Top 10 Home Offices in Australia and New Zealand

It should come as little surprise that the home office has recently become one of the most emphasisedareas of the home. Once a way to delineate a person’s work from the rest of their personal life (and perhaps used more pragmatically for additional storage or sleeping space), the home office has now taken on a newfound importance, as more and more people take up remote work from home.

As the accompanying images will attest, there are a few elements essential for a functional and considered home office. Chief amongst these: ample desk space for screens, a comfortable chair and storage space. Beyond that, however, there is a surprising freedom to how one chooses to approach this room.

The following selection features our Top 10 Home Offices put forward by the Australian and New Zealand design community recently. Consisting of a mixture of freestanding and built-in desks, enclosed rooms and clever uses of otherwise unused open plan spaces, these images prove that a well-thought-out home office can go a long way to maximising working from home productivity.

An inverted material palette featuring a strong use of timber, the home office in Bluff House by Rob Kennon Architects relies on a minimalistic design and classicfurniture to complement the space.

A Victorian-era marble fireplace and architraves set the scene for this home office in the recently completed Scandizzo House in Toorak. Featuring a free-standing timber desk in the centre of the room, the space is given a contemporary element thanks to its pendant light and chair selections.

Another minimalist space with an added sense of drama, thanks to its use of brick and archway, is the office space in Italianate House by Renato D’Ettorre Architects. Enveloped in natural light, thanks to double height windows, the home office overlooks the main living space of the house, ensuring that it remains connected to the rest of the home.

Robson Rak’s Albert Park Residence is a study in combining heritage era design with a contemporary home, and this home office is a perfect example. A restrained design, the space features a built-in marble desk which plays neatly against the tiled floor. Discrete storage cupboards and a neat office chair tie the room together.

Another example from Robson Rak that combines heritage charm with contemporary design is Batvia South Yarra. Unlike the previous entrant, this office proves to serve as a clever solution to an otherwise unused space, and sitting just off the kitchen, ensures that one can remain connected to the rest of the family when working.

A spacious home office featuring a generous built-in timber desk features in BBW House by Tecture Architects. The wall lamp and additional open shelves that run across the length of the desk are particularly practical standouts in this well-lit, minimalist space.

Proving that they are amongst the masters of the home office, Brighton House by Robson Rak is yet another example of a gorgeous home office from the firm.This time, the home office in question is presented in a Victorian-era room, making the rich timber selections feel even more appropriate. The spacious built-in desk sits adjacent to two walls and complements ample storage both underneath and above.

Casa Chiaroscuro by Biasol references an Italian principle of fine art emphasising volume through contrast, and this home office is no exception to the rest of the house. White walls and concrete floors are contrasted against a modern black timber desk and storage compartment, sitting against the black wall almost as a piece of art itself. Together it harmonises into a clean and coherent office space that exudes calm.

At first glance it may seem as though the stunning backdrop of this home office space would prove distracting in getting any meaningful work done. However, on closer inspection, it becomes apparent just how serene the design of this home office, featured in Wallis Lake House by Matthew Woodward Architecture, really is. A full height window ahead of a discrete built-in timber desk allows for views of a private courtyard, perfect for promoting quiet contemplation of the task at hand.

With natural light flooding in from the street, Matt Gibson Architecture’s Wellington Street offers a serene home officeenvironment. Pops of colour contrast nicely against the otherwise stark white space, as a freestanding desk in the middle of the room is illuminated via a fixed wall lamp on those occasions where late-night work is required.