Home offices are being repurposed across the US and UK, say real estate professionals

During the COVID-19 pandemic, home offices became essential as remote work surged, prompting homeowners to create dedicated workspaces. Five years later, however, many have become hobby rooms.

The change is spurred by several employers, including Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, and even the US government, mandating office returns—some requiring five days a week—rendering home offices obsolete for many.

These once-crucial spaces are being repurposed across the US and the UK, according to real estate professionals. The changes include converting the rooms into hobby and leisure spaces such as yoga studios, wine rooms, cigar lounges, and, in some cases, a podcasting studio.

In New York, luxury homeowners are reinventing minimalist studies into cocktail bars, man caves, and children’s gaming rooms, often using the same space for multiple functions throughout the day.

Architects say clients are now abandoning planned offices in their houses mid-construction in favor of nurseries or guest rooms.

The trend reveals that most professionals are back at their office desks amid waning pandemic-era lifestyles.