Small Business Resource

More and more, people are working from home. It has become a characteristic of the current economic landscape and since it reduces the amount of commuting, working from home is considered an environmentally friendly practice. Even if it’s used for sorting out the bills once a month, every home should have a designated workspace. Here are a few considerations for creating a tidy and effective office in your abode – without having to build an extension on your home.

The first question is where in your home you should locate your office. According to residential designer and consultant Sarah Kishk (www.skishkconsulting.com), what you need the office for is the initial consideration and will dictate your entire plan.”"Ask yourself what function you will need the space to perform,” she says. “Determining this will generate a list of what equipment is essential, what your furniture and storage needs are, the types of supplies that will be required on a regular basis and whether you’ll be able to fit it all in.” The obvious choice for many – the spare bedroom – is also the best one, says Kishk. “The key to a successful home office is being able to leave your work at a moment’s notice. Having one dedicated room allows you the luxury of closing the door on your work without scrambling to tidy up.” (If you’re reluctant to lose that guest bedroom completely, simply replace a framed bed with a fold out sofa bed to make room.) But if you don’t have an entire room to spare, there are plenty of alternative solutions.

If space is at a premium, some imagination is required. The potential locations may surprise you: an office might be in the basement, in a loft, or in an odd little alcove in your home – under the stairs, on a stairwell landing, or a seldom-used hallway. For many space-challenged homeowners, Kishk says, converting a closet into an office has become a particularly popular choice.

“As long as you have good lighting, communications lines and outlets installed and access to a wireless network, you’ve got a viable space,” she says. “But above all, the most important consideration is organization. You don’t want to have to tidy up every time you leave the office even for a few minutes, nor do you want to have to search for things as they spill out into your living room, kitchen or den.” For smaller offices, she suggests adopting space-saving cabinetry that utilizes classic roll-top desk design to effectively close off the area when not in use.

Ergonomics is an important concern. You’ll need to plan out your work space to keep items such as the phone within reach; ensure the filing cabinets have room to open; and make sure the bulletin board, calendars, or “To Do”" lists are situated where they can be easily seen and accessed.

Along with access to these essentials, making your home office a space you actually want to spend any amount of time in is essential. Kishk suggests including items, pictures and personal effects that have meaning. “If your office looks like a utilitarian cubicle, you’re not going to want to spend any time there,” she says, “even if it is just for sorting out bills for a few minutes each month.” Kishk says one way to automatically elevate the importance of the office, if you have a young and growing family, is to give it double duty as a learning center. “There’s nothing like original artwork, whether its crayon or finger paint, to create genuine warmth.”