Vintage furniture pieces can add so much to an interior as they always tend to tell a story and add character. I love them, especially when combined with modern and contemporary elements for a contrast between old and new and I think they look amazing in Scandinavian interiors.
Use a small antique desk as an impromptu home office
Antique desks tend to combine well with modern design styles or a contemporary interior just as well as in a Scandinavian interior. A small antique work desk can be the main item to create a home office corner in a dining room, living room, bedroom, or small spare room without having to dedicate a whole room to it.
Below you can see 15 beautiful home office ideas with vintage desks in bedrooms, living rooms, or hallway spaces. Each one of them is styled to perfection, sometimes painted (like in the first bold example), sometimes left in their original state, sometimes paired up with a retro desk chair, but always unique and perfectly blended into a Scandinavian interior design.
A pink-painted vintage desk combined with a petrol blue wall color
As if the bold color choice of this pink-painted desk wasn’t yet enough of a statement, the fact that it has been combined with a petrol blue wall enhances the bold effect of the vintage desk in this room. Modern interior elements like the white table lamp, the rice paper shade on the ceiling, and the white Fritz Hansen ANT chair contrast against the vintage look of the desk, and the blue hue of the wall come back in the art print above the desk.
Painting a vintage piece is an easy furniture makeover you can achieve with a piece you no longer like. You can even replace the handles if they are not to your liking or give the desk a more modern expression with a different handle. Beslag design has a really nice collection of nordic design vintage and modern handles if you are looking to give your furniture an upgrade.
via Entrance Makleri
A minimal white setting with a vintage wood desk
I featured the full bedroom with this vintage desk in this blog post from a while back (have a look, the bedroom itself is so elegant and inviting). The small furniture piece is a vintage writing desk, which is perfect to do some small home office tasks or to reply to emails on your laptop. The sheer curtains combined with the white table lamp and the HAY About a chair in grey upholstery work perfectly together for a Scandinavian-style home office design in a modest, neutral color palette.
Styled by Linnéa H. Manaberi, photographed by Frederik J Karlsson for Alvhem
A vintage desk combined with a sage green gallery wall
I love the way the warm color of the wood vintage desk contrasts with the cool tint of the sage green wall color decorated with a gallery wall with minimal posters. The white Flos Gatto table lamp combined with the white metal chair balance out the warm color palette in both the wood of the vintage desk and that of the gorgeous wooden doors leading up to the bedroom. Make sure to check out the full home tour here.
Styled by Linnéa H. Manaberi for Alvhem
A vintage fold-out table as a desk
Rather than combining a vintage desk with modern elements and clean lines, I like how the stylist leaned into the vintage look and combined it with an old painting to enhance the vintage look and feel even more. This desk is used for keeping perfumes and cosmetics but can be a stand-in on home office days at the same time.
Just like in the first example, the wall of this bedroom (see the full apartment tour here) has been painted in a petrol blue color, which is a perfect cool tint to add some character to your bedroom. If you are looking for some more blue bedroom wall inspiration, check out this summary I made a while back: 13 inspiring bedrooms with blue walls.
Styled by Emma Fisher, photographed by Anders Bergstedt for Alvhem
A wood vintage desk in an all-grey bedroom setting
This bedroom consists solely out of tints of grey, with the exception of the beautiful warm wood color of the vintage desk and the wooden picture frame hanging above it. The Fritz Hansen Drop chair and the subtle olive branch add the finishing touches to this cozy work-from-home spot.
Check out the rest of this beautiful nordic interior in the full apartment tour here.
Styled by Emma Fisher and Linnéa H. Manaberi , photographed by Henrik Linden for Alvhem
A vintage desk against a warm grey wall color
Just like the first home office example, this desk has been combined with the white Fritz Hansen ANT chair (€306*– $436*), while the warm grey of the wall has been matched by the Flowerpot VP3 table lamp designed by Verner Panton for &Tradition. Rather than creating contrast in this space, more warm elements were added to the room design to enhance this warm and inviting home office setup.
Styled by Grey Decor, photographed by Fredrik J Karlsson for Alvhem
A black-painted vintage desk and an iconic desk chair
This beautiful black vintage desk has been fitted with a modern desk lamp: the popular HAY Matin table lamp (€184* – $165*) with it’s delicate pleads contrast so nicely against the black of the vintage desk and mirror. To finish things off, a Fritz Hansen Series 7™ Swivel Armrest Chair in leather (€ 1.837*–$2,139) was added, which is a true classic and iconic design piece that enhances the look and takes it to another level. The terracotta jug filled with a dried branch finishes things of nicely.
