3 Personality-Filled Home Office Decorating Ideas

What Should I Do With My Den? 3 Personality-Filled Home Office Decorating Ideas

When I hear the word “den” it conjures up scenes from old black and white TV shows like “Bewitched” and early color series like “The Brady Bunch.” The original “man space,” the den in those types of shows was the exclusive turf of the man of the house, not so much for retreat but a room that essentially became his office away from the office.

Ensconced in their dens, we watched as Mike Brady drew up architectural plans for homes and businesses and we saw Darren Stevens map out brilliant ad campaigns. In nearly every scene, the man of the house was hard at work in his den only to be interrupted by his wife, his kids and, in the case of “Bewitched,” countless relatives who literally “popped” in and out, usually to the consternation of Darren or Mike, in either case.

Now often referred to as rooms reserved for home offices, craft space, kids playrooms or flex space, the den, nevertheless, is a great room to have. In fact, thefreedictionary.com provides these definitions for “den:”

• Habitat or retreat of a lion or similar wild animal
• A lair (I love this one!)
• A retreat
• A small or secluded room in a home, often used for carrying on a hobby
• A place of sanctuary in certain catching games

However you define your den’s title or use of space, you might also need some inspiration for decorating and furnishing your den or home office. We might not be able to help with the former, but since so many of the new houses we build have “dens,” we can definitely help with the latter!

3 Great Home Office Decorating Ideas for “the Den”

This is a simple yet extremely chic and elegant way to decorate and furnish your home office. We think it’s exceptionally great for people who have home offices where they will meet with clients. Here’s what we like about the décor for this home office space:

• Comfortable chairs
• Focal points
• Disappearing desks

Comfy chairs. Choose comfortable chairs for your home office that match your overall home décor aesthetics. The bold print and great lines of these chairs, combined with their size and scale, help balance the artwork and tall windows in this space.

Focal points. We’ve touched on the chairs, but did you also see the great stack of books and the tall narrow art pieces which are simply leaned up against the wall?

The disappearing desk. By choosing a desk that doesn’t have a lot of visual mass and has a glass top, the desktop all but disappears. If it were a heavy, large wood desk, the room wouldn’t feel chic and light.

And color. In this photo, the deep, almost midnight blue sets a quiet, calming mood for this home office space. While this blue could make the room dark, the white trim (like the white mill work you’ll find in every new house built by Soundbuilt Homes!) not only helps to balance the dark blue but also creates a strong architectural line.

The straight line and 90 degree angles are repeated in the lines of the desk, the fireplace surround and even in the angle of the lamp on the desk. And the beautiful wood of the fireplace surround is carried over in not only the desk wood but also in the blinds. This den – or home office space – has been decorated not just for function, but in order to create an environment of calm, quiet, strength.

For the last of these three personality-filled home office decorating ideas we chose a room which has the red ocher color which has been prevalent in model homes in western Washington for several years. We challenge you to decide if this den slash home office is decorated for use by a male or a female, because it seems to be perfectly balanced for either. The light colored chairs, which are designed for human comfort (vs. office functionality), keep the red ocher walls from becoming too overpowering or too dark.

We also love the great architectural elements in this room, from the lamp to the close up car fender artwork. We secretly suspect this could be the home office of a graphic designer due to not only the color and architectural elements noted here, but also the great print displaying the names of Italian destinations in different font styles.

3 Home Office Decorating Takeaways

When it comes to color, try thinking in reverse. We often keep our walls neutral and choose bold furnishings and artwork.

Choose items for your home office that will stimulate your creativity through their architectural design, whether in artwork, lamps, vases, or even furniture.

Make choices based on the first word – home – rather than the second word – office – when it comes to decorating your home office (or den). Decorate your den in ways that reflect your personality and style, and the style of your overall home décor.