All in the Detail: your home office design

Welcome to All in the Detail... I am so glad you are here!

First off, as a new blogger (only 4+ months here now), I realize that it takes time and blood, sweat, and tears to develop a following and friendships in blog-land. But, in the last couple of weeks I have been noticing an increase in my blog's traffic and I discovered that a great percentage of the traffic source is from two of my wonderful blog friends, Desiree of Decor de Provence and Marsha of Splenderosa. These two wonderful ladies have added me to their 'Blog List' on their sidebar and I feel so honored. These blogs are two of my regular stops in blog-land and they are beautiful places to visit! If you haven't already seen these gorgeous blogs (and ladies), please take a moment and scoot over to check them out - trust me, you are going to love them too!

Now - on to the post...

Gone are the days when it was frowned upon to bring work home. Now a home is not a home unless it has a home office. Whether you're running a thriving business from your home or just organizing schoolwork and bill paying, turning an extra bedroom into a work space with store bought furniture or constructing a full scale two level library and office, home offices are a regular part of what makes a house a home.

A home office can be as small as a folding file or as large as a room. If you're running your own business out of your home, you'll obviously need much more space and equipment than a corner to file papers and correspondence. The important thing to remember about creating a home office is to make it suit your family's needs.

Use a wall or part of a wall to set up an office. If you're extremely short on space, mount shelves on the top portion of a wall to store files and use a table that can be folded down.
Use a screen to set off a corner of a room and create office space. While not ideal, it may be the best space you can find.
Find a niche - under the stairs, on a landing, or in an odd-size room or hallway. Use a roll-down window blind to enclose the niche when not in use.
Convert a closet into an office with a folding door. If there is no power inside the closet, have it wired to provide good lighting and an electrical outlet. This works particularly well in a guest room closet. Keep a portable wardrobe hanger on hand for guests when they arrive.
Replace a double bed with a sofa bed in an extra bedroom to allow space for your office.

Equipment is almost secondary to some of the intangibles that a home office must have to work properly. Along with good lighting, make your office a place that you like. This doesn't require a lot of space. In fact, sometimes it's easier to plan a small space than a large area. If your office ends up looking like a sterile cubicle in a high-rise, you're not going to want to spend time there.

If you intend to outfit a room, draw up a floor plan before purchasing equipment. Use a 1-inch scale, and draw in windows and doors. Then plot various design arrangements for such items as your desk and computer.
Plan your work space so you have room to keep items such as the phone within reach while still retaining space to jot notes.
Make sure you allow room for file cabinets to open. They're deeper than a desk.
Use bulletin boards to hold reminders, calendars, and a "To Do" list. Put the board where you can see it easily.

For best productivity, have a room that is separate from daily household commotion, and one with a door to help immensely with privacy.

Want a little Home Office Inspiration?

Take a cue from a few of my fellow designers.