Styled by Linnéa H. Manaberi, photographed by Anders Bergstedt for Alvhem
A vintage white desk for a feminine look
I love the bright look of this home office created in front of a bedroom window. The elegant white vintage desk has been finished off with a house plant in red tones and framed by these beautiful full-length beige curtains and a vintage chair. The pink comes back in the bedding on the bed as well, for a cohesive, elegant look.
via Alvhem
A vintage fold-out table combined with a Monstera
Vintage pieces and indoor plants always go so well together I think. This work space has been combined with a classic Tolomeo Tavolo Desk Lamp in black by Artemide (€ 284,75*– $362*)- and the HAY Result chair in beige and lacquered oak (€ 359*– $374*) with a design that reminds of a vintage school chair, fitting perfectly with the rest of the home office setting.
via Entrance Makleri
A classic vintage desk combined with blue tints as a bedroom home office spot
The vintage desk in this beautiful bedroom with blue tints has such beautiful detailing and it looks like such a treasure. The blue in the art print on the wall finishes things off nicely and the small green plant that has been added on the desk in the Dora Maar bowl designed by Jonathan Adler (€55 – $50*) is such a playful addition to the setting.
via Alvhem
A vintage desk setup in an awkward layout niche
Sometimes old buildings have these weird layouts, which are often a challenge to design. A small home office spot is the perfect setup to fit in such a small niche though, as you can truely optimize the space. I love the way the String system shelving (€142 for the shelves* + €69 for the sides*// $174 for the shelves* + $116 for the sides*), provides extra open storage on both of the walls.
via Stadshem
A black-painted vintage desk combined with white and grey
The combination of black and white in front of the subtle grey wall works very nicely in this home office setup. The brass accents of the drawer handles and the rattan of the bentwood chair add elements of interest to this otherwise modest style.
Styled by Grey Deco for Kvarteret Makleri
A black and white setting in a tiny room
This home office fits inside of a tiny room and even though it has a very similar style to the previous example (the same stylist designed both of these Scandinavian homes), I think the modern interior design touch distinguishes them from each other. Also in this example, the white Fritz Hansen ANT chair makes an entry and contrasts wonderfully with the black vintage desk.
via Stadshem
An all-vintage home office setup
While I think the power lays in the combination of vintage pieces with modern elements, this beautiful and characterful home office combines a vintage desk with a vintage desk chair and a vintage desk lamp.
via Stadshem
A white vintage painted desk combined with a blue bentwood chair
The color combination of this home office setup in a Scandinavian bedroom is so intriguing. The blue-painted bentwood chair combined with the dark grey wall color works so beautifully and I love the way the space next to the wardrobe has been used in such an optimal way to fit in a small home office.
via Entrance Makleri
A warm wood secretary with extra storage space
This antique secretary is one of those perfect writing desks for a guest room, as it also provides you with lots of storage space in the drawers and cabinet on both sides.
The warm wood of the secretary contrasts nicely against the white walls and the white-soaped flooring in this beautiful turn-of-the-century space and the warm tones in the accessories and art prints complement the look nicely.
via Alvhem
A small vintage office desk painted in the same color as the wall
Smaller antique desks are perfect to add to a bedroom as an impromptu home office spot, but can also be used as a dressing table when combined with a mirror above it just like in this beautiful bedroom. The desk has been painted in the same color as the wall for a tone-on-tone effect and the XL mirror reflects the daylight coming from the window in a perfect way.
Styled by Grey Deco, photographed by Henrik Linden for Alvhem
A desk with an exposed wood top and black-painted legs
When you discover a vintage piece, it doesn’t need to be perfect. You can always give it a small DIY transformation like in this beautiful example where the top has been kept bare, but the legs have been painted in glossy black for a more dramatic effect that pairs up nicely with the light grey walls and the light oak flooring in this beautiful apartment.
via Entrance Makleri
An antique secretary desk against a dark grey wall
The combination of the vintage secretary with the green vintage bankers’ lamp and the modern stool against the dark grey walls works like a charm. The secretary functions as a home office spot in the bedroom, yet at the same time, it offers storage opportunities in the drawers.
Styled by Studio Cuvier, photographed by Henrik Linden for Alvhem
A grey-painted antique desk combined with a round wall mirror
This beautiful antique desk has ornate details and has been painted in a neutral light grey paint color that complements the deep green-grey wall color of the bedroom. The combination of the desk with the rustic table lamp and the large round mirror works perfectly and the black chair finishes the look off in an elegant way.
via Alvhem – see the full home tour here
A simple antique wood desk against historic attic walls
The natural wood desk with three antique drawers fits perfectly against the rough white plaster walls of this attic apartment with exposed wood beams. The warm wood tone of the desk complements the dark wood beams and the natural oak chair. These three wood tones make for an interesting warm color palette in the space.
styled by Livin Deco, photographed by Jonas Berg, for sale via Stadshem
