10 Must-Have Home Office Furniture Trends

Transitioning from in-person to remote work is a lifestyle change, and you should treat it as such. Your space should reflect your style and meet your needs. Why compromise? After all, you’ll probably use your home office furniture 40 hours a week. Luckily, there are countless designs, product lines, and brands to choose from. 

Before you upgrade your setup, you should review the top 10 home office furniture trends for inspiration — no workspace is complete without these must-have additions. Whether you work remotely part-time or full-time, your future self will thank you. 

1. Crafting Multipurpose Workspaces

Having a dedicated home office is great, but it leaves a large portion of your home practically useless. If you are like most telecommuters, you sometimes commute. Nearly 90% of working adults take the opportunity to work from home for 50% of the week, on average, when given the opportunity. Sacrificing an entire room may not feel worth it.

Luckily, you don’t have to give up your space. A reconfigurable, multipurpose workspace accommodates deep work and lounging by incorporating the concept of work-life balance into the room’s design. 

You can achieve visually distinct modular seating with configurable couches. A behind-couch bar table with stools is more contemporary and has the bonus of verticality. Expanding tables and standing desk converters allow you to transition from work to play in moments. 

2. Modernizing Outdated Office Furniture

Contemporary design has been trending for years. Sleek storage with black accents and LED strips with strip channel diffusers can add a polished, fashionable appeal to any space. Consider adding to the space with a white lacquer desk, acrylic office chair, glass coffee table, or midcentury modern accent chair.

3. Transforming Alcoves Into Offices 

When the pandemic hit, most people weren’t prepared to telecommute — and many didn’t have the space for a dedicated office. Desks ended up in alcoves, hallways, and closets. The world has since returned to normal, but many still have oddly placed setups. As a result, space-saving home office furniture is trending. 

For those short on space, transforming the corner of the room into an office is the only option. However, studies recommend dedicating enclosed spaces for deep work with visual barriers. Corner desks give WFH professionals maximum real estate while taking up minimal space. Flip-down desks and Murphy beds that turn into desks are great alternatives. 

A room divider creates visual separation without taking up too much room. Also, it is easy to tuck away at the end of the workday. Stylish options include wooden slats, Japanese folding screens and frosted glass. 

4. Bringing the Outdoors Indoors

The green design trend emerged because of the broader push for sustainability and the heightened desire to return to nature. Avoiding fluorescents and concrete isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, it’s healthy. Research shows people have more positive things to say and make fewer health complaints after a few months spent working near plants. 

You can bring the outdoors inside by upgrading your home office with a live-edge desk, aquarium stand, live plants, and a sunset lamp. Embrace biophilic design by bringing yourself closer to nature. 

5. Infusing Ergonomics for All-Day Comfort

This home office furniture trend started out of necessity. If you’ve ever sat in an uncomfortable mesh chair for years, you understand the pain of going without ergonomics. The best of the best includes the Herman Miller Aeron, Serta Everett, and Branch Ergonomic Chair. They offer everything from three-dimensional lumbar support to adjustable armrests. 

Of course, products like these stand out not just for their build quality but also for their style. Your desk chair is the focal point of your home office, so it should look good from the front and back. A tan faux leather looks sophisticated, while a colorful high-density foam radiates whimsy. 

6. Infusing Technology Into Workspaces 

Technological advancement has been exponential. In a few short years, humanity has gone from dial-up internet to lightning-fast 5G connections. Many WFH professionals are embracing technology with tech-centered furniture. They have multiple monitors, desks with wireless chargers, smart speakers, chairs with built-in fans, and smart shades.

7. Making WFH Households Functional

The number of people working remotely tripled from 2019 to 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Some families have multiple members working from home, which can get chaotic — especially if children are around. Most people don’t have two extra bedrooms, so they must use home office furniture strategically. 

Side-by-side desks are great if overlapping meetings aren’t an issue. If they need to take calls or attend meetings, a privacy chair or pod can help. It muffles sound and creates a visual barrier between the two people working. 

For parents with laptops, a small, foldable standing desk is ideal. This way, they can keep an eye on their kids or finish small chores without leaving their work unattended. Other portable furniture includes folding table sets and rolling desks. 

8. Fostering Wellness by Design

People spend a lot of time in front of a computer, absorbing blue light while hunched over their keyboard. As more research on the health detriments of office work emerges, the wellness trend grows more popular. They want their home office furniture to feel good, not just look good.

Standing desks are among the best products for improving the quality of life. They can increase an employee’s productivity by up to 52% without adversely affecting their well-being or work-life balance. In fact, they also enhance general health. Zero-gravity recliners and classic massage chairs that double as office chairs are ideal for long hours in front of a monitor. 

9. Revisiting Stylish Retro Furnishings

Retro is making a comeback — all trends get recycled eventually. Abstract shapes, bold lacquer finishes, midcentury seating, art deco lighting, and rattan furnishings may not take the design world by storm, but they are officially stylish again. Keep an eye out for funky shapes, vibrant hues, and organic forms.

10. Moving Away From “Millennial Gray”

So-called “Millennial gray” has had a chokehold on interior designers for years. Finally, people are starting to move away from it and adopt warm-toned tans, moody greens and bashful blues instead. Blending warm neutrals with colorful acrylic shelves, bright lounge chairs or vibrant desk chairs can make spaces feel more welcoming and comfortable. 

Think of These Trends When Upgrading Your Home Office

Everything from your filing cabinet to your bulletin board fits a certain design style. Even if you don’t know the first thing about interior design, you can make your home office furniture look cohesive and aesthetic by following one of these trends. Trust us, it’s worth the time and effort.