A modern home office features a white desk showcasing an IKEA desk hack, paired with a matching file cabinet and swivel chair. A lamp with a yellow patterned shade sits atop the cabinet, while abstract art adorns the walls. A patterned rug ties it all together over the dark hardwood floor.
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A Real Home Office

ByLisa
34 Comments

The downstairs home renovation saga continues! If you have been reading along you know we have been renovating the main floor of our house. The 3rd and final stop is our home office. While the room is actually a bedroom, turning it into a home office seemed like a great idea since it is too small for a guest room and we have extra space for guests in the two bedrooms upstairs. With this simple solution I created a double desk setup. I had just enough space to create a dual home office with a few clutch IKEA pieces!

Split image of a DIY home office transformation. Top shows a plain, empty room; bottom reveals a completed stylish workspace featuring an IKEA desk hack with white desks, shelving, decor, and a window. Text reads: "DIY Home Office IKEA Hack www.GarrisonStreetDesignStudio.com.

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IKEA Desk Hack

But let’s start at the beginning, shall we? When we first bought our 70s House, this room was basically ignored. From the beginning, we knew this room would be our office, but the only “office furniture” we had was an old overstuffed filing cabinet, a falling apart wooden desk I bought 10 years ago at a second hand store, and a cheap $20 bookcase.

An empty room with beige walls and carpet features a single closed window with a shade. The ceiling boasts a bright light fixture, and visible baseboard trim lines the walls—perfect for an IKEA desk hack to transform this blank slate into an inspiring workspace.

This is definitely not what I had in mind for a grown-up home office space. We took on a lot when we first bought the house and were trying not to go crazy spending money on new furniture. So we put in a ceiling fan, painted the walls, and ignored the rest. This was going to have to wait for another day. Well, that day is finally here!

A black wooden desk, reminiscent of an IKEA desk hack, features six drawers with round silver knobs and is placed in front of a window. A white office phone sits to the left, while sunlight partially illuminates its surface.

A tall, dark wooden bookcase with four shelves stands proudly in a corner against a light-colored wall, resembling an ingenious IKEA desk hack. The bookcase is empty, resting on a floor of light-colored wood.

I have always loved the idea of having a “built in” office. Custom desks feel high end and I really dislike much of the home office furniture most stores sell these days. I feel like most office furniture is WAY overpriced particle board or super fancy old world, whiskey bar in a globe (not my style).

Not to mention a lot of office furniture doesn’t seem practical to me. No I don’t want a desk that has no drawers or file cabinets. Because then it’s just an overpriced table not a desk. But hey, that’s just my opinion. Hence the built in office concept.

The Hunt For A Real Home Office

I started looking online at places that do custom closets and cabinets to see what we were up against in terms of cost but most of these sites don’t actually list prices. Call me crazy, but wouldn’t this save us all some time and effort? My time is very valuable and I respectfully recognize that yours is too. Let’s do each other a favor and be upfront about things, shall we?

Anyway, with no real insight into the cost of such a project, we made a trip to Home Depot on a weekend and sat down with one of the cabinet people to price out a custom cabinet office.

In this design, we did an “L” shaped desk out of base cabinets with two banks of drawers, one cabinet with doors and one filing cabinet with two drawers, so four cabinets in total. We also selected a laminate countertop for a clean desktop look. This configuration would take up two of the four walls in our 10×10 office. The total cost, $3,000! And they were on sale?! Say what?

This bid was a very basic, bottom of the barrel cabinet. They were considered custom but I would use that term very loosely as the only custom thing about them was the height and the filing cabinet drawer base.

Normal base kitchen cabinets are 34.5″ high. A normal desk is about 28-29″ high. I wanted a “normal” desk height so I could have normal desk chairs on wheels. But $3,000 was not in the budget. Our max budget was half that at $1,500. Back to the drawing board.

Now I had to get creative. I literally thought about this office for about 9 months before I finally landed on the plan we used. You are going to laugh at me I am sure, but my favorite way to space plan is in Microsoft Excel. I know, that’s the accountant in me. 

Floor plan of a room featuring a window on the top wall and a closet on the bottom. A door sits near the bottom left corner, with various rectangular sections likely indicating furniture, perhaps an IKEA desk hack. The grid provides precise measurements.

I basically make Excel “graph paper” by resizing all the cells into little squares. Each square represents one foot. I then use insert shapes to create the pieces I want to put into the room. This helps me determine if everything is appropriately sized. One of my biggest pet peeves is too much furniture in a small spaces.

