As a seasoned small-space nester, I rarely have the luxury of designating a separate room as a home office. Like most of us, I’ve had to improvise and maximize a small corner or a bookshelf as a place for the computer and office supplies.

Clear Space Savers

The secret to keeping a work corner from looking and feeling cramped is to choose furniture and accessories with a clear style profile. This six-foot glass desk doesn’t take up a lot of visual real estate in the modestly-sized living room. Thanks to the see-through glass table top, you barely notice that three inches of the desk overlaps the fire place mantel. In tiny abodes, you have to surrender perfection and make the most of what works.

Keep It Personal

An inexpensive clear plastic desk chair I picked up from Home Goods gets a personalized touch with custom GPS coordinates. You can order custom adhesive decals from the Hour Glass Design Co. on Etsy.com. I like the look of the matte white vinyl on the clear plastic. The clear back chair doesn’t add to the clutter of a cramped corner.

Embrace Open Storage

Finally, I needed a small office caddy that could tuck underneath the desk, and this inexpensive, see-thru magazine rack fit the bill. To keep it mobile, I attached clear acrylic wheels to the bottom and topped it off with an acrylic tray for desk supplies. The caddy doubles as an end table  in the living room whenever I have guests.

For more small home office ideas with a clear point of view, click here.