DESIGNING YOUR HOME OFFICE

by Karen Crorey, ASID, NCIDQ
K C Interiors, Inc.

With the growing popularity of telecommuting and flexible work schedules, many more people are working from home. Whether you work from home on a daily basis or you’re just looking for a quiet place to work on occasion, careful planning is the key to creating a flexible, efficient and multipurpose setup.

ANALYZING YOUR NEEDS
The most important and possibly most challenging aspect in the home office design process, is to analyze your needs. Before you begin developing your plan, it’s imperative you find the answers to these questions:

1. Who will be using the space at any given time?
The answer will affect the position of work stations in relationship to each other and will help determine the size and number of the knee holes that need to be incorporated into the design. Another important thing to keep in mind is whether the users of the office space are right-handed or left-handed.This will affect computer screen, phone placement, etc.

2. What tasks will be performed and how much space is required for these activities?
Things to think of are filing and storage needs, writing surface requirements, bookcases, equipment needs, etc.

3. Where should the office be located in the home?
It’s important to consider noise levels in the home. Noise can cause stress and ultimately impede your performance in your home office.Try to select an area of the home that has less activity during the hours that you expect to occupy the space. Privacy is another factor to consider. Many homes today have rooms that are multi-functional in purpose. Perhaps you only have space for a computer armoire in the living room. Or, maybe the guest bedroom would function better as a home office. If your budget allows, you could even consider adding a bonus room above your garage for your new office retreat.

This room does double duty as an office and a room for sitting, reading and relaxing.

4. When is the space most likely to be used – day, evening or both?
This can effect the lighting requirements for the room. It is best to utilize many sources of lighting, including natural light as well as artificial general and task lighting. Natural lighting is best to have during the day, but it also needs to be able to be controlled by blinds or drapery. The sunlight in the room also needs to be considered when planning the placement of monitors.

5. Why pay more for better quality?
The home office, like a kitchen, will generally be heavily used and in that respect, quality counts. Look for wood dovetailed drawers and metal side slides with ball bearing mechanisms for longevity. Built-in surge protectors and cord-management systems are available as well and will go a long way towards making the space more comforatble. Serviceable finishes such as granite, glass, wood or a combination make the choices for quality home offices exciting. This is an area of the home worth splurging on. The better the quality, the longer you will enjoy it.

6. How do you balance function and style?
Designing the space to allow you to be organized is key. Utilizing vertical space will make the most efficient use of the room by providing a place for all things and controlling clutter. Choose a style that is in keeping with the home. However, if your home office is a separate room, you may want to be a little more daring with color or pattern, whether it be on the walls or an area rug. You and your interior designer may want to incorporate interesting baskets or boxes on bookcase shelves that fit your design style. From streamlined contemporary to classical traditional, there is quality furniture and accessories available in all styles.

Technological advances have changed the way we work today. We no longer need to drive to an office five days a week. This has given us more personal time, but has also created new challenges in our homes. A home office space needs to be capable of accommodating small group meetings, function as an organized working office, as well as have comfortable areas to read, study and/or relax in. With careful analysis and well-executed planning, these multi-functional office spaces can be a successful extension of the homes established style while meeting the desires and needs of all of those using the space today.

To view a bio and additional work samples from Karen Crorey, click here