Built in/custom office furniture?

[aurora]

Has anyone ever done a custom office set up (whether built in or free-standing)? We have all of our old mismatched furniture in our "office," which also doubles as my sewing room and a 2nd guest room for when all of H's family comes to visit (we have a reasonably comfy inflatable queen bed for that scenario). The room is about 11x12 and it's just not well-used. I'd like to do a more coordinated design that has a better storage configuration but also allows for the mattress* in that once a year event when we have that many guests at once, and I'm wondering where to start. I know IKEA has some modular systems, but I'm wondering if other places might, too. Any recommendations?

In the end, I'll need two desk-like spaces (one for a laptop - maybe stand-up or tall? - and one larger space for sewing), a whole bunch of bookshelves, some file cabinets, a place to hang and set up my ironing board, some other closed storage (drawers or shelves) for sewing supplies, and some various open shelves.



*this requirement basically just means that everything needs to be around the edge; no desk peninsulas.

[josieposy]

I bought two IKEA desks with the extendable legs, extended them to the highest position, and use them as a standing setup. It runs the full length of our office. Initially DH and I each used one. Now half of it is covered in papers and clothes and the other half is a desk. Other than my inability to organize, it works great!

[downtoearth]

I can't remember who, but I know someone on the H&G board had a two desk office built-in.

[aurora]

Oct 19, 2015 10:45:00 GMT -5 downtoearth said:

I can't remember who, but I know someone on the H&G board had a two desk office built-in.

Oh, good point - I'll XP there.

[asdfjkl]

I sort of did.  I converted a bathroom we never used into an office space.  I had a carpenter (found on angie's list) make a built in horizontal file cabinet and then I made a bookcase above it and a desk top for the other side of the office.  Pictures below. Let me know if you can't see them.

[aurora]

That looks nice, asdfjkl, and you make it sound easy!

[asdfjkl]

Oct 19, 2015 11:40:27 GMT -5 aurora said:

That looks nice, asdfjkl, and you make it sound easy!

It actually was not that hard.  Time consuming and there was some physical labor with the demo of the bathroom, but I sketched out a plan, noted what I was capable of and what i wasn't, and then went to angie's list for the rest.  The carpenter was key.  He did a really good job on the file cabinet and it really tied the room together.  Everything else (up close) is really just a version of: