But, there’s another benefit to building your own wood home office furniture that goes way beyond saving money or getting to use the saw… You can customize it. I don’t know about you, but when I spend a pretty penny on a new piece of furniture, I’m always afraid to change it (the same is definitely not true of the pieces I pick up from the thrift store–stay tuned for a tutorial on faux gold leafing a chair to see just how irreverent I am when a piece isn’t brand new and pricey). Plus, often times the size is just off enough to be annoying–like, when you have 32″ for an entry bench, but can only find a bench that’s 18″.

So, being able to choose all your own colors, modify the size to fit your space, and getting solid wood furniture for the cost of materials? Sign me up!

What’s more, Ana regularly features projects her readers have made which means you get to see just how doable those projects are (especially since many of her readers are first-time furniture builders).

And she has a wide variety of plans perfect for your office space. Here are my favorites. (All images from Pottery Barn or West Elm.)

Secretary

A secretary desk is the perfect solution for small offices (or offices that are on display, like those in living rooms or bedrooms), and this one is no exception. Though I love it in PBs white, I think it’d also look smashing in navy or eggplant, with a brighter color on the inside. Though the PB hardware is lovely, it would also look sweet with something a little fancier.

Get Ana’s plans and materials list here.

Project Table

In Ana’s plan, she adds a drawer to the desktop so that you can easily store pens and other desk stuff, which is such a smart idea. See, building it yourself lets you make sure that your home office furniture suits your needs perfectly instead of having to compromise.

Get Ana’s plans, including materials list, here.

Apex Bookshelf

This bookshelf is lovely with its sleek, modern lines, but what I especially like is the way it’s so airy looking–it won’t overwhelm a small space the way a more solid bookcase might. Plus, I priced the supplies at my local Home Depot and it’s really inexpensive to build–well under $50. (Though that’ll vary by market.)

Check out Ana’s plans here.

What’s your favorite?

Beware: you’ll spend quite a long time on Ana’s site if you have any interest in building home office furniture. So, now that I’ve warned you, why not visit Knock Off Wood and choose your favorites?

Custom-built cabinets by Direct Discount Cabinets

Office bookcases are one good storage solution, especially when you use coordinated boxes to wrangle the small stuff and keep it from looking messy. But, sometimes, you really need closed storage and that means home office cabinets.

Sure, you can go to your local home improvement store and pick up ready-made cabinets. But these are designed for kitchens which means their dimensions might not be right for your space.

Another option is to have the cabinets custom-built by a local carpenter. The great thing about this option is that then your cabinets will fit your space perfectly. Typically, kitchen cabinets are too deep for most home office needs, so having something shallower built will probably make for more convenient storage. This option will probably cost less than you’re expecting and will let you customize every last detail from the door style to wood choice to whether you have pull out shelves to how many drawers you have.

Your third option is to take a look at some of the gorgeous pre-built options on the market. There are some great home office cabinets available these days from retailers ranging from Pottery Barn to Ballard Designs. Of the three options, this is usually the priciest, but you’ll certainly get lots of use from the additional storage and it may be well worth it.

One consideration about either of the first two options is that, depending on your house, a built-in home office may increase your home’s value while the furniture styles of the third choice are best if, for instance, you’re using the third bedroom and plan to convert it back to a bedroom when you sell your home.

So, what do you think? Are home office cabinets right for your space? And which option sounds like the best fit?

Breakfast nook as home office

Flowers are always a nice touch for the home office

Home office organization gone colorful.

(All images linked to source.)

Here’s how Denise describes the situation:

We need help! We have a wide entry hall and that’s the only space in our whole house that really works as an office. The kids and I work on the same laptop (Denise does part time bookkeeping, the kids do homework and play games) and I’d love a longer desk area so both kids can be working there together. Right now, we use my old college desk but it’s deeper than I’d like for the space, and a lot shorter than is ideal. One thing I do like is that the desk has a bit of storage–if you can’t find something long and narrow with storage, we’ll need another resting spot for pens and paper because I hate having that stuff out in the open.

