Home Office 101

A home office has always been a desired room in the home, especially in this day and age of telecommuting. The home office is also a great space where you can store important paperwork for home or family or a central spot for the computer station. No matter what you are doing in the home office, it will be a useful resource space.

When you are deciding where a home office would work best in your home, here are some factors to consider:

• Would you prefer to have some separation from the rest of home and the office area?
• Do you require natural light in the office space?
• Will there be any special equipment like filing cabinets or safes?

Of course there are also other qualities that you might prefer for your home office:

• Close to where the family is, but acoustically separate
• Spacious
• Cozy

Giving your home office the sensation that it is separate from the rest of the home has some pretty big psychological results. They are similar to having a dedicated space to sleep and for watching television. For instance, if you are working at the dining room table where you just ate lunch and fed your toddler, it’s hard to not notice the kitchen chores that need to be done when you really need to focus on business tasks.

If adding an addition to your home is not in your budget, repurposing another space is a great place to add a home office. The ideas below are great options if the addition is not possible.

The Converted Attic - Often the attic is an underused space that has great potential for a home office. The attic’s location will definitely give you a separation from the main rooms where family members are watching TV or conversing.

The Rarely Used Guest Room - Perhaps your home has an extra bedroom that doesn’t get used as often as you thought it might. Consider converting to an office or sharing the space for dual functionality.

A Corner in the Basement - Even if your basement is not finished, finding the perfect nook to set up a desk and computer will give you the privacy and quiet you need for working.