Ridiculously cool personal office spaces

For a budding entrepreneur, a personal office space is gold. No, we aren’t talking about a home office that’s crammed in the closet and has been taken over by toys; we mean a dedicated space for running your business and household affairs. Whether you are a start-up on a budget, running a small business from home, or overseeing family finances as Mom CFO, check out these office spaces that we are seriously crushing on and get inspiration for creating your own.

Sabrina Soto

Designer Sabrina Soto knows a thing or two about creating a picture-perfect space. With experience designing for such popular shows as Real Estate Intervention, Get It Sold and now The High Low Project, Sabrina can create a look that “wows” for less.

Her personal office in her penthouse in New York exudes energy. Bright accessories pop off of neutral walls and furnishings. Sabrina is a self-admitted neat freak and needs an organized space to fully function. And, boy is her office organized. Pens, paint chips and fabric swatches are artfully arranged by color and other office accessories are available at arm’s reach. Cabinetry keeps unsightly files hidden and colorful design books are stylishly arranged so they function as decor.

With her office being in a smaller two-bedroom apartment, Sabrina’s space is a great example of high style in a small space.

The extraordinarily talented Shaunna West not only pens the blog Perfectly Imperfect, she also recently opened a retail space in Alabama at Troy Antiques where she sells her fabulous repurposed items including home decor, furniture and chalk paints.

Shaunna dreamed up her ideal writing room and together with her husband created a picturesque writer’s retreat. The former dark attic space was converted to a light and bright room. Perfect for finding new inspiration, staying organized, or simply taking a little nap, we are totally crushing on Shaunna’s office space. Don’t miss the gorgeous nook accented with a painted plank wall made from reclaimed wood.

The Nester’s design philosophy is simple: “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.” This liberating phrase encourages people to create a home for living, not one that’s perfectly styled and impeccably clean at all hours of the day, but one where kids can jump on a white slipcovered sofa without enacting the fury of an overbearing mom.

The Nester’s office, where she runs the wildly popular Nesting Place, was featured in Ladies’ Home Journal and isn’t there to just look pretty. It’s where she writes, crafts and organizes (or doesn’t) her business and family affairs. The best part? She’s included a must-see picture of what her office looks like in action. Take a gander and feel better about your own (disorganized) office space.

As a former lawyer who now runs one of the most successful home decor sites in the blogosphere, Kate Riley of Centsational Girl not only knows how to keep things organized, the girl can do it with major style. With a motto of “fabulous, for less,” Kate will decorate and redecorate her space using thrift store finds that she repurposes into fabulous treasures. She also has an eye for customizing furniture pieces so they best suit her space, even if it means painting brand new pieces.

This decorator at heart constantly updates her home office space so that it always meets her current needs and provides fresh inspiration. Check out her original office makeover and see how the office evolved with a simple swap of furniture pieces before it settled into the current form pictured here with bright, colorful curtains.

Emily Jones is the creative entrepreneur behind Jones Design Company. A self-taught graphic designer, Emily followed her dream of starting her own business and opened up a custom stationery business. Now she balances running her online shop where she sells beautiful prints with teaching a blog class, all while chasing around four young kids.

Her home office sports a custom wall pattern she created herself and hand-painted to give the look of wallpaper. One wall was painted with chalk paint so it serves as a full-service inspiration board (and something for the kiddos to draw on). Papers and office supplies are corralled with stylish racks and metal baskets. See how her office evolved from its original state.

Marian Parsons, aka Miss Mustard Seed, considers herself an “accidental entrepreneur.” She started her design business, Mustard Seed Interiors LLC, as a fun, creative way to contribute to her family’s income. Little did she know that it would grow into a successful furniture refinishing business, become inspiration for a successful blog, allow her to launch a collection of Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint and write Inspired You, her first book.

Marian’s home office is a multifunctional space. In addition to keeping office supplies organized, it also works as a craft room, and helps corral family clutter by serving dual-purpose as a place to stash backpacks, purses and coats. Rather than attempting to define the space with several furniture pieces, Marian opted for custom built-in cabinetry that could be tailored to their needs. The result is a fresh, white space that’s clean and organized, yet still functional for “real world” living.

Brook Wilhelmsen is a military spouse who has moved a mere 11 times in the last 14 years, including a six-year stint in Japan. A DIYer at heart, she documents her latest projects on her blog Being Brook where she shares tips for building your own dream handmade home.

Brook’s studio space is a crafter’s dream! Featured in Ana White’s book, The Handbuilt Home, this multifunctional office demonstrates how repurposed furniture and a little elbow grease can produce a gorgeous, yet affordable, space.

Between the giant craft table her husband built, sewing station, and even a mini-me table perfect for the creative tot, we’re obsessing over her space. Don’t miss the lovely book page heart mobile — it’s one that you’ll definitely want to add to your list of Pinterest to-dos.

More office inspiration

Designing a residential office space
Turn a small space into a home office
Styling a small workspace