Home Office

A well designed home office can work wonders for your business

Home and office have always been two different spheres of a person’s existence. However of late, the concept of a home office is gaining increasing popularity. The reasons for this are many. The first most significant reason is technology and the giant strides it has made in the last 10 years or so. The internet, video conferencing, mobile communication etc have nullified physical distances completely. You can be somewhere even without really being there. A lot of companies even encourage employees to work from home to cut down on costs. Secondly, a lot of women are finding this alternative extremely attractive as it gives them the option of having a career and being around for their families at the same time. Third, a lot of entrepreneurs’ running small businesses employing a few people, cannot afford the overhead costs of maintaining an office in a business district. For them a home office is the ideal solution. Fourth of course is the creative lot like writers, graphic designers etc who like to work on their own terms, at their own pace and for them a home office works the best.

Home office means different things to different people

For a lot of people, home office simply means their laptop, mobile phone and a comfortable place to sit. For a lot of others it implies a place specially designated as the office, designed, furnished and decorated like one and equipped with all the technological resources to ensure smooth business operations. If space is not a constraint, then it makes sense to earmark a space, even if it is a small one, to work and not have it spill over to all the rooms in your home. This will ensure that you keep home and business separate; there are no homely distractions like the TV or noisy children or the aroma of freshly baked brownies during work time, and you can work with complete concentration. This is the best way to dedicate yourself 100% to your work when you have to.

Think and plan when setting up a home office

Designing a home office is a fairly simple exercise provided it is done with planning and precision. There are a few important questions you need to ask yourself before you get started:

1. Can you spare a room for office use? Or is it going to be an extension of your living or dining area and not a separate space?
2. Is the office space going to be used exclusively for office use or would it be used for some other purpose when needed. For instance in a lot of homes, the home office doubles up as the guest room.
3. How many people will use the home office on a daily basis? Are you planning to work alone or have partners/employees?
4. What is the kind of investment would you like to make while setting up a home office?

Answers to these questions will provide you a lot of clarity about your requirements, constraints and options when you get down to actual implementation. For instance, if your home office is a part of your living area, you should decorate it in a style similar to the one used in the rest of the room. This way, it will not draw too much attention to itself. You may also like to use a visual separation like a screen or a bookshelf  to segregate the two spaces somewhat.

If your home office is a multifunctional room, you would have to contend with only a section of the room. You may then have to buy a desk with built in storage options to optimize space. If more than one person needs to use the home office, a bigger area, more seating and more desks will be needed.

In case you want a basic no frills functional space, it won’t make a hole in your pocket. However if you want to go the whole hog and get everything custom made, you have to be ready to really loosen your purse strings

What goes into a well designed home office?

There are a few elements that can play a key role in enhancing the decor and functionality of your home office. Some of these are:

Layout – Layout of the room plays a major role in home office design. A very small space doesn’t give you too many options for furniture or accessory placement. A larger space however lets you choose the kind of desk you want to buy, the kind of seating arrangement you’d like for yourself and for guests, separate storage cabinets and so on.

Furniture – This is perhaps the most important factor that defines a well designed space. Home office furniture is widely available in several designs, materials and sizes.

You should of course choose whatever meets your requirements. The main components of home office furniture are the desk, chair and storage cabinets. Desks are available in a number of sizes, large and small and in various arrangements like U, L and parallel. Chairs for the home office need to be ergonomic as you’re going to spending a lot of time on these. If you have the space, incorporate a sofa or a couch for visitors. This will add to the comfort factor and increase the visual appeal of your room tremendously. Storage options for the home office are plenty – standalone and incorporated with the desk for smaller spaces.

Color: Color they say can influence how you feel or react. In the home office context, cool shades like blue and green are known to calm the mind and improve concentration. Vibrant colors like red, orange and yellow provide energy and enthusiasm. Earthy shades like brown and beige symbolize professionalism. Moods aside, colors also can affect a space visually. A small room looks much larger if painted in a light soft shade and larger rooms can be made to look smaller by using dark colors. Use colors depending on how big or small your space is and how you want to feel everyday at work.

Lighting: Lighting plays a vital role in home office design. If possible choose a room what has ample natural lighting. This will not only keep the spirits uplifted but also help in conserving valuable energy. If that is not an option, make sure the room is well lit at all times. Dark and gloomy spaces can aggravate your already high stress levels. Use a combination of ceiling lights, floor and table lamps for effective light distribution over the entire office space. On the other hand if your problem is too much sunlight, get appropriate window treatment done. Too bright may also not be right!

Office Accessories: These would typically include pen stands, desk clocks, paper weights, photo frames, file holders etc. There are various kinds of interesting office accessories available in contemporary materials like stainless steel that you can use to add appeal to your home office.

Not only do these help you get organized, they add that much needed touch of style. You can also choose some unconventional items like a table top fountain to spruce up the space.

Technology: No office can function efficiently without the latest technology and gadgetry. Make sure you have state of the art laptops/computers, printers, scanners, copiers and whatever it takes to maximize productivity. If space is constraint for you, you can opt for a compact multi functional machine that serves as a printer, scanner and copier rolled into one.

Personal touch: Perhaps the best thing about a home office apart from the convenience of not having to commute and working in your pajamas if you wish to, is the fact that you can design and decorate your work space exactly the way you want. You can be as creative as you like (without going overboard of course) while designing and decorating. This would of course not be possible in a traditional office environment. A couple of photos of your family, some trophies from the days gone by, a painting by an artist friend, candles or even a vase of fresh flowers are just some of the things you can use to personalize your home office.

Some things to remember when designing your home office

• Aim not just at designing a good looking space but one that is practical and comfortable.
• The decor should in some way reflect who you are and what you do. For instance if you are in the travel business, a backdrop could be a collage of all the tourist attractions in the world.
• Remember it’s an office, even if it is in your home. The decor needs to reflect a smart professional atmosphere. Don’t use pink cushions however strong the temptation, unless of course you’re in business of cushion making.
• Tidy up the wires. Office machines have lots of cables and this can make the space look really messy.
• Get rid of clutter. Keep your home office tidy and organized at all times.
• Use wall mounted storage cabinets rather than floor cabinets. Space optimization is something that every home office needs.
• Plan for some amount of growth, but don't overbuild, overdesign or overspend. For all you know, you might have to move out soon.

No matter how you decide to design and decorate your home office, make sure that at the end of the day, you have a room that is perfect for you and your work. That’s the only way to enhance efficiency and workflow which in turn will lead to greater productivity and profitability. And that’s what every business big or small is all about!