If you work from home you know that creating a private and productive home office can be challenging. Whether you share your space with family members or need to concentrate without interruptions, the right privacy solutions can make all the difference.
Here are 10 home office privacy ideas to help you create a more private and focused workspace.
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List of Home Office Privacy Ideas
Which of these ideas will work for you to make your home office more private and have less distractions.
10. Install a Privacy Screen or Room Divider
Don’t have a separate room for your home office?
Free-standing privacy screens or room dividers like the 4-panel option above are perfect for creating a dedicated workspace within a larger room. They help block visual distractions and delineate your office area, making it easier to concentrate.
They don’t really do anything for sound, but at least they block sightlines and help create a separate work space.
And they’re simple to use. Simply place the divider between your desk and the rest of the room to create a clear boundary.
And they’re simple to use and rearrange: they’re a nice mobile solution.
9. Soundproof Your Space
Did you just look at that say, “Hold on, I’m not putting a recording studio!” And that may be true but reducing some of the noise pollution in your home office can help reduce distractions.
Acoustic privacy is just as important as visual privacy.
Soundproofing your home office can reduce external noise, making it easier to focus and participate in virtual meetings without interruptions.
Acoustic panels placed onto the walls – like the foam ones above – are one option. They are best for reducing airborne noise from within the room such as voices and noisy equipment. But they don’t work well for vibration noises transmitted through the building. (Reference)
This article states that for most home uses a 1-inch thick acoustic panel is recommended.
You can also try: Adding soft furnishings like rugs, curtains, and upholstered furniture to further dampen sound.
8. Clamp-on Privacy Panel for your Desk
This is a cool idea. The company VIVO makes these clamp-on privacy panels that attach to the edge of your work desk.
They combine a visual barrier and sound-absorbing barrier into one easy-to-install product.
Plus, they help define your workspace and eliminate distractions. (I.e. if your desktop is clean you won’t see the rest of your messy workspace. 🙂
You can get them in different sizes too. This is the 24″x24″ version, but they make wider versions too.
- Easy Setup: Select screens and dividers that are quick and easy to install and remove without damaging your workspace.
7. Desk Privacy Shields (Sponsored)
Privacy screens like this may give people flashbacks to high school or tests they’ve taken, and they remind me of voting stations .
But if you want to create a “zone” around your desk where you can just focus and get your work done, these could be a great option.
And they’re an easy to set-up temporary solution. Just fold it down and tuck it under the sofa when you don’t need it. You could even use this to section off a chunk of your kitchen table for distraction-free working or studying.
It is available in a 22-pack, but for working from home I think you could get away with the 4-pack.
Click here for current price. (sponsored)
6. Use Plants as Natural Dividers
Plants add a touch of nature to your workspace and can also serve as natural dividers that enhance privacy.
They create a calming environment and can help block views from adjacent areas.
I used AI to help visualize what that could look like. (And I see it made the chair have some pretty funky legs. 🙂
You Can Try:
- Selecting Tall, leafy plants like fiddle leaf figs or snake plants to create visual barriers.
- Placing the plants strategically around your desk or along shared walls to maximize privacy.
- Incorporating Plant Stands to add height and depth to your green barriers. Then you can use a bunch of small potted plants instead of just having to rely on a few large plants.
5. Get Window Treatments That Provide Privacy
If you’ve got a window in your office you can choose window treatments like blinds, curtains, or shades to block outsiders from seeing into your home office while still allowing natural light to illuminate your workspace.
There are a lot of different window privacy options out there. I suggest you check out my article about Window Privacy Ideas to help you get a sense of what is available.
4. Position Your Desk Strategically
The placement of your desk can significantly impact your privacy and productivity. Positioning your desk away from high-traffic areas and direct lines of sight can help minimize interruptions.
Tips for you to think about:
- Face Away from Door: Arrange your desk so that you’re not directly facing the door, reducing visual distractions.
- Utilize Corners: Place your desk in a corner to create a more secluded workspace.
- Avoid Common Paths: Position your desk away from common pathways to minimize foot traffic interruptions.
- Natural Light: Position your desk near a window to take advantage of natural light without compromising privacy.
3. Use Lockable Storage Solutions (like file cabinets)
Do you work with sensitive or confidential documents in your home office? If so, you can get a lockable file cabinet to give you peace of mind that your files are locked away.
The cabinet in the picture is a Lorell 2-Drawer Metal File Cabinet. It is a popular option with a good rating.
2. Stop Prying Eyes with Personal Laptop Privacy Screens (sponsored)
Personal privacy screens, such as laptop screens provide immediate privacy without permanent installations.
They’re a great option for personal privacy needs, can be removed if required, and come in handy if you take your laptop to do some work at coffee shops or the library.
The product photo above is the FILMNEXT privacy screen for Laptops. (sponsored) It ensures screen is only visible to you from straight on and anyone to the side of you will only see a grey-ish black screen. Pretty cool option.
It comes in different sizes so make sure you get the size that’s right for your laptop.
Click here for more details. (sponsored)
1. Set up a Bookshelf as a Room Divider
If you want to section off a part of a larger room into your office you can use a bookcase as a room divider like in the picture above.
The bookshelf can serve two purposes:
- Act as a privacy screen
- Holds the books, binders and stationary that you need in your business.
The IKEA KALLAX shelf unit is a popular option for doing this. And IKEA makes the KALLAX/LINNMON combo where the desktop actually attaches to the KALLAX bookshelf.
Conclusion
With these 10 home office privacy ideas—from installing privacy screens and soundproofing your space to smartly setting up your space — you can design a workspace that helps your focus and productivity.
Whether you prefer high-tech solutions or natural elements, these ideas will help you achieve the right balance of privacy and productivity in your home office.
Up Next:
Check out how I built a large home office desk using old doors
Do you have a standing desk? Check out these standing desk storage ideas to organize your work space.
