Cost to Furnish a Home Office: Budget & Cost Breakdown

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Since the pandemic, the idea of creating an appealing home office space has increased in popularity. 

Nowadays, the general public is used to hybrid working, whereas it was considered less traditional before 2020. Because of this new way of working, many individuals have begun taking care of their workspaces, making them feel more welcoming to themselves and their families.

Since the pandemic, home office projects have increased by 4%, with people spending 10% more on home office furniture.

Mary Lee Smyth, the interior designer at La-Z-Boy, has also seen an increase in home office furniture trends in Ottawa and Kingston.“I’ve gotten quite a few people asking me about getting an office desk for their home, and home office chairs, and home office expenses in general,” she says.

But, with home office projects on the rise, some remote workers may need to learn how to adequately revamp their working spaces. 

With the help of this article, you will know how much to budget for the type of furniture for a home office you want, as well as cost breakdowns of potential furniture pieces that could appear in your home office.

1.  What Does a Home Office Mean?
2. Creating a Home Office Budget
3. Breakdown of Home Office Expenses
   1. Cost of a Home Office Desk
   2. Cost of a Home Office Chair
   3. Cost of Storage Units
   4. Cost of Extra Seating
   5. Cost of an Area Rug
   6. Cost of Home Office Lighting
   7. Cost of Home Decor Items & Accessories
4. Cost of Home Office Furniture at La-Z-Boy

What Does a Home Office Mean?

Before we dive into the nitty gritty on the cost of furniture for a home office. You might be wondering what a home office entails? 

A home office refers to a designated workspace within one's residence where individuals can conduct professional or work-related tasks. 

This area is typically equipped with essential tools and resources such as a computer, a large office desk, chair, and other office supplies, allowing individuals to efficiently perform their job responsibilities from the comfort of their own home. 

Home offices have become increasingly important in recent years, especially with the rise of remote work, enabling people to maintain productivity and work-life balance without the need for a traditional office setting.

Creating a Home Office Budget

When furnishing any room in your home, it is always a good idea to start a budget. Some may have an idea of what they want to see in their home office, but others may need help figuring out where to even start.

If you’re unsure where to begin, you might experience a daunting feeling that prevents you from making a decision. This phenomenon is called “The Blank Canvas Effect.”

This feeling commonly affects writers and artists that start a project from scratch. But this can also reflect other tasks you’re unaware of, like furnishing a new place. Where is your stuff going to go? What furniture should you get? Will my room look too cramped or too empty? 

To help mitigate the worries of “the Blank Canvas,” Mary Lee assures readers with some calming words. “Remember to breathe and focus on the main priority of your room and what you will be doing.”

Although we’ve given a brief description on the definition of a home office, asking yourself what does a home office space mean to you, helps narrow down what you need to buy.

Depending on your goal for your home office, you may consider some of the following furniture options…

• Office Desk for home
• Home Office Chairs
• Storage Units (Hutch, Bookshelves)
• Room Lighting (Lamps, Ceiling Light)
• Additional Seating (Accent Chair, Sofa)
• Area Rug
• Artwork
• Other Home Decor & Accessories

Three Types of Scenarios

Mary Lee lists three different types of home offices commonly found in a household.

The first one is a smaller setting focusing on everyday tasks and not professional work. A smaller footprint can entail having a space for essential files that are important to your home, your life and more. “Home offices don’t need to be specific to a job,” says Mary Lee, “it can also be a place where your taxes and bills and passport information can live, so they don’t get lost.”

The second scenario that is the most common situation nowadays is the traditional home office. This is specific to a job that you currently work remotely, like a content writer, an editor or some government jobs. 

Mary Lee says that more important things like computer setup and proper lighting for appearance matter more, especially if your job requires more digital meetings.

And the last possible scenario is another job-specific situation, but in this case, the worker requires clients to enter their office space for appointments or consultations. This type of workplace is mostly common with therapists, lawyers and other specialists who have client appointments.

Mary Lee says that the most important factor to consider in this scenario is determining if your home office is warm and inviting to you and other people. “Making your clients feel comfortable in this environment allows them to feel more relaxed and less stressed.”

What to Start With?

When putting furniture in a home office, one of the main things to figure out is determining the size of your room and how much you can fit in this area. To learn more about Measuring Your Space, take a look at this article.

The other thing you’ll want to determine is the essential home office furniture that you want to get first. What are the main furniture pieces that you will be using every day?

If you’ve thought of a desk and a chair, you’d be in the same boat with pretty much everyone! Some might also add additional storage units to the list, like filing cabinets or bookshelves to keep professional belongings or even extra seating so that clients don’t have to worry about standing up for a long time.

Depending on your use of the home office (the three scenarios above), you’ll then want to think of the quality of your furniture. 

Are these furniture pieces something you will use more casually or all the time? Do you see yourself working there for a long time, or is it temporary? When investing in your furniture, you’ll have to prepare yourself to spend a little bit more than what you might’ve initially expected.

But Mary Lee says that purchasing higher quality furniture will help save money over time without needing to replace worn-down pieces. “Plus, the higher the quality, the more comfortable it’s going to be!” she says.

Lastly, purchasing additional things like area rugs and home decor items can come second. As a rule of thumb, interior designers typically leave at least 15% of expenses to home decor items, according to Mary Lee.

“Some people may think this is high, but room accessories matter more than some may think, especially if you’re trying to make a welcoming environment for clients,” she says.

