Who needs a Zoom background when your home office looks this good?

With hybrid working here to stay, the home office has never been more important – nor have they ever looked so good. Forget sad ergonomic chairs and cluttered surfaces, the modern home office is as much a design statement as it is a place for work. These rooms from the ELLE Decoration archive show how designer desks, clever shelving and stylish storage solutions create stylish WFH setups that inspire creativity and productivity.

Animal print and vintage furniture by Batiik

With a leopard-print carpet by Madeleine Castaing and sconce by India Mahdavi on cosy yellow walls, this office is far from a dull work zone. The owner’s vintage desk, ‘Zig-Zag’ chair by Gerrit Rietveld and Hiromi Objets lamp add a retro touch.

A 'mindfully curated' study by Charu Gandhi

This family home is so focused on productivity that two of the five bedrooms became offices after a renovation. Bill Cleyndert & Company made the shelving in light oak with walnut drawer fronts, and designer Charu Gandhi chose pieces that hint at mid-century design, like the Bodo Sperlein ‘Contourline’ desk and Michel Amar’s ‘Swan’ lamp. The desk chair is by HAG, a ‘Circuit: 7’ pendant by Apparatus hangs overhead and the rug is by Holland Cassidy.

A cheerful home office in Paris

This sunny study is cloaked in Argile’s ‘Gui D’Octobre’ paint, with shelving by DimoreMilano customised with a leather-wrapped desk level and lower cabinets. The chair is Pierre Chapo’s ‘S34’ and the vintage table lamp with its leather stem is by Angelo Lelii.

A space for work and play by Atelier HA

Carpeted in ‘Dream – Living Colours’ by Lano, this flexible space holds mostly vintage finds, including the sofa, desk, chair and wall light. Heavy curtains in ‘Philae’ fabric from Elitis can be drawn to enhance its cosiness. A painting by Catherine Lavialle hangs on the far wall, with François Bazin’s ‘Stellata’ floor lamp from Monde Singulier standing next to it. The chrome ‘Aspide’ table lamp is by Gianfranco Frattini for Gubi.

A study nook by DIIP architects

This loft-style apartment by architecture practice DIIP is proof you don’t need to dedicate an entire room to make an office. The design team cleverly utilised a corner next to the zingy tangerine staircase and installed custom silver-fir joinery and an ‘S43’ chair by Mart Stam for Thonet to create a stylish and compact study area.

David Montalba’s stylish take on WFH

In this home office, designed by David Montlaba, a Rose Tarlow desk holds court, with Straight Up Palms, an artwork from Stefan Simchowitz, providing a note of escapism. Two ‘Bixby’ lamps by Made Goods sit atop a ‘Glencoe’ sideboard by Jean de Merry. The desk chair is an ‘Eames Soft Pad’ and the armchair is the ‘Scheggia’ design by Mario Ferrarini from Potocco.

A fashion-forward office in Peckham

This stylish study is one of several fashion references in the home of designer Jill McNair. Inspired by a Gucci ad, the olive green room features an Eames chair, vintage desk from The Modern Warehouse with a red ‘Bellhop’ lamp by Barber Osgerby for Flos on top.

A studious home office in London

Facing the home’s entrance and framed by double doors, olive-green walls (Farrow & Ball’s ‘Bancha’) signal that this is a room for work and contemplation. The steel-back chair was sourced from Monument and the ‘Scalloped’ writing desk is by Max McLintock. The curtains are in ‘Ruskin’ fabric by Morris & Co and the rug is the ‘Sahara’ in ‘Mink’ from Knots Rugs. On the desk sits a Katie Moore ‘Wobble’ pot and a ‘Bon Bon’ coffee glass by Helle Mardahl. The floor lamp is Sergio Calatroni’s ‘Papiro’ design.

A home office retreat in Melbourne

Attached to the main bedroom of this Melbourne home is an area the homeowner refers to as ‘the retreat’. It features Rimadesio’s versatile ‘Zenit’ shelving system as a wall divider. An Arne Jacobsen ‘Swan’ chair for Fritz Hansen sits at a ‘Compas Direction’ desk by Jean Prouvé for Vitra, next to which is a 1950s floor lamp by Stilnovo.