We talk a lot about working remotely and traveling in this blog. While it is nice to be productive during a business or personal trip overseas where we find ourselves in a small hotel room or Airbnb, in reality, we spend most of the time working in our home or bedroom offices.

So this article is on making the mundane space of your bedroom office productive during most of the year – when you are most likely home and working from home.

In the first place, I wouldn’t recommend using the bedroom as a workspace, since you are complicating a restful space with elements of productivity and stress. I have stressed that a spare room should be your first choice for a home office, if at all possible. So you should ask yourself these questions before setting up a bedroom office – seriously consider the disadvantages.

But if you are like me (and many others) and have some living constraints, a bedroom workspace could be workable. It’s about how you set it up.

Side note: The flexibility of adapting a small space for multiple uses is neither a bad thing nor a useless skill – sometimes you can’t be too picky either when you travel. After all, sometime you’d likely encounter a small hotel room /AirBnB that you’d need to make work as your office.

Space-Saving Bedroom Desk Ideas

Generally, you should still follow the principle of single-use environment design as far as possible. Make your desk space incredibly productive and keep your work (laptops, monitors, smartphones, any device you use to generate income) away from your bed as far as possible.

Once you are ready to double your bedroom up as your home office, do the following to set up your desk and overall bedroom environment properly:

• Invest in proper bedroom office lighting so that you can both work and sleep well
• Maximize unused corners (space is limited)
• Limit blue light exposure from electronic devices during nighttime. 
• Make sure that used clothes and work documents do not lie around.

To say the least, working in your bedroom requires good organizational skills. 

Here are some bedroom desk ideas if you are limited on space. Your bedroom desk space should perform TWO roles – the storage of everyday items, and space efficiency.

1. Use a corner desk for space efficiency

The benefit of a corner desk is that despite its smaller size, it is easier to move and maneuver it. With a corner desk, you can fit it into previously unused corners in your room, in order to make your space extra functional. Ideally, it is placed near a window and receives natural light, since exposure to sunlight can lower stress, improve focus, and promote sleep when bedtime comes along.

Design your bedroom office in a way that values function over form – pack as much functionality as you can without impinging on your sleeping space. A corner office does the trick.

An L-shaped corner desk can do the job. L-shaped desks offer additional surface area and fit into corners of your bedroom that were previously unusable.

For instance, this Mr IRONSTONE L-shaped desk is 50.8” in width and very space-efficient, providing plenty of surface area for desk accessories like your keyboard, mouse, and monitor stand. Indeed, it is a highly rated and popular corner office desk. You get plenty of room to stretch out your legs and store your items.

2. Work on floating shelves to save floor space

Floating shelves are shelves attached to a wall with no visible supports. A floating shelf appears sleek and minimalist. 

Not only can it serve as a (makeshift standing) desk, but a floating shelf also maximizes your empty wall spaces and is thus perfect for small spaces. 

If you care about this, floating shelves add aesthetic appeal to your bedroom workspace. Being a versatile piece of furniture, you could not only use it as a desk but also place plants and decorative items on these shelves. 

After your work is complete, you could remove your work devices and it will appear as if your workspace has ‘disappeared’. This is so important if you do not want to be staring at your unfinished projects during recreational evenings and bedtime when you need a good night’s sleep.

3. Get a pegboard wall organizer

Since you are likely using a desk alongside an empty wall, use a pegboard to fill up your wall space.

A pegboard is a wall-mounted system that allows you to keep everything you need within reach, without taking up too much space. A pegboard comes with many hooks and compartments, which is great for storing small items like batteries, adapters, and stationery.

Gadgets that you use far too often, such as chargers, power banks, USB cables, and headphones, can be organized in a central place. Since you access such items frequently, your mini devices can be neatly laid out on your wall.

4. Use a desk with multiple drawer compartments

To store items and save space at once, you want to use your furniture in multi-functional ways.

A simple choice is a desk that contains multiple drawers. 

In a small bedroom, it is useful to utilize your desk for both productive work and storage simultaneously.

Again, I emphasize that you want to dial up the functionality of your devices or furniture in a small space. 

Function over form, and even if you think some drawers look clunky, they do the trick of keeping items organized and at least out of sight – such as papers, work devices, and small items like paper clips, folders, stationery, and so on.

5. Use a desk with extra shelving underneath

Under-desk shelving is another way to keep non-essential items out of sight, albeit not completely hidden.

If you find a desk with shelving underneath, and if that is what you prefer, you may not need drawers or cabinets. 

Perhaps, you could use some DIY skills to install custom shelving underneath your current desk for extra storage purposes.

6. Use a small sit-stand desk

An efficient way to save space in your bedroom is to get a desk that is multifunctional – a desk that allows both sitting and standing. 

