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Home Office Becomes ‘Essential’

5 ways to make Dad’s office a custom space

June 9, 2020 | By Chad Esslinger


With Father’s Day coming up, here’s a few ideas for how you might be able to help Dad’s home office become a little more his space.

Over the last few years, and especially since March, I've found that working moms or dads have really needed a dedicated space to work from home. With mobile devices, people can theoretically work from any room in the home, but when the kids are around it is nice to be able to shut the door and work in relative peace and quiet.

With Father’s Day approaching, here are some ideas for creating a home office space that Dad can really call his own:


Chair and a Half Recliner

Chair and a Half Recliner

Multi-Functional
One of my keys for designing a home office is to be open to incorporating multi-functional aspects into it. That might mean a stationary bike in the corner, a lounge chair or a recliner to change up the seating while working.

Office Wall Colors

Darker Wall Colors

Color & Texture
Keeping a masculine approach for Dad in mind, I like to go a little darker on wall colors in the home office, with lots of contrast for dark woods, metals, and fabrics.

8-Drawer Executive Desk

8-Drawer Executive Desk

Create a Focal Point
In most cases, a proper desk and a comfortable chair should be the centerpiece of any home office. You just can't be as productive if you're in your PJs all day in bed with your laptop. After choosing the desk and desk chair, functional storage is important to ensure files, papers, and supplies aren't piled all over the place.

5-Shelf Bookcase

5-Shelf Bookcase

Essential Dad
Infusing Dad's personality and individuality into his office space is essential. This means the traditional things, like a framed diploma or photo of the family, are present. I like incorporating floating shelves where Dad might showcase a signed baseball, golf league trophy, or the one-of-a-kind clay sculpture that the kids made for him.

Contemporary Solid Wood Media Console

Contemporary Solid Wood Media Console

Reclining & Relaxing
If the room is a little more multi-functional, a flat-screen wall-mounted TV is a nice feature to have. Depending on Dad's line of work, he may need to check stocks or the news as the day progresses.

Sleek Recliner with Nailhead Trim<

Sleek Recliner with Nailhead Trim

It’s important Dad feels like he has a place he can just kick back on a recliner to catch the game after the work day is over. I really like leather or dark neutral fabric recliners. Recliners really offer that key component for a multi-functional home office for Dad.

Chad Esslinger Design

Chad Esslinger

Photo by: Irene Nelson Photography.

Chad Esslinger is the principal and lead designer of CHAD ESSLINGER DESIGN in Downers Grove, IL.
A University of Illinois graduate who spent two decades designing and developing products for the world's
leading wholesalers, retailers, and manufacturers, Chad has been operating CHAD ESSLINGER DESIGN since 2011.


Tags: home office furniture, essential furniture, working from home, #WFH, work desks for home, working from home furniture, home office, desks, executive desks, file cabinets, credenza, computer desk, L-shaped desk, corner desk