I did this MANY times for our office. But the great thing about using excel rather than drawing is you can just copy and paste over and over and just re-arrange your digital pieces of furniture. A lot more efficient than drawing everything all over. I know you are probably thinking I should just use design software, but I haven’t found one I like yet, so maybe someday I will but for now I just think this is easier and free 🙂

When I do finally come up with a plan, I normally have to sketch it out so Barry can visualize it 🙂 So that’s what I did. I’m almost as good as Picasso, don’t you think? Haha!

A hand-drawn sketch on lined notebook paper depicts a room layout featuring a clever IKEA desk hack with a large L-shaped desk, two office chairs, a TV, and several rectangular objects that might represent furniture like cabinets or tables.

Getting creative with IKEA Desk Ideas

The budget shopper in me went straight to IKEA when I found out my dream desk was way outside the budget. I am always down for a good IKEA Hack and there are so many IKEA desk hack ideas out there.

I looked at the IKEA Alex drawers for our new desk. The Alex units are often used as a home office desk, but I was not a fan of the open drawer pulls and I couldn’t see an easy way around that. Despite the IKEA Alex drawer hack being a good option, it wasn’t right for us.

I also looked at the IKEA Linnmon tabletop with metal legs or adils legs but that option didn’t offer much space for storage nor did it offer that custom, clean look I was going for.

I also looked at multiple storage units including the Kallax shelves, but they just weren’t the perfect size for the limited space I was working with.

After dwelling on it for months, I took a step back and looked at it from a new perspective. Originally I was thinking I wanted an L-shaped desk, but it turns out this room is better suited for a U-shaped desk, utilizing the back wall of the room.

Once I realized this, I found several IKEA products that would work well for this IKEA hack desk. They weren’t the exact specifications I originally had in mind, but with a little manipulation and different IKEA parts, I could make our very small 10×10 room into a dual office!

In the beginning, I didn’t really think I wanted a dual office, but as Barry and I thought about it more, we changed our minds. We ended up using the following IKEA components to create maximum storage and a great place for both of us to work from home if need be. And let me tell you, in 2020 we were glad we did!

IKEA Pieces Used

1 Gallant drawer unit
2 Gallant drawer unit/drop file units
1 Gallant 3 shelf unit (it looks like they no longer carry this piece but you could use an IKEA Kallax instead)
1 Gallant 2 shelf unit (it looks like they no longer carry this piece but you could use an IKEA Kallax instead)
2 Besta shelf units with doors
4 Lilltrask countertops
3 Olov legs

A light wood dresser with four drawers, each featuring black handles, offers a touch of style to any room. Two informational tags hang from the upper left corner, with one showing a price of $449 and another indicating home delivery options—perfect for those exploring an IKEA desk hack.

 A dark wood cabinet with two drawers and silver handles graces the store, its price tags neatly affixed to the top left corner. As part of IKEA's Galant series, it's perfect for your next IKEA desk hack project.

 A white, three-shelf storage unit, reminiscent of an IKEA desk hack, showcases a black box with a label on the top shelf and a green box with a label on the middle shelf. The bottom shelf remains empty. The open-backed design features a circular cutout for seamless cord management.

 A black empty shelving unit, perfect for an IKEA Desk Hack, features two horizontal compartments and a circular hole on the lower shelf for seamless cable management. Positioned indoors on a light-colored floor, it seamlessly blends functionality with minimalist design.

 A white IKEA countertop labeled "LILLTRÄSK," priced at $39, dimensions 74x1 1/8 inches, perfect for an IKEA desk hack. A note suggests seeking assistance in the kitchen section to purchase.

 An empty IKEA shelving unit frame in black-brown, priced at $17 for IKEA Family members or $20 regularly. Perfect for an IKEA Desk Hack, this versatile shelf is on display in-store, awaiting your creativity to transform it into a functional workspace masterpiece.

 Discover a clever IKEA desk hack with the adjustable "OLOV" table leg, now priced at just $9.99, down from $15. Designed in Sweden and available in various colors, it's perfect for customizing your workspace.

All items were purchased in white to create a clean new look. The galant file drawer, drawer cabinet, and small galant shelf are part of the desk base that holds up the cheap IKEA desk top we created with lilltrask kitchen countertops. You could also use Karlby countertops for a different look.

In the lefthand corner of the desk under the window we used adjustable legs to hold up the counters and they attach from underneath. The countertops are a different depth than the Galant pieces, but by running the countertops down the sides, almost like a waterfall, it covers the space between the wall and gives us plenty of space to hide cords.

Full disclosure, I designed this office in 2015 and IKEA no longer sells the galant shelving unit (the large or small) on the right hand corner of the desk. However, the IKEA Kallax cube storage shelves are a good substitute.

