Small Home Office Remodel: Converting Our Unused Back Entryway (Part 1: The Before + Design Plan)
For over a decade, this little back entry has sat untouched.
Unused.
Undefined.
Full of potential.
Ever since we moved in, I’ve had a quiet vision in the back of my mind: one day, this will be my office.
And we’re finally making it happen!
For years, I’ve been a bit of a work-from-home nomad — floating between our bedroom, the dining room, and the living room. While I’m incredibly grateful to work from home, it’s been hard to stay organized when all of my notebooks, files, and office supplies don’t have a dedicated place to live.
This small home office remodel feels long overdue — and I’m so excited to finally share the process with you of converting our old unused back entryway into my home office.
Today, I’m walking you through the before and my design plan.
The Old Back Entry (Before)
Here’s a look at what the back entry currently looks like:
It’s essentially been an empty space without a real purpose. It’s not insulated and pretty small — roughly 83″ x 39″ x 86″ in height (22.47 sq ft.).
But what it does have is:
-
Natural light
-
A separate feel from the main living areas
-
Enough depth for a workspace
-
Tons of untapped potential
Which makes it the perfect candidate for a thoughtful small home office remodel.
My Design Process
Whenever I design a room from the ground up, I follow the same general process. Whether it’s a full renovation or a small-space refresh, this framework keeps everything intentional and functional.
If you’re planning your own small home office remodel, I hope this helps.
Step 1: Start With the Layout
Whenever I begin designing a space, I start with the dimensions and overall layout. I sketch out a few different options and measure everything to make sure it actually works in real life. Scale matters a lot—something that looks great on paper doesn’t always translate once it’s in the room.
The layout is the foundation to making this a successful small home office remodel.
Once I land on a layout I like, I move on to creating a design board. I use Adobe InDesign because I’ve worked in the Adobe Suite since college and it’s what I know best. If you’re looking for something more user-friendly, Canva is a great option.
Office Design Board: Color Story 1
- Wallpaper
- Ceiling Light
- Curtains
- Picture Light
- Lamp
- Tile is from Seneca Tile but product is no longer available
- Pin Board
I want this office to be character-filled. When building the boards, I focused on:
-
Texture
-
Warmth
-
Functional lighting
-
Personality
This may be a small office, but I still want it to feel charming and intentional.
Office Design Board: Color Story 2
- Wallpaper
- Ceiling Light
- Curtains
- Picture Light
- Lamp
- Tile is from Seneca Tile but product is no longer available
- Pin Board
The second option explores a slightly different mood by just switching out the palette. I love placing two concepts side by side because it forces me to evaluate:
-
How do I want this space to feel day-to-day?
-
What complements the rest of our home?
-
Which direction will feel timeless in five years?
In a compact small home office remodel, every decision carries more visual weight — so narrowing the design early makes the execution smoother.
Demo Process: What’s Next
Demo is coming up next!
We’ve hired our go-to subcontractors to replace the windows so it’s up to code. We’ll also be replacing the existing door with an exterior wall, followed by adding insulation to make the space comfortable year-round.
These updates are essential for turning this from an unused + uninspired empty space into a true working office.
If you’d like to follow along in real time, I’ll be sharing behind-the-scenes updates on my Instagram Stories.
And of course — I’ll be documenting everything in Part 2 of this small home office remodel. Stay tuned for my 3-D rendering of this space!
After many years of imagining this space as my office, it feels surreal to finally bring this old unused back entryway to home office conversion to life.
If you love room transformations, you may also like reading:
Knee Wall Cabinets that are the Perfect Solution for Storage
Repurposing and Converting Our Sleeping Porch into the Ensuite Bathroom: Before and After Photos