My style is really modern, but the living room is currently furnished in a Pottery Barn style–if you can keep the office space clean but also homey, that’d be perfect. As you can see, we’ve partially stripped the 60-year-old wallpaper (grass cloth), so we need to finish that project and then we’ll need a wall color. I’d also like a new ceiling light fixture as the one that’s there currently is pretty darn ugly. The ceilings in the hall aren’t high, so it’ll need to be something close to the ceiling instead of something that dangles.

We have a budget of $1000. I’m happy to hunt for bargains at the thrift store, so feel free to suggest a piece or two that you think I should find something “similar to.”

Thanks!

So, what we need in this case is a long narrow workspace, plenty of accessible storage and seating for two. Also, because there’s no outlet in the entry hall, Denise plans to have an electrician come out and wire one. Here’s what I put together for Denise and her family.

Since Denise’s budget is important, I’ve included current prices on each item–notice, we bring the whole thing in under budget!

1. One of the best ways to make two (kid-friendly) workspaces in a tight space is to use a bench because it takes up less room than two chairs. Along with relatively modern lines and a low price tag, this piano bench also has the benefit of hidden storage under the seat making it a real asset in the space. $110
2. This darling speech bubble message board brings a spot of playfulness to the space–it adheres to the wall and works as a chalkboard for sharing messages. $15
3. The Pottery Barn Wall-Mounted Craft Organizer has plenty of nooks and crannies to store all the small school/work related stuff like paperclips and rubber bands. $229
4. The Ikea sofa table has just the right dimensions for the space–it’s both a lot longer and a lot narrower than the current desk, and it also has that extra shelf for more storage. $199
5. Instead of a ceiling fixture, I recommend Denise have the electrician install three of these wall sconces. They’ll provide both better task lighting and can function as mood lighting. Overhead fixtures tend to be a bit glaring for living rooms and the sleek lines and friendly price of the Turner Sconces are perfect for the space. Plus, this means we won’t need a desk lamp which would take up space we can’t spare. $49/each
6. For the wall color, the current living room is a warm beige, and I suggest bringing the aqua that’s used heavily in the living room (as accents) into the entry as a light color on the walls. One with plenty of green, like Sherwin Williams’ Hazel will go nicely with the carpeting, though Denise plans to replace that with tile in the next year or two.
7. And, of course, we need flowers! Though this is the entry way and something fresh would be especially lovely, since we’re mixing kids and computers, I recommend something that doesn’t require water like these coffee filter roses.

So, there you have it, a tiny workspace for just $700. To save additional money, Denise could scour Craig’s List for the sofa table–you’ll usually save about 40% that way and can often find the furniture in good condition. A second hand piano bench is also a good option.

That’s how we’d bring modern yet warm style to Denise’s tiny office space. If you happen to be in the mood for a board of your own, click here to score some home office decorating advice for yourself.

Here are our favorite damask home office storage accessories:

Brown Damask Desk Accessories

This set from Etsy seller 4EyesAndEars offers a lovely selection of must-have office accessories including a journal, dry erase/cork board, and matching push pins. The board is small, so it wouldn’t do as your only inspiration pin board, but propped up on your desk, it has just enough space for the important notes without running the risk of getting messy.

File folders

This set of 9 file folders comes in a dramatic black and white damask pattern. While you’re checking out these folders, also take a look at the other file folder patterns offered by Charming Cards–they have a wonderful variety, and I’d mix the black and white damask with either the Scandinavian set or the Pink Bees (which would be a cute way to indicate an especially urgent file).

Damask 2010 Organizer

Have you picked up your planner for next year yet? I haven’t, but this one makes me ready to start 2010 already! It’s refillable and started July 2009 so you can even start using it now. It includes expense sheets, project sheets and more and is the perfect size to tuck in a purse.

Storage Box

At 4.5″ tall x 7.25″ wide x 11″ deep, this box is perfect for photos, CDs or other office knick-knacks. They’ll look classy stacked atop one another on bookshelves and at just $7 each, you can afford to pick up as many as you need (plus, the price drops the more you buy).

Damask Wrapping Paper

What about those desk accessories that you already have but would like to coordinate with your fresh new damask organization tools? How about covering those that can be covered in this gorgeous aqua and brown wrapping paper. For an extra-hard wearing surface, you can coat with Modge Podge.

What’s your favorite pattern for home office storage accessories? Is it damask or something else entirely?