in these photos.
Would love some general ideas on how to orient our furniture so that we can work comfortably. None of the furniture pictured is ours!
Congrats on your new spot! The lighting in here looks amazing and that built-in dining table is convenient. If you don't want to use the built-in desk area in the living room as a workplace, that feels like a great bar display for keeping glasses/anything you want to use while entertaining (if that's something you plan to do 😊)
Are either you or your partner on calls a lot during the day? Like would you prefer your desk was in a room with a door or are you okay being in the open? This suggestion might be totally dependent on the size of your couch and the rest of your furniture, but I personally see a desk setup in front of the living room window! You could either have the desk facing outward so you have a nice view, or if you flipped it so your back was against the window, you could use a divider to give yourself some privacy. This creator I follow did something similar here (their ceilings look a lot taller — but depending on the height of the divider, it could work!):
I would definitely make the home office area a focal point and design it around a huge working desk. Else, I'd also redesign this space in 3d before buying or removing anything, probably in planner5d. It has a handy room scan feature if you have iOS.
Hope this helps a bit.
What a gorgeous view! I second the idea of setting up the built-in desk area as a bar. It could be a stunning focal point. Perhaps you could put a narrow desk or console that would act as a desk along the wall next to the TV, where all those pictures are lined up. Another option: turn the sofa to face the window (and take advantage of the view) and put the TV where the sofa is. The desk could then go where the TV is now. If you decide to use the built-in desk area as a desk, consider adding some sort of movable screen or curtain to cover it when you're not working.
I like the desk setup in the bedroom corner but I’d replace the gamer chair with something that matches your taste. You could add small casters to an upholstered chair maybe. Your space is nice - congrats!
I would recommend setting up the desk against the smaller wall by the window using natural wood or white so it blends in. I would find a way to house the CPU in a natural basket. I'd add a tree to the side facing the living space/kitchen area so it isn't so obvious. I'd move the sofa to face the wall and use a projector instead of the television. I agree with others in creating the far wall with the "desk nook" as a coffee/bar area. The dining counter would have seats on one side only.
hi @mlacerte! congratulations on this new apartment — the natural light is absolutely incredible. I agree with a lot of the feedback here but think it would be so awesome to have a desk in front of the living room window so you can look out at the greenery. additionally, I think making the built-in desk a cool bar area or home library would be so cool!
