Home office furniture: 7 original designs for working from home

Here we round up a selection of original home office furniture pieces, from unique chairs to lights and other working-from-home solutions that can be used to create an original workspace at home.

Having lived through a pandemic for over a year now, we have all gotten used to working from home. We know what works for us and we know that the best conditions depend on the right mix of ergonomic furniture and optimum lighting, yet many of us are still lounging on sofas and taking meetings from our beds.

The challenge lies in finding the right pieces to help carve out an office space inspiring enough to get you up and working.

1. Xilo Station by Matteo Ragni for XILO Edizioni

The Xilo Station by Matteo Ragni is a hybrid workspace that conceals itself as a wall painting. It features a painterly panel that can be unfolded to reveal a desk and a space for storing objects associated with work.

Inspired by a need for flexible furniture during the pandemic, it creates a possibility to change and rearrange spaces swiftly and simply.

2. New Habits by ZUMMAUT for XILO Edizioni

When remote working, the lines between work, rest and play can feel incredibly blurred. That’s why New Habits by design studio ZUMMAUT mixes all three. Inspired by vintage climbing frames, the design features lacquered MDF panels that form a multifunctional wardrobe with space to relax and unwind.

As well as spacious storage inside, a mounted ladder leads to a sling-style leather seat located at the top of the wardrobe that can be used for working or resting.

3. Candy Cubicle by Sabine Marcelis

Candy Cubicle by Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis is a workstation that hides its contents inside a shell when not in use. It comprises a box made from maple wood that sits on hidden wheels and can be opened along a central axis, transforming it into a desk setup.

It lets users store books, computer documents, and anything else associated with work, out of sight and out of mind. It also featured dedicated space for an accompanying stool with wheels made out of Marcelis’ signature resin.

4. Tip Ton RE chair by Barber Osgerby for Vitra

The all-plastic Tip Ton chair by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby for Vitra is characterised by its unique rocking-leg design, which means it can be tilted forward a few degrees from the normal position.

This ergonomic feature helps to straighten the pelvis and spine, thus improving circulation to the abdominal and back muscles.

In 2020 Vitra developed a version of the chair that is manufactured from recycled plastic: Tip Ton RE. To achieve the required stability and quality, the recycling material is mixed with a proportion of glass fibres.

5. ‘Variable’ chair by Peter Opsvik for Varier

First introduced in 1979, the Variable Chair by Peter Opsvik for Varier is an icon that has stood the test of time. Its most recent revival is an ode to new remote working habits, which embrace the chair’s open construction.

As its name suggests, the chair allows for variation in all kinds of different positions with curved runners that allow for gentle rocking motions while a tilted seat enables an open hip angle.

The two cushions beneath the seat can be used to rest shins, one foot, both or neither. It’s also possible to turn around or sit sideways.

6. Working From Home Sofa by João Teixeira

The Brick sofa by Portuguese designer João Teixeira caters to the growing trend of working from home with a focus on comfort and style. Rather than an obvious desk set-up, it has transformed the traditional sofa with all the elements necessary for hot dealing.

A central armrest doubles as a surface for resting items while a detachable side table. There’s even a power supply integrated into the sofa’s body. 

7. Daylight lamp by Dean Norton 

The Daylight lamp by Melbourne-based designer Dean Norton is designed to combat stress. It comprises five pieces of frosted glass bonded together with clear resin to create a sculptural exterior that encloses a 6,500-Kelvin full-spectrum bulb that replicates the colour temperature of daylight. Norton developed the light during lockdown.