A home office is a useful addition to your custom home design. This is true whether you plan to run a business out of your home, telecommute for part of your week or manage your family’s finances. When designing your office space, it is important to consider how you want to use it to determine the design ideas that are best for you. It is also useful to consider the trends in home office design so you can incorporate some of them into your custom home. Let’s look at 10 of the top home office ideas and how they can work for your office space.
#1 Dedicated Space Outside the Main House
Okay, having a dedicated outbuilding is probably the ideal office setup for home. There are no interruptions and you have a completely customized space. When you get done with work, you go home and leave it all behind. If you have the land to build a dedicated outbuilding, that is ideal of you want your office outside the home. Other possibilities include transforming a part of your pool house into an office or even insulating, heating and cooling the garage and setting up a work station there.
#2 Double Duty Office and Guest Bedroom
Guests often only stay a few days, so many families choose not to have an entire room dedicated for this purpose. Create a double use space which serves as your office full time and a guest room part time. A corner desk, fold-out sofa or Murphy bed makes it easy to transform the room.
#3 Make the Most of Wasted Space
If the footprint of your custom home is smaller, you may not have enough room for a dedicated office space. That is when you need to seek out otherwise wasted space in a custom kitchen, mudroom or bedroom to create an office nook. A custom built desk in an otherwise unused corner is the perfect place to pay bills, get homework done and tackle some buisiness chores.
#4 Create Built-ins Designed for Modern Needs
Built-in bookshelves and credenzas provide functionality for modern needs while also looking beauty. Build in spots to handle printers, charging stations, and outlets for electronics hide unsightly elements in your office and can even make the room look and feel larger. These are great additions no matter the size of your home office when designed by a professional and properly implemented into the room.
#5 Bring the Desk into the Middle of the Room
Floating a desk in the middle of your office gives you a commanding presence and makes it easy to see someone coming through the door. Plus, it just looks great. Add an outlet below for practical wire management.
#6 Consider a Corner Desk
Need plenty of desk space in an efficient layout? A corner desk is likely the right solution. With desk space in both directions, you can easily see all the work in front of you from your swivel chair. It’s a perfect setup for working on multiple projects simultaneously.
#7 Add a Comfortable Seating Area
Even the most productive entrepreneur needs a break sometimes. A soft chair or a cushy sofa offer the perfect place to read a trade magazine or to take a phone call. If you have guests, make sure there is room enough for more than one person. If space is limited, a window seat will do the trick.
#8 Make Every Square Inch Count
Smaller home offices require a bit of thinking when it comes to furniture selection and layout. Select smaller furniture pieces and put storage on the walls. Add pops of color to make the room seem bigger and bolder.
#9 Make Vertical Space Pinnable or Writeable
Wall surfaces offer a practical space for pinboards and whiteboards. While most things are digital in today’s world, being able to put things up on a wall remains a valuable office addition for brainstorming and staying on task.
#10 Make Room for Two (or Three or Four)
Does your office space need to accommodate your partner, your kids or your assistant? Giving each person dedicated space will ensure harmony reigns supreme. Choose long desks against the wall with multiple chairs to serve as a workstation for more than one person. Alternately, set up corner desks for two that allows separation while still letting you and your partner work in the same room.
Whether you have a dedicated home office or need to share it with others, your space needs to function as well as look beautiful. The team at Alair Homes Orlando can help you design a space is practical, functional and will meet your needs for years to come. Contact us, and let’s discuss how we can help.