How Much Does It Cost to Furnish a Home Office?

This series has been really popular the last few months, and now it's time to break down the budget of the star of the show as of 2020 - the home office! Whether you have a dedicated space you have needed to transform, or a corner of the dining or living room, we all probably have a home office we're working out of these days. If you are lucky enough to be able to furnish a full office for a permanent work-from-home situation, keep reading for a range breakdown of what to set aside to furnish this new space, at a variety of price points.

Sourcing is a very big reason for the large disparity in the prices above! We dive a little bit deeper below on each category

DESK

These days, desks can be a lot smaller of a footprint if you work mostly on a laptop. But pricing can go up based on material, built in storage, and quality of construction on any desk you decide on. Pricing can also go up if you're considering an automated standing desk, for example. Think about what you truly need throughout the work day, and decide on what type of desk makes the most sense for you in conjunction with your budget.

OFFICE DESK CHAIR

How much time are you spending in this chair? Are you someone that can sit for hours, or are you using the chair every now and then? Chairs can range from barely padded dining style chairs that don't swivel to a fully cushioned, ergonomic swivel chair with multiple controls and neck support, and costs certainly reflect that. We recommend investing here if you must choose since you are most likely sitting in front of your computer like we are for more than 8 hours a day.

OFFICE STORAGE

You really need to think through your needs for your industry here - when we had our offices at home, we needed fabric and tile sample storage and open baskets for rolls of floor plans. Are you still needing physical files or closed storage? This category really differs based on your day to day needs and what you need to have near you to do your job effectively. As with everything above, construction and quality of materials for this storage will affect the budget.

READING CHAIR

Do you like to move around during your work day and change up your sitting position? A larger chair, recliner, or even sofa bed might be the right choice for you if comfort is key. If you need a chair for a household visitor to stay for a short visit, you wouldn't want a chair that's too comfortable, if you catch our drift! Leather vs fabric will affect the price, as well as whether the chair has to look good and polished from all sides (think a slipcovered chair versus a wood framed chair).

SIDE TABLE

Materials are big here - are marble, hardwood lumber, or welded metal involved in the table you choose? Are you choosing a table with storage? Raw material costs, extra material needed for storage, and the extra labor all contribute to the price range listed above. And again, type of construction and overall quality of that construction are a deciding factor.

LIGHTING

Lighting has a huge range because we have seen handblown, custom pendants and chandeliers made, and we have seen more mass-manufactured lamps as well. There is definitely a balance between functional use and choosing a lighting fixture based on style. Make lighting as personal as your shoes or jewelry -- but know that you can almost ALWAYS tell when it's cheap!

RUG

Our post about rug material content gives all the details about what goes into the construction of a rug, and all of those factors contribute to the final price of the rug you choose for the office. Remember to consider whether your rolling office chair will roll nicely over it, or will it get caught in the fibers and be a nuisance?

ART & ACCESSORIES

Not only is this category a question of volume, but also what is important for you to invest in. Craftsmanship and artisanal work takes much more time, material, and creativity, and prices can reflect that. How large are these art pieces and/or accessories? Are you purchasing from a vintage source or reusing something you already own in a new way? As with many categories, you must decide what takes priority for you in determining what budget makes sense for your style sensibility.

WINDOW TREATMENTS

We have a deep dive here about your options for window treatments as well! This category heavily depends on volume, as well as how many layers you're looking to do on each window. This category is probably the most overlooked in terms of budget, so please make sure to factor that in so you're not hit with a huge number later on that shocks you to the core! Trust me, it happens almost every time... even to me!

Was this helpful for you? What room should we hit next? Send us a message here or leave a comment below!