As Summer comes to a close, you may be thinking about getting back to work. This week, I’m sharing an article on overhauling your home office workspace by guest blogger Jessica Kane. – Janine
More and more people are starting new businesses, in many cases, in their own living rooms or bedrooms. The key to making a home office work is to create a dedicated space. Ideally, this is a separate room, however, there are work-arounds that allow you to have an office space even if you don’t have a spare room. Here are some ideas for home office makeovers that work with both kinds of spaces.
Off in the Corner
Your dedicated space doesn’t have to be a separate room. Real Simple suggests that a hidden corner will function as an office space. Position your desk in there and add some shelves. If you still feel like you need a bit of privacy, think about adding a partition. This creates a movable wall and gives you privacy, but can be removed when you have guests over.
Double-Duty
An armoire-style desk that fits in with your existing furniture, whether that’s French Provencal or Mid-century Modern, will help you create a desk area that doesn’t mar the look of a room. When you don’t have an extra room, go with double-duty furniture and accessories anytime you can.
How to Store Stuff
You’re going to have plenty of paperwork, no doubt about it. Along with having adequate desk space, you may need file cabinets and storage. If you don’t go with an armoire with built-in drawers and shelves, be sure to get something that gives you easy access to your files from your desk. Seasoned Homemaker features one that has both drawers and cabinet space. The beauty of a set up like this is that it hides away your office stuff — an important consideration if your office space is in your living room or another common area.
Technologically Speaking
No matter where you locate your home office space, you’ll need enough outlets for your technology. This may mean that you’ll need a long power trip. It may also mean positioning your desk in a corner between the outlets of two different walls. Regardless, you want to have enough juice to do your work. Mashable suggests that it’s better to have too many places to plug in than too few. Additionally, you should choose a desk that has holes for all your power cords.
Go Green
An office space these days usually means plenty of technology, but Mashable reminds us that having a plant or two here and there can both increase productivity and reduce stress. Hang a few in baskets above your head to keep them out of the way or make a planter box for the inside of your window.
Conclusion
Your home office can be a dedicated room, but it can also just be a space that you designate for office work. Whatever you decide, make sure that you have plenty of storage space for important papers, a dedicated desk area, and lots of electricity. Finally, plants and other personal items reduce stress and make your spot feel more comfortable. Don’t neglect this aspect of your office makeover: it makes the space more pleasant and increases the amount of work you can do at the same time.
Jessica Kane is a professional writer who has an interest in keeping things organized and in order. She currently writes for FlexCon, a leading vendor of corrugated plastic bins and boxes.