According to a study, over 1.5 million of us work from home. When you add to that the freelancers, the side-hustlers and the students, that's a lot of people needing to fit a desk into their living space.
Unfortunately for a lot of us, that living space is very small indeed. And working from bed, as you probably know, isn't a great idea. Not only does it bring negative feelings that can be associated with work (like stress) into your sleep routine, there's also the very real possibility of, you know, falling asleep.
So is it possible to carve yourself out a workspace when your flat is more suited to a mouse than a full-size human being? Absolutely – read on to find out how.
Choose your desk carefully
Obviously any furniture you add to your pad will need to be tiny but don't just buy the tiniest desk you can find; buy one that really makes the most of the space it's in. This floating desk (£300) works well by not taking up any precious floor space, giving you extra room for storage and creating the illusion that your room is bigger than it really is.
You can even go one step further and get yourself a fold-down desk (£149). By day, this desk makes for a fine work area (with shelves!); by night, you can fold it away to give yourself an extra foot-and-a-bit of room space.
Ladder desks (£150) are also good for not intruding too far into the room, while corner desks (£183) make use of an area that all too often becomes dead space.
Look up for extra space
That great big blank wall above your desk is crying out for some storage. In fact, as any seasoned small-space dweller will tell you, that's exactly what walls are there for. A dramatic shelving unit such as this one(£78) placed just above eye level when you're sitting down makes for a stylish way to store books, folders and the rest.
If you don't want to make a statement, then something slim (and paintable) like this (£12) from IKEA barely makes an impact at all. Alternatively, wall cubes like these (£115) mean that the way you arrange your storage is up to you.
Suss out the lighting sitch
Desk lamps are cute and all, but they're going to take up a fair bit of space on your tiny desk. Instead, think about wall-mounted lamps – and no, not the kind that will mean re-routing all your wiring and drilling a sconce to the wall next to your desk. There are plenty of good-looking battery-operated wall-mounted lights to choose from. This one(£8), for instance. Or this one (£26.99).
Alternatively, you could consider a clip-on light (£22), or even a hanging one (£155).
Minimise clutter
Thankfully we do not live in an era where you need things like paper and files and the rest of it to get stuff done. Depending on your work (sorry IRL illustrators), you may only need a computer.
It's always a good idea to have some place to stash the bits that will inevitably end up on your desk, though. This wire tray (£9.99) is good for pens and other bits, ditto for this pen pot (£4).
Otherwise, look for a hanging organiser like this one (£6) to maximise desk space.
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