I am currently working on a makeover of this room to update the decor and I will be sharing more of the actual setup as well as the behind the scenes in my Instagram stories. Don’t worry, this is still the desk of my dreams and I am only tweaking a few things 😉

Determining the actual setup was a great addition to the space but not the only thing we changed. This room also had the same awful vinyl flooring we removed from the half bath and hallway. We were so excited to see that go! Not sure when or if that was actually ever in style.

A room with bare, dusty subflooring and gray walls features a creative IKEA desk hack. A broom and dustpan lean against the wall, while a window partially illuminates the space. Nearby, a small device is plugged into the wall near the window, adding a touch of modernity.

Anyway, before we could start any of the furniture installation, we had to lay the new flooring. I do not have any progress pictures of this because while we were laying the flooring in here, we were also having a new fence installed in our backyard and I failed to take pictures 🙁 I know……..I am a multi tasker and sometimes it doesn’t work out. Here is the office after we removed the old furniture, flooring, and re-painted. 

A partially renovated room with a bare, speckled floor and walls painted gray and beige. An open doorway contrasts a closed black door. Cables and electronic devices clutter the corner, while an IKEA desk hack adds functional style to the evolving space.

 And here is the office before we added the furniture. 

A room with dark wood flooring, gray walls, and a small window features an innovative IKEA desk hack. A white trash bin sits by the wall, surrounded by electrical cords and a modem. Unopened boxes are neatly stacked in the corner, waiting to unveil their secrets.

 A newly laid dark hardwood floor graces the room, which features light-colored walls and an open closet. Tools and a box with leftover flooring materials hint at recent work, perhaps even an IKEA desk hack in progress. A door leads invitingly to another room.

Sometime during this project I re-painted the room with Mansard Stone by Glidden in a satin finish. It’s a dark gray providing a nice contrast with all of the white furniture I chose. I also had been dying to do a gray and yellow room so I pulled the yellow in with room’s accent pieces.

A large red can of Glidden Premium Interior Paint + Primer sits on a workshop table, ready for the next DIY project. Paint drips from the top, hinting at creativity in progress. In the background, an organized pegboard and tools set the scene for an ambitious IKEA desk hack.

 Close-up of a Glidden paint can lid with label details—perfect for your next IKEA desk hack. Includes base: GLN6212, color: Mansard Stone, and size: 1 gallon. Marked "Not Returnable.

After two trips to IKEA (they didn’t have the countertops the first time we went) we had all the pieces and got to work on putting them together. If you have never put together IKEA furniture before, I would recommend at least one bottle of wine for this, maybe two if you have a lot to put together 🙂

There are NO words in the instructions only pictures. Undeniably, they do this because they would have to print them in like a zillion languages if they had words. I get it, but that doesn’t mean this is easy, hence the wine recommendation. 

A person is in a room with several pieces of wood and packing materials on the floor, likely assembling an IKEA desk hack. The room has dark walls, a window, and a patterned rug.

I will say the pictures for the simple pieces like bookcases and even their dressers like the Malm and hemnes dressers are pretty easy to follow, but the filing cabinets were confusing. I think several bottles of wine were consumed……Barry is smiling because he just started. See the wine glass on the window sill? I wasn’t kidding 😉

Once all the furniture was put together I got to work on accessorizing. Most of the items like office supplies are from Home Goods, like that’s a surprise! But the pair of lamps and rug are from Target and I ordered the office chairs from Wayfair.

A Real Home Office IKEA Hack

A modern home office with an IKEA desk hack showcases L-shaped white desks, two computer monitors, a white office chair, and yellow patterned lamps. Gray walls feature framed art, and a window with blinds allows natural light. A ceiling fan is above, and a patterned rug adorns the floor.

 A white and gray office chair on wheels sits on a patterned rug with floral motifs and geometric designs in yellow, gray, and white. The chair is positioned between white drawers on a wooden floor, perfectly complementing an IKEA desk hack that adds both style and function to the workspace.

 A white shelving unit, reminiscent of an IKEA desk hack, features a printer and a stack of paper on the top shelf. The bottom shelf accommodates a brown fabric bin, a paper shredder, and vertical file organizers with documents. This tidy ensemble complements the home office's hardwood floor.

 A modern home office features an IKEA desk hack with a white desk, computer, and chair. A yellow and white lamp rests atop a filing cabinet, while wall-mounted cabinets offer storage. The gray walls bask in sunlight streaming through a large window.

