Trying to live and work in your apartment can be a challenge. If your small space is performing double duty, it’s important to establish a routine — as well as some best practices that will allow you to build boundaries around your personal life while maximizing work efficiency. But don’t fret. It is possible to create a healthy, happy lifestyle while working from a small apartment. This article will tell you how to do just that.

Before we get to the best ways you can set yourself up for work-from-home success, we’ve got to add one very important caveat: One of the simplest and most important ways you can help yourself out is to avoid working in your bedroom. We know, we know . . . it feels so nice to be surrounded by cushy pillows and blankets while you go through your emails. But performing work in the room where you sleep can cause your brain and body to begin associating this sacred space with productivity — not to mention stress! And this “stress connection” could potentially make it much harder to sleep and relax. In this way, the “comfort” of working from bed can backfire because, as we all know, less sleep means lower productivity, which in turn means more stress.

So, if you’re working out of a small apartment but can’t work from the bedroom, what’s the answer? In these cases, there’s really only one other place to work: your living room. Easier said than done, though, right? It goes without saying that an apartment’s living room is often limited on space. And most apartment-dwellers don’t have the luxury of an extra room to dedicate as a full-time office.

Here are six easy ways you can create a comfortable and productive office space within your apartment’s living room.

Put a Nook or Cranny to Work

Chances are, your place has an unused nook or cranny that would be ideal for a small desk. In fact, many apartments have pillars or otherwise awkward extra walls that would make for the perfect desk area. Depending on your living room floor plan and square footage, you may even have extra space on either side of your couch or at the bottom of some stairs that you could easily shape into a workspace.

If this sounds like your apartment, you’re in luck! Simply pair a desk with a chair in this otherwise forgotten area, and you’ve got an arrangement that will blend seamlessly with your living room, making perfect use of what would otherwise be wasted real estate.

Create a Mini Workstation

When you think of an office space, a desk is obviously one of the first pieces of furniture that comes to mind. But an office doesn’t have to equal a full-on desk! Instead, if you’ve got a smaller space to work with, consider a small round table that’s just big enough for a monitor or laptop. If you’ve already got a crowded living space, this is a great option that can still give you some arm room and allow you to get things done.

Build an Open Office

Does your apartment have a large living room area? Why not carve out space for a home office by placing a desk in front of a wall or beside a credenza or entryway table? Use a rug to help delineate the new office space from the living room. This strategy will help create an office area, even if you don’t necessarily have a dedicated room in your home for work.

Use a Passageway

If your apartment has a passageway or hallway, or an entryway leading to the door, these unused spaces can function as both vanity space and office nook. Add a console near an entrance or within a hallway to turn a large unused wall into a simple and functional spot where you can set up shop.

Turn Shelving into a Desk

If you have some extra wall space, consider shopping for a dual purpose shelf-desk. This is one of the best furniture hacks out there for creating a desk in a subtle, out-of-sight space. Pull up a chair, fill the shelves with books or office materials, and you’re all set!

Look Behind the Couch

A couch that’s set apart from a wall will typically have some extra space behind it. If this sounds like your space, put a desk there. Or, if you currently have a console table behind your couch, consider swapping this long, skinny table out for a thin desk. Adding a chair and table lamp can create a workspace that’s functional without feeling out of place or creating an eyesore.

A Final Thought: Let Acima Help!

Now that you have a better idea of how to create an office space in your apartment’s living room, why not shop for desks, chairs and other office accessories at a location near you? When you shop with an Acima furniture retailer, you can bring home the ideal work setup today — without using credit.*

Acima’s flexible payment options will allow customers what they want now by making manageable lease renewal payments scheduled around their pay periods. If they make the number of payments defined under their lease or exercise an option to purchase it early at a discount, it’s theirs. If they no longer need it, they can simply return it in good condition at any time without further obligation. Click to learn more about Acima’s lease-to-own solutions* and unleash your shopping power today.