A Place for Two to Work, beside the Dining Table

Can a small apartment accommodate two workspaces and storage together?

When a home needs a workspace, the first question is often where to put the desk. At SOWHOUSE, we considered how the kitchen, dining table, two workspaces and storage relate to one another.

ATELIER SOW · Interior Design · Construction

Round dining table by the window, two workspaces and an opposite storage wall at SOWHOUSE — The dining table, two workspaces and storage wall share the same space.

Daily Life before Room Labels

Cooking, eating, working and resting take place within the same home. Before assigning each activity to a room, we considered where these parts of daily life would happen.

The existing walls, windows, services and light guided the relationship between the kitchen, dining table, workspaces and storage at SOWHOUSE. The overall photograph shows a table by the window, the workspaces beside it and a storage wall opposite.

Two Workspaces along One Wall

Two desks sit side by side along a wall, with long shelves for books and objects above. The places for working and keeping the things needed for work are gathered along the same wall.

A home’s layout depends on whether two people work at the same time and whether calls or meetings require separation. The photograph of SOWHOUSE shows one way to place two workspaces and storage together.

Two desks side by side beneath long bookshelves along one wall at SOWHOUSE — Two desks with bookshelves extending above them.

Storage Together, a Table by the Window

Opposite the workspaces, closed storage and open shelves run along a wall. Things to keep behind doors and things to display share this surface, with a round dining table nearby by the window.

Reading desks and storage together with the table and window, rather than as individual pieces of furniture, was how we approached accommodating different parts of daily life within a small home.

Closed storage, open shelving and a round dining table by the window at SOWHOUSE — The storage wall leads toward a round table by the window.

BEFORE A CONVERSATION

Planning a Place to Work at Home?

Alongside discussing rooms, tell us how working and living will happen in your home.

Time spent working together

When and how do the people sharing the home work there? Start with whether the workspaces will be used at the same time or at different times.

What to connect and what to separate

Do calls or meetings need a separate space? Share how closely you would like workspaces to connect with—or be separated from—eating and resting areas.

Places for furniture and belongings

Share the desks, equipment, books and belongings you already have. Existing plans or site photographs help us consider storage and furniture layout together.