Basement Home Office Design Ideas

While companies have had to transition to a remote workforce, many of us are now working out of our houses and this working from home set up may be here to stay! This calls for a dedicated work space in your house, and what better way to utilize your finished basement than to create an office?

Setting up an office in the basement ensures that you are not using your other living space – such as a bedroom or your living room – for work and helps to keep you distraction-free during the work day as well.

You may think that your basement can be a cold and less hospitable space. However, making some decoration changes can help warm things up and transform any basic room into an inviting and productive office environment – no demo-ing or contractors necessary!

We’ve picked some items that will help make your office basement space feel warm and welcoming, a space where you will want to work and feel inspired.

But first, we want to give you a visual of what you can do with a basement home office, even an unfinished basement office once you combine some elements that create an inviting space.

We hope you will feel inspired to create your own home office with these simple basement home office ideas below.

The combination of textures and neutral colours, with pops of green really make this space come together. Now days basements have become more livable then ever! In our own home, this is where my husband and I go to unwind and relax, so let’s make your basement office a place of serenity with just a few decor items that speak to you and bring you joy!

Basement Office Decor Ideas

Rugs

First thing, let’s start with a rug, it can be a great way to section off your home office space from the rest of the basement and add some warmth and personality to your corner!

From a practicality standpoint, implementing a rug into your decor can be a smart move too, especially if you are working in an unfinished basement or one that does not have carpeting. This is because textiles such as rugs or throw pillows can help to soften acoustics, which can be otherwise amplified by hard materials in a space– such as the exposed concrete you might find in your basement. This is perfect for when you are on Zoom meetings or client calls! A rug also helps to physically warm the space and can create a cushion under your desk chair. 

If you have an unfinished basement than you might no have flooring, so a rug would be very beneficial in this case.

When choosing the colour of rug, opt for neutral rugs, you can always interchange them with other rugs in your home should you want to change things up from time to time.

Turkish Throw Blanket

You’ll want to be sure that you are warm and cozy during the day. After all, if you are uncomfortable, you are not likely to be producing your best work. Basements are known for being damp and cold spaces, even if you have finished them.

The solution, then, is to get a warm throw blanket that is dedicated to your office space. Like a rug, having this soft textile in the space can also help to muffle noise, too. This particular throw blanket is handwoven in a tasteful neutral colour palette, so it will blend in, rather than distract you during the workday. 

Clocks

Clocks can make the perfect decor piece and they are super practical in an office space. Try looking for one that has a more modern edge to them, like the ones below from RC + Smith. They are handcrafted with natural wooden materials and designed with the intention to be a conversational piece that brings a unique simplicity to any space.

Catch All Dish/Jewelry Dish

A catch all dish or a jewelry dish does not have to be for your bedside table or your entryway! One of these can be a perfect addition to the desk in your home office too. You can use it to hold jewelry, such as rings or bracelets, if they are bothering you during the workday and you decide to take them off. This also helps because you will not lose them, nor do you have to go back upstairs to put these pieces away.

However, you can use it for other items too– just because it is called a jewelry dish does not mean that can be its only use! You can also use the jewelry dish for small office items such as staples, pushpins, or paper clips, so that they are always on hand when you need them. Even items such as your flash drives or sticky notes could be at home in one of these dishes! 

Ceramic Mugs and Tumblers

Of course, we all need a special mug or water bottle for our desks, whether working from a home office or from our corporate headquarters! There is something comforting about it, and plus, it helps to hold the liquid fuel that gets us through the day. These particular mugs come in a few different colourways, and all are tasteful neutrals– so they will match any office decor! You could use this mug to drink hot or cold drinks, depending on the day’s weather and on your mood.

Additionally, ceramic dishes do not hold the flavours of past foodstuffs like certain other materials do, and previous smells do not linger, either. This is great for when you are working and do not have the time to drop everything and wash out your mug as soon as you are finished with your drink– you will not face repercussions for the delay later on. 

