How do you Make a Home Office?
Let Decora help you determine how you can make the perfect home office.
You probably have one or more of these areas in your home that can be turned into a functional home office. Bonus room or spare bedroom, space in an existing home office that can accommodate a second worker, or space in an existing room (great room, kitchen, dining, living, bedroom, laundry room, mudroom).
Where
Don't overlook the potential of:
- The area under a stairwell
- A three season porch
- A shed, garage or space for a small building in the backyard
- An unfinished basement
Evaluate each area to determine:
- The amount of privacy available
- The amount of noise the area will get
- The amount of use adjacent areas will get (sleeping, meal prep, watching TV)
- The amount of natural light the area will get
- How accessible the space is for visitors/clients
- What is needed to make the space functional and comfortable: walls, doorways, windows, heating, air conditioning, strong wi-fi connection, electricity, sound proofing, etc.
When
Think about when you will use your home office.
- Is your schedule a consistent 8 to 5 with others in your time zone, or is it flexible/erratic?
- Will you be meeting virtually with people in different time zones?
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Are you willing to “spot hop”: moving between areas in the home throughout the day? If yes, then making a few small areas functional can be less expensive than adding on or remodeling.
How
Think about how you will use the space:
- Will clients or customers visit the space?
- How much storage will you need?
- How much work surface do you need?
- Will other family members use the space?
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Will kids pop in, and do they need a table/chairs/bench?
- What other activities (bill paying, homework, crafts, etc) will happen in the space?
Meet with a Designer
Before you meet with a Decora designer, prepare for visit by answering these additional questions:
- What is your budget?
- What is your time frame?
- What do you like and dislike about your current work-from-home configuration?
- How do you want your home office to make you feel?
