Design Guide: Creating the Perfect Home Office

 Working from home is on the rise. Census. Gov states that in the last decade, the number of Americans who work from home at least one day a week has increased by a staggering 35% (that's 4.2 million Americans!) in the last decade. The importance of having a well-planned, well-designed, and well-organized home office space cannot be underestimated. Having a clutter-free, organized home office space integrated into your interior design can vastly impact your productivity, stress levels and overall well-being. Here is a practical guide to designing your perfect in-home office space

1.) Choose the right space:

The answer may not be as obvious as you might think. While, geographically, that corner in the living room may seem to make the Arbeitsplatz most sense, its important to consider the level of distraction you may be facing in the future. Televisions, children, telephones, and pets can all come as unexpected distractions to your productivity. Choose a space with minimal traffic, minimal use, and minimal access to distractions.

Also, its important to be able to separate work life from home life- the ability to shut a door and "leave work" is absolutely crucial for reducing stress levels and reducing the risk of "burn out". Perhaps an unused dining room, or formal living room could be a better option than using a spare bedroom.

2.) Compliment, not Contradict:

Your home office should compliment the rest of your home. If your home has a traditional design with lots of warm tones- then stick with that. Your home office space should seamlessly blend into the design of your home, not scream "cold, soul-less cubicle". You also want to avoid clashing design themes- you may have that great desk your mother-in-law gave you- but if it clashes with the flow of the room, it may be worth the additional cost to avoid those architectural hiccups. After all, you want your home office to give you a sense of comfort and ease- not be a stark shock to the senses.

3.) Built-in storage:

It may seem like a superfluous or excessive expense to incorporate built- in organization or storage into a home-office when the option to run to a local store and purchase a desk or shelf (with assembly required) is always there, but adding furniture to a home can cause clutter- and when it comes to home office, clutter is the enemy. Talk with your designer about incorporating built-in shelving, cabinets, and drawers into your space. This will not only increase how seamlessly your home office space blends into your home, but will also avoid potential issues with purchasing organizational tools which inevitably add to the problem rather than solve it.