How to Create an Ikea Home Office for $200 or Less

Keep Calm and Work From Home

If you’ve never wrestled with the demon that is working from home — as many more of us did over this past year — it can be a challenge. There are about 100 things to distract you from the tasks at hand, and without a proper home office setup, staying productive can be nearly impossible. We’ve scoured the Ikea catalog to help you turn that guest bedroom/dining room/dark, cobwebby corner into the home office you need. Take a look at these options and mix and match to your heart’s content — you should have no trouble putting together a combination of these essentials for under $200.

Prices and availability are subject to change.

Brusali Desk

$55
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It’s hard to start anywhere else: You really need a desk if you’re going to be working from home. Working from bed, the couch, or the coffee table doesn’t quite do the trick (and can also mess with your back). This guy right here is sort of an all-in-one, with shelves and a space to hide cables. And, for $55, it's a steal. The walnut color ain’t hideous either.

Micke Desk

$79
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This is sort of an upgraded version of the Brusali, with a more modern and sleek finish (and, most important, actual drawers). A desk setup that comes with storage space for under a hundred bucks is hard to beat.

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Brusali Corner Desk

$80
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Not all of us have a perfectly flat wall for placing a desk, but luckily that’s no big deal. Peep this Brusali, which will fit nicely into the corner you didn’t realize was about to become your home office.

Lagkapten / Adils Desk

$39
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Sometimes simplicity is best. For under $40, you can grab something simple like this piece, and all of a sudden you’ve got a space that you can devote entirely to getting things done.

Hällan Storage Unit

$50
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Feel like the barren Lagkapten / Adils desk won’t get the job done? Stick one of these extra storage spots underneath and you’ll be looking more professional in no time. Bonus: The desk comes in white, if you want to keep the pieces color coordinated.

Build Your Own Desk

Ikea really knows what it's doing, so if none of these options are working for you, just tap straight into your own creativity and build your own with this awesome feature on the Ikea website. You can get way specific, from functional choices like swapping desk legs for file cabinets, all the way to color and material preferences.

Flintan Office Chair

$80
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Chairs might not be the cheapest things at Ikea, but this is one of those situations where you really want to just spend the money. There’s a world of difference between a wooden stool with no back and this extra comfy, extra roll-y chair. And how 'bout that mesh backing?

Millberget Desk Chair

$70
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Go full-on corporate America with this cubicle-style leather chair. Arms are a nice thing to have too, and — for 10 bucks cheaper than the Flintan — you’ve got some right here.

Örfjäll Swivel Chair

$50
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For a lower-cost (but still comfy) option, this Örfjäll is as fun to own as it is to say. And, hey, maybe that orange material is just the color you need to spice up your new office.

Micke File Storage

$60
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We live in a digital world, but many of our jobs require us to deal with a whole lot of documents. This file storage system features three standard-size drawers (and one big one), as well as some wheels in case you feel like using it as a skateboard.

Helmer Drawer Unit

$40
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Got an awkward amount of space between your desk and the wall? Got way too many files to store in a tiny little Micke? Need something to hide your extensive collection of romance novels? Here’s a drawer tower that can stand upright next to your desk, provide an extra surface to put stuff on, and hold a ton of stuff for all your office needs.

Pallra Mini Chest

$15
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Okay, so you’ve got some files to organize, but you’re not the library of records and you don’t need an enormous tower of cabinets taking up your precious home office space. Grab this mini chest to take up a fraction of your desk space and hold the papers you’re afraid to accidentally throw away.

Forså Desk Lamp

$27
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There are a variety of reasons why you’d need a desk lamp, ranging from your actual job all the way to the physical location of your home office, so don’t underestimate how helpful a desk lamp can actually be. This guy is extra adjustable, too.

Drönjöns Desk Organizer

$10
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If you’re living the junk-all-over-your-desk life, get this desk organizer going. It’s got pencil and pen storage, file space, and enough room to house that one very specific thing sitting on your desk that you’ve been wondering what to do with.

Vivalla Tablet Stand

$13
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It’s 2020 and we live in a world where not everybody actually uses a computer for their work. Your job may require only a tablet. This cheap bamboo tablet stand will end up saving your neck a whole lot of strain.

Koppla Power Strips

$6
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You’ll be shocked how quickly you’ll find yourself searching for extra power — you can literally never have too many power strips. Lucky for you, the wizards at Ikea are selling two-packs for six bucks.

Splurge: Satsumas Plant Stand

$30
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There’s something to be said for going a little over budget to make sure your work space isn’t entirely joyless. Listening to your inner Marie Kondo and splurging on a little plant stand to brighten up your home office is far from the worst idea — plus, it gives you an excuse to take a break when you need to water them.

Splurge: Eneby Bluetooth Speaker

$25
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Depending on the type of work environment you’re used to, you might need a little help staying focused. Did you come from a loud, bustling office? The silence of your home office might take an unexpected toll on your productivity. If you can’t work without music (or just need a good, old-fashioned head-banging break from time to time), give these weirdly cheap Bluetooth speakers a look.

Splurge: Billy Bookcase

$87
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One of Ikea’s top-selling items of all time, the Billy bookcase even inspired its own financial index, used by Bloomberg to gauge purchasing power in different countries. Owners appreciate that it’s easy to assemble, roomy, and, most of all, inexpensive compared with other bookshelves. So if you have loads of books, magazines, and other items to keep handy and in plain view, a Billy will give you the space you need, and they come in a variety of configurations.

Splurge: Tillreda Mini Fridge

$129
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All right, look, your office is just about set up, but it’s missing something, right? That extra oomph? You’ll notice exactly what it is around 4 p.m., when you realize you need a bit of a pick-me-up, be it a soda, energy drink, bottled water, or craft beer. A mini fridge is exactly the type of finishing touch you need. Consider the $99 price tag an investment in your productivity.

Splurge: Symfonisk Speaker Lamp

$189
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Futuristic-looking lamps are nothing new at Ikea, but speaker lamps are. This is a mashup that's as functional as it is pretty, with a Sonos-compatible speaker standing in for a lamp base and a hand-crafted glass lampshade on top, together lending a cutting-edge look to your home work place.

Evedal Floor Lamp

$239
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If you're going to be in your work place for countless hours a week, why not add a touch of elegance? The Evedal lamp is definitely a foray into higher-end design and materials for Ikea: You'll get a handblown glass shade, marble base, solid oak stand, and brass accents that together make an heirloom-quality piece.

Splurge: Idåsen Sit/Stand Desk

$599

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If a sit-stand desk is a must, this one is probably worth the premium It adjusts from a height of just below 25 inches all the way up to 50 inches in sturdy comfort.