Thus, look for sit-stand desks that allow height adjustment, so that you can switch between sitting and standing. 

Here are just a few benefits, out of many:

• Using a sit-stand desk will enable you to work more productively, in numerous ways.
• Standing a few hours a day reduces sitting and sedentary time, which means you work more healthily.
• Having a sit-stand desk means that you do not need separate desks for sitting and standing while you work – such multifunctionality saves you space in a small room.

Besides a large and somewhat bulky standing desk, you can even consider a smaller alternative for a small bedroom.

Look at investing in a multi-tiered standing desk that is not just affordable (below the $100 price range), but has multiple tiers for your laptop, monitor, and keyboard. 

Some mini-desks are height adjustable and even come with wheels – perfect for rolling around in your home office when you are bored of the scenery.

7. Set up a folding table

A folding table is a portable table that gives you flexibility to work wherever you like in your apartment. You can use a folding table as a spare desk.

A folding table contains legs that can be folded upwards against the tabletop so that it is easy to store and keep. 

This means that at the end of the day, you can simply remove your desk items and diminish the setup. Your mini office will have “disappeared”, so you can switch off, relax, and improve your work-life balance in your bedroom.

If you mainly work on a laptop and do not need extra desk space, a folding table is a flexible option.

An alternative is a rollable side table for your desk. It lets you work from any chair, and from any corner of your room. A rollable side table is small and easy to tuck away when not in use.

This article was originally published on unboundist.com. If it is now published on any other site, it was done without permission from the copyright owner.

8. Invest in a lap desk

A lap desk is designed for you to work comfortably on your lap. Its lightness and portability let you work anywhere you like, be it on your couch, floor, or bed. 

You can keep your essentials within reach from the comfort of your lap since it provides space for a laptop, mouse, phone, tablet, and perhaps some snacks.

9. Work on a recliner

No one wants to suffer from body aches and postural issues. 

Even if you work at a makeshift bedroom desk, use a chair that is ergonomically designed for working long hours. 

A recliner is a good work chair, which you can sit on while working on a lap desk for your laptop. Work anywhere in your bedroom, near the window with a scenic view or the wall containing your motivational vision board. 

10. Set up temporary work zones

If you cannot find an ideal spot for productive work, you do not want to be stuck in one corner of your bedroom. 

Perhaps, you have maximized a nook with a small desk, but you find the space confining. You just don’t do well in a small confined space.

If you use the above-mentioned portable desk options (lap desk, mobile standing desk, folding table, recliner), you will have the flexibility of working from anywhere in your home.

It is easy to set up temporary work zones with the right equipment. You will be more inspired to work when you can switch places flexibly, and switch things up.

Related: 10 Alternative Ways to Productively Work Without a Desk

11. Use furniture that reduces visual clutter

Bedroom office clutter is a no-go. They add strain and mental stress, which affects both productivity and restfulness. 

Large pieces of furniture add visual clutter. Therefore, you may want to consider certain types of furniture that reduce visual clutter. 

A lucite computer desk (and chair) can complement or enhance almost any bedroom office, from dark wood floors to bright upholstery. They are known as “see-through” or “invisible” furniture with a sophisticated feel.

Furniture that is open and airy can be useful. For example, desks with fewer compartments will appear less bulky – they can work if you are more minimalist and require less storage. Desks look lighter with thinner legs instead of an enclosed base. Having under-desk shelving can reduce the visual weight that your desk carries. 

12. Gather props for a monitor/laptop stand

If you need to raise the height of your desk without spending much money on standing desk equipment, you can use drawers, a briefcase, or folders to accomplish the task.

Stack drawers one on top of another, until the desired height is reached. 

Drawers can serve as compartments that double up as a laptop or monitor stand. Use them to easily store your pens, stationery, papers, and batteries for easy accessibility.

Make Your Minimalist Desk Space

Go ahead and grab some of these ideas to make or improve your bedroom desk. 

Here is a summary of the ideas and principles you can follow:

1. Since your bedroom is a small space, try to pack as much functionality as possible into your desk, whilst saving space and reducing clutter.
   
   This means you should generally go with tools that support multi-functionality, such as using drawers/shelving that form part of your desk and can help with both storage and ergonomics. Choose function over form.

2. Keep to the single-use principle as far as you can, when it comes to your desk and bed. That means use your desk for working, and use your bed for sleeping/resting, and avoid mixing the two uses.
   
3. If you do not fancy working for long periods at a dedicated desk in a small bedroom, then consider investing in portable tools like a spare folding table, a lap desk, or a small standing desk with wheels.
   
   These portable tools can provide an alternative to your bedroom desk, and enable you to work from other areas within your bedroom or your apartment.

A minimalist bedroom desk space is possible with the right tools that suit your needs, along with some basic organization skills.