Plants

Plants are perfect to fill empty corners on your desk or on a shelf, they create warmth, and add a touch of personality, texture, or colour to your space. Now because we are decorating a basement office, you might not have ample amount of sunlight for all types of plants, so be sure to pick out the plants that do well with low light.

Here are few low light plant options below:

The snake plant and the zamioculcas zamiifolia which is often referred to as zz plant (so much easier to say) come in a variety of sizes, they are perfect if you want something small to sit on your desk or something larger to sit on the floor. The Peperomia come in a few different types, there are ones that train and ones that stand, so again, a few different options to choose from!

If you don’t have enough space for plants on your desk or shelf, hanging them is a great option.

Both the Satin Pothos and the Golden Pothos are great choices for a hanging plant that requires little light. Perfect for the basement!

Another great trailing plant that is good with low light is the Philodendrom (Cordatum).

You can use a hanging planter pot to hang your plants from the ceiling or even off the wall. These hanging planters come in 4 inch and 6 inch pots which hold your typical greenhouse planter. We love these because of their neutral colour and they are also handmade!

Reed Diffusers

The beauty of a diffuser is that you do not even need to take the time to light it, as you would a candle. Once the reeds are in, the oils will continuously scent the space.

You can place this on top of your desk, on a cabinet, or anywhere else in your office space– since it is a diffuser, the smell will permeate the room no matter where you decide to put it.

Smell can be very helpful when setting a mood– just look at aromatherapy!– so a diffuser can be an easy way to make your office feel more homey. 

Sure, work can be stressful! That’s why this Stress Relief scent is perfect for your office space.

Soy Candles

If you are more of a candle fan, there are plenty of candles that you can place in your office instead. For instance, this Fresh Coffee scent is a great pick to wake you up and jumpstart your productivity. After all, what do we all start our day with? Coffee! For that reason, this scent will help to influence you subconsciously to be more present and productive.

Candles also give you greater control, as you can cover them up and decide when and when not to light them. They are typically a better home decor option for those who are more sensitive to smells.

Lotion Dispenser Bottle

Basement spaces can often be cold and dry, so if your home office is down there, you are going to be in need of some good hand lotion! You can put your favourite lotion in this glass dispenser bottle on your desktop, and it will really help to tie together your decor theme.

The amber glass looks much more stylish and sophisticated than a plastic bottle. It also makes it easy to lotion up during the day, as it has a pump– no more unscrewing and re-screwing your bottle of lotion throughout the day!

Basement Office Design Ideas

Paint

Giving your basement office space a fresh coat of paint can make a huge difference to the space. We recommend using a light colour instead of something dark. This will open up your space more, especially if you are already working with a small space. You really can’t go wrong with white walls in the basement. Here are a few of the top whites, with options for a neutral tone, warm and cool tones.

Lighting

We all love natural light, but as we know, basements don’t often get a lot of natural light because of the smaller windows in the space. So that’s where we can use floor lamps or desk lamps to help warm up the space and brighten things up. By picking out the right decorative lighting fixtures, you can get great light to the ceiling, and also task lighting that is more directed on your workstation when using table lamps.

Updating your current light fixtures to something more modern and timeless will also make your space look more pulled together. You don’t want it to be intensely bright in your basement office, but you’ll want to find a balance of functionality and practicality by using warmer bulbs. You can also look into getting light bulbs light the ones below that help plants grow, which is a bonus if you have zero natural light in your space but want to incorporate plants that don’t require low light.

I hope this article gave you some inspiration and ideas when it comes to styling your home office in your basement. Sometimes a few guidelines and a bit of a plan is all you need to create a functional home office. And remember your home office is a reflection of your personal style, so have fun with it! 

Happy styling!

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Make My Basement Office Brighter?

Paint the walls with bright colours or stick to white, this is the easiest and most affordable way to lighten a room. You can add glass doors along with mirrors that will help reflect light and allow more light to come through. Add more lighting options, such as floor lamps or table lamps.