Furniture for Home Office Expenses Breakdown

Here comes the fun part: determining how much money you’ll want to spend on your respective furniture items.

After figuring out how many furniture pieces and decor items you can fit into your space, you’ll then want to break down each expense and see how much money you’ll be spending overall. 

This next section breaks down each furniture piece and why you should spend a certain amount towards your home office.

Cost of Home Office Desk

The large office desk is your primary workspace, meaning it is an essential item for your home office expenses. 

Mary Lee notes that the type of desk you purchase must pair well with the type of furniture for your home office. “You don’t want it to look too businessy if you’re having clients over. Make the space look more homey with a heritage desk.”

You will also have to take into consideration the whole measurements of your room. “Make sure your large office desk doesn’t take over half of the room. That way you can have proper traffic flow,” Mary Lee says.

There are also many types of desks you can purchase, like a standing desk, which is a great choice for those who may want to take a break from sitting down during the day.

The average cost of a home office desk is around $400 - $1,000 for a good quality desk.

Cost of a Home Office Chair

An office chair can prove to be comfortable or uncomfortable, depending on the quality of the chair. For example, if you were to purchase an ergonomic office chair from IKEA, the cost would be more affordable but less comfortable compared to traditional office chairs found at Staples.

Your degree of investment in an ergonomic office chair will also depend on how often you use it, much like home office desks. Will you use it every day, or only now and then?

That being said, the cost of a good home office chair can range from $400 - $1,000.

Cost of Storage Units

Extra storage is never a bad idea, especially when you need it for your job. Depending on how big or small your room is, adding a shelving unit can also bring more character to a room.

Mary Lee even says you can add books, knick-knacks or collectible figures to express your interests to clients or people on the other end of zoom meetings. “You can set your shelving unit in your background so that everyone can see and spark conversation,” she says.

The average price for a shelving unit is approximately $100 - $2,000, depending on the size.

Cost of Extra Seating

Extra seating can occur if clients come into your house for consultations or designated appointments. 

While extra seating sounds broad, the type of seating you require is up to you. Mary Lee recommends sticking with inviting and comfortable furniture that is reminiscent of a living room setting. 

“You might be inclined to add two accent chairs, a loveseat or a sofa, depending on the space in your room. As long as it’s relaxing and welcoming, that’s all you need,” she says.

To learn more about the cost of a sofa, or an accent chair, take a look at these articles.

Cost of an Area Rug

Area rugs can be the perfect way to pull a room together and add texture with little effort. Not only are area rugs great accent pieces, but they can also absorb sound when used in echoed areas.

The average cost of an area rug is approximately $600 - $1,000, depending on the size.

To learn more about the Cost of an Area Rug, take a look at this article.

Cost of Home Office Lighting

Though some may overlook it, office lighting can be crucial for remote jobs where you meet individuals over video calls.

“You wouldn’t want to look like a mysterious creature looking through the camera; people want to see your face with good lighting.” Mary Lee says.

Lighting in a home office can range from smaller lights, like task lights and table lamps with different settings, to floor lamps and ceiling lights. The average cost of room lighting for a home office is approximately $50 - $220 apiece.

Cost of Home Decor Items & Accessories

Lastly, home decor items, such as artwork and other accessories, bring your home design to life and accentuate your personal taste in your room.

Home decor items & accessories can include wall paintings, tabletop ornaments, window coverings, picture frames, and much more.

Artwork does not have a fixed price. Mary Lee recommends budgeting at least $500 - $1,000 for home decor items. “That way, you can spend some money to make your room more personable,” she says.

Cost of Home Office Furniture at La-Z-Boy

Lastly, although La-Z-Boy Ottawa & Kingston don’t traditionally sell furniture for your home office, we still have certain pieces that can work in a home office, such as shelving units, etageres and home decor accessories. 

For example, looking at the most recent Minto Dream Home, the home office boasts a green velvet chair typically used as a dining chair. Mary Lee states, “this is actually pretty innovative because dining chairs usually have a straight stature, which can promote good posture.” 

There are other alternatives, such as this secretary desk by Hammary, which Mary Lee says can work well in the corner of a room if someone is looking for a more casual and smaller workspace.

At first glance, this furniture may seem expensive as La-Z-Boy furniture is typically in the market's mid to high-end price range. Several factors influence the cost of our La-Z-Boy furniture, and there are affordable furniture items that you can find by speaking to any of our design consultants.

Mary Lee says her and all of the other interior designers at La-Z-Boy Ottawa & Kingston are another great resource and are happy to help, especially if you plan to implement a more traditional home office.

What's Next?

Now that you know everything you need to know about the cost of furnishing a home office, you should have a more confident plan when tackling what might have been a daunting blank canvas.

If you are still experiencing uncertainty, remember to ask yourself “what does a home office mean to you.” Does it mean productivity? A cozy sanctuary to work remotely? Will it change the way you work and live?

If you’re still unsure, La-Z-Boy has you covered! You can start shopping by visiting one of our local showrooms located in Ottawa or Kingston. You can also schedule a visit online before coming in. 

Our design consultants are always eager to lend a helping hand. Take advantage of our interior design services for extra assistance in furnishing a home office that fits your budget.

If you’re also wondering about the cost of other rooms in your home, like your bedroom, basement, or entire house, check out these helpful articles. If you’re interested about Home Office Furniture in Ottawa, take a look at this article.

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