Creating A Home Office – Furniture and More

The popularity of home offices has boomed in the past decade due to the technological advancements made and ease of data transfer and communication. There are many more people starting home-based businesses and employers willing to let family-conscious employees work from home. It is becoming standard practice to build houses with a specific home office space. There are many considerations when creating a home office space; essential details that can elevate, or conversely, decrease your productivity and motivation.

Phase 1: Planning
The first step is to measure the space and figure out exactly how much room there is to work with. Draw a rough diagram of your room and note where the jacks, outlets and windows later use.

Then, sit down and make a list of all of the essential elements the office will need. Some examples are:

• Main office furniture: desk, filing cabinets, chair
• Computer and accessories
• Phone and fax machine
• Shredder, waste basket, recycling bin
• Supplies
• Book cases
• Meeting table
• Chairs for visitors
• Whiteboard
• Media or Entertainment system (for video editing, presentations)
• Stereo system
• Couch and table for reading, researching
• Job-specific requirements (e.g. drafting table, projection screen, etc.)

When making the list, be sure to include enough storage space – a cluttered office is not a good space to be working in. Also, give yourself enough space to work.

Add the main elements from the list to your rough diagram to plan out the space. This is the time to take into consideration of where your power sources are and any windows.

Phase 2: Design
When thinking about the design of the home office try and choose colours and accents that not only showcase personal preferences and personality, but also make it easy to be motivated, calm and productive.

• Lighting is also a very important factor – be sure to take not of how much natural light is in the space already, and compliment that with stanp-up lamps, reading or desk lamps and a main light fixture in the center of the room.
• The office furniture should encompass all work needs. The desk should have enough table space for a computer, phone, lamp, keyboard, mouse, and elbow room to move. The look and feel of the furniture should reflect personal style as well as office needs; for example, traditional personality may be best reflected in beautiful wood furniture.
• The chair should provide good back support, swivel, have adjustable height and roll. Comfort is of the utmost importance.
• Creative and motivational pictures, wall hangings or murals are a great way to accent your room, as are special details like candy dishes, diplomas, awards, gadgets and any other unique design elements that are brought in.

Phase 3: Implement and Reflect
After all of the choices have been made and the furniture and other pieces are being brought in, take a step back and consider the following:
Flow: is the furniture placed in such a way that no one will be tripping or walking around big pieces of furniture?
Lighting: Is there enugh light created by the chosen light fixtures? Is the window properly covered or will the bright afternoon sun be an issue with sight or computer glare?
Space: Is the office functional? Is there enough space to move and work without causing clutter? Are the storage needs met?

Remember that above all, the main objective of home offices is to keep people balanced, happy and productive. Be sure to plan, design and implement accordingly.

Lilly Gordon is a freelance author and web publisher. She is currently researching interior design and furniture stores in Edmonton.