 A white decorative letter holder, part of an IKEA desk hack, sits elegantly on a white surface, containing assorted letters and envelopes. The holder boasts a geometric cutout design on the front and is set against a gray wall.

 A modern home office with gray walls showcases an IKEA desk hack setup. A yellow-patterned lamp graces the left side, accompanied by two swivel chairs and a desktop computer. Storage cabinets provide organization, while a ceiling fan spins above. Natural light streams through the window, completing the space..

 A computer keyboard and mouse rest on a white IKEA desk. The mouse is on a pad with a yellow and gray polka dot pattern. Nearby, a glass jar holds assorted pens and colored pencils, showcasing an ingenious IKEA desk hack. A monitor is partially visible in the top left corner.

 A modern home office features a white desk showcasing an IKEA desk hack, paired with a matching file cabinet and swivel chair. A lamp with a yellow patterned shade sits atop the cabinet, while abstract art adorns the walls. A patterned rug ties it all together over the dark hardwood floor.

 A white lamp with a yellow patterned shade sits on an elegantly hacked IKEA desk against a gray wall. Above the desk, a framed abstract painting with black and yellow brushstrokes adds a creative touch to the setup.

 A modern home office features a stylish IKEA desk hack with a white L-shaped design, two chairs, a computer, and a laptop. Shelving units display books and decor. A ceiling fan is perfectly centered above, while a large window floods the space with natural light against gray walls and a patterned rug.

Now I LOVE this room! It went from being a room I rarely even entered to being one of my favorite places to get some work done. Not to mention it is one of the most functional desks! It has plenty of storage and allows to both work from home.

A modern home office features an innovative IKEA desk hack, with two desks boasting sleek monitors and chic white chairs. Light gray walls, a large window, and a patterned rug with yellow and gray geometric designs on dark wooden floors complete the look.

Looking for a slim desk for a college student or a little kids room? Check out my cheap desk IKEA Rast dresser hack I did in the bunk room 😉

A modern home office with white furniture and gray walls features a U-shaped IKEA desk hack arrangement, dual monitors, white chairs, and decorative lamps with yellow-patterned shades. A ceiling fan and window add light and airiness to the space.

If you enjoyed today’s blog post A Real Home Office, please share it with your friends on Facebook or hover over an image and save to Pinterest! And if you don’t already follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, or Facebook, I would love for us to be friends!

If you love IKEA as much as I do, make sure you check out the rest of my creative IKEA hacks that take simple pieces to a whole new level! 

A modern home office features a dark wooden sliding door and boasts an IKEA desk hack with white desks perfectly arranged under a bright window. A ceiling fan with lights hangs overhead, while a patterned rug adds charm to the floor.

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A two-panel image of a DIY home office setup with IKEA furniture. The top panel displays an IKEA desk hack featuring a sleek white desk with a computer and lamp. The bottom panel adds shelves, wall art, and a chair. Text reads "DIY Home Office IKEA Hack.

This post, A Real Home Office, appeared first on Garrison Street Design Studio.

34 Comments

  2. We have a room very similar and love your lay out. Approximately what was the cost of the items from Ikea!

    Reply

    1. Thank you Lori! I am so glad you like it 😊 it has worked really well for us! I believe when we did it a few years back it was about $1300, but Ikea does increase their prices annually.

      Reply

  3. Lisa, how did you attach the countertops on the corners? It looks like your countertop runs vertically and horizontally. I love how you did this, to keep it looking complete and polished! Is there a bracket you used?

    Reply

    1. Hi Wendy! Yes, we did run the countertop horizontal and vertical since the drawer cabinets aren’t that deep. On the right side the countertop is supported by the filing drawer and the bookcase at either end. No additional support was used on the right side. On the left side we used a flat bracket underneath to join the countertops and three of the Oleg legs to hold the pieces up. No wall brackets were used. While this has worked well for us, you may want additional support if you have kids because I don’t know if it would support the weight of someone climbing on it or sitting on it. For the side panels we used heavy duty Velcro to attach the countertop to the end drawer units. This way we can disassemble it if needed to move things around. Hope that helps! 😉

      Reply

  4. Absolutely love this! I’m inspired to do my office in a similar fashion. Did you cut the counter tops to the same depth as the Galant drawers? It looks like they are the same/flush.

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much Jennifer! No, the countertops are the standard depth at just over 25”. The galant drawers are only 18” deep which is why I chose to run the countertop vertically down the side to hide the gap between the wall and the drawer unit. It actually works out nicely for hiding cords and our router. I hope that helps!

      Reply

      1. Ah, yes. Completely makes sense now! Did you only do it on the two ends or did you also do it on the other drawer piece as well?

