Home Office That Works for You
If you work from home full time or some of the time or spend long hours at the computer on projects or freelance work, then you will need a more sophisticated office setup for your home. A well-designed home office has comfortable workstations, good lighting and a layout that puts work surfaces, storage, technology and other essentials where you need them.
Choose Your Home Office Location
Your first decision is to figure out where to locate your home office. Typical spots include an extra bedroom, an outside room, and a backyard shed. If you want a separate entrance for meeting clients or co-workers, a might be a good choice for you.
Wherever you situate your office, make sure it has a door — standard, pocket, sliding, bifold, French or barn style — for times when you need to talk privately on the phone or work without interruption.
Assess the Home Office Space
Now look closely at the existing space.
- What are its dimensions?
- Is it a large area, with room to spread out?
- Or a space that demands an efficient layout?
- Does it have features you need to design around?
- What are the sources of natural light?
- What are lighting fixtures already in the room?
- Where are the electrical outlets, cable, and phone lines, and will they support your equipment and devices?
Evaluate Your Needs
Think about how you will be using the home office space you selected.
- How many people will be working in the office?
- Will you be meeting clients there?
- What types of work areas do you need?
- How much time will you spend on the phone?
- Do you want to display books, photos or collectibles?
- Do you need a lot of storage space, or is yours a mostly digital operation?
- Will you be using any special equipment, such as a drafting table or a video conferencing system?
- How much of your time will be spent at a computer? Do you need a printer next to your computer, or can it be anywhere in the room?
Decide on a Room Style
Consider the look you want for the room. Traditional, modern, contemporary, industrial and eclectic styles are just a few of the options.
You might like your room decor to coordinate with your home office furniture. Decorate your office in a way that feels right to you with the home office furniture and personalizing the space with photos and plants.
Consider Your Home Office Furniture
Whether you’re buying a desk off the shelf or having one custom-made, think about what size, shape, and style will best serve your needs. Free-standing desks come in standard types: U-shaped, L-shaped, corner, curved, rectangular (writing, computer, executive style) and standing.
U-shaped: Roomy U-shaped desks offer a great deal of workspace and storage area in a relatively contained space. Separate sections in a room mean one side can be used for meetings, another side for writing and another for computer work. Or one or two sides can be reserved for a printer, files or other necessities.
L-shaped and corner: These versatile desk types can fit in rooms large and small. They allow you to work on a computer facing the direction you want. The Office Green is a home office furniture from Unicane, Singapore. This furniture has under drawer storage and a stylish design.
Rectangular: Single-sided home office furniture such as the Office Brown can be used as writing desks, computer desks, office desks or executive desks. This model is fitted with drawers.
Here are some of the items you might have in your home office:
- Computer equipment, such as a desktop, laptop, printer and more
- Wi-Fi router, cable modem, TV screen
- Stereo and speakers
- Video conferencing equipment
- Paper shredder
Personalize Your Room
A sofa, a daybed or an easy chair, like the Easy Chair Loom, offers a spot for relaxation. A reading chair is can be positioned next to the windows to take in the view of outside.