        Reply

        1. We just did the vertical countertop on the two ends. This way it’s easier to get to the plugs and cords we have hidden behind them 😉

          Reply

  5. Thank you! I’m sorry but I also have one more question. Lol. What made you choose the counter top over the Linnmon top?

    Reply

    1. Haha, no worries! We chose the countertop based on the length. I believe the longest option for the linnmon desk top is 78” long. Our countertop is 98” on the right side and under the window and the left side is 58”. You could use the desk top for a smaller area, but for us the length options of the lilltrask it made more sense. Don’t forget to calculate room for a chair if you are choosing the galant units because they are more than twice the width of the Alex units which are traditionally shown with the Linnmon tops. Hopefully that all made sense 😉

      Reply

      1. I see. Yes, that makes perfect sense! I actually have one Galant unit right now and am looking for more on Facebook marketplace and other sales pages bc those suckers are high! Instead of going with the drawer styles, the cabinet style accommodates me better bc I have a lot of books and photo albums to store. Unfortunately Ikea doesn’t carry the 31.5 height (two shelf) cabinet any more though so that is also why I’m having to dig through the sales pages as well. I’m sure I’ll find what I’ll need, will just take time.

        I’m so happy I stumbled across your post. I’m def gonna re-create your design. Thanks so much for sharing and answering my questions!

        Reply

        1. Yes, I saw they no longer sell the two shelf unit, but the cabinet style would definitely work. I am so glad you enjoyed it so much and I was able to help! 😊

          Reply

  6. Hi Lisa! This room is absolutely fantastic – I’m recreating it in my husband’s office. Sorry for commenting on a post a few years old, but I have a question for you – on the countertops that you affixed vertically on the ends – did you have to cut them to height? Or did Ikea sell a piece that was 31″ long, and I’m just not not finding it?

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much, I’m glad you like it! We did have to cut the countertop for the ends. Once the rest of the desk was in place we cut them to fit and attached them to the file cabinet units with heavy duty Velcro. Best of luck to you 😉

      Reply

  7. We did it! We used the Alex drawer units in black with the Ekbacken light gray concrete countertops and the Olov support legs in black. To hide our printers we purchased the Galant cabinet with doors in black stained ash, which houses both printers and supplies. My goal was to hide absolutely all wires and my husband succeeded! We get so many compliments on the new office workspace. My only regret is that the Alex cabinets do not allow for a rug, they roll on the floor, I’m looking for a work around to add more color to the room; open for suggestions? The area between the drawers when they are completely opened is 3 ft., a runner may look weird.

    Reply

  9. Lisa- we LOVE your office and want to copy it in one of our bedrooms to make an office!! I see that the Gallant 4-drawer unit gets not-so-good reviews due to the depth of the drawers. Would you please tell me what the depth is of each of the 4 drawers? Thanks so much and for the inspiration!!:)))

    Reply

  10. Hi. Great looking office! I am deciding on what IKEA units to use with a countertop along them. What was the total height of the gallant cabinet and countertop? I’d like to keep height no more than 30”. Thanks

    Reply

  11. Great inspiration! I notice on the left desk set up you have a monitor and chair angled on the corner but the front of the desk is on a 90° angle. It looks great but how does it function with the keyboard? Have you kept it that way or found you had to adjust it to one side? I am wanting my monitors set up in the corner like that but not loving the deep arched “corner” desk aesthetic so I keep trying to visualize the practicality of this set up. Thank you in advance.

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much Janet! Yes, the left side is my side and I still have it that way. I find it very comfortable at an angle, but this was my “corporate set up” so 10+ years is hard to break 😊

      Reply

  12. Ah I know this is an old pin so hopefully you’ll respond! I LOVEEE this setup! I do have a question though! You said the right side and the table under the window was 98 inches, and the left is 58 inches, however I can’t find a table that’s 58 inches , did you use the 70 some inch one on the left? I hope this makes sense! Thank you sooo much!

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much Danielle! I appreciate your support 🙂 The right desk top and the top under the window are both 98. The left side is 58 inches, you do not suck at math 😉 We used another 98 inch top and cut it down to size and used the leftover to cover one of the sides. Hopefully that makes sense. If not, feel free to DM me on Instagram and I can explain further 😉

      Reply

  13. Hello! I know this is old! But hopefully you’ll see this comment! I love this so much and want to recreate! You said that the left side, as well as under window was 98 inches, but the left was 58 inches, I’m not seeing a table that side. Maybe I just really suck at math haha. Did you use the 70 some inch table on the left?

    Thank you so much!

    Reply

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