Creative Roadblocks: The Home Office

It's a fact that today many people typically do some of their work from home.  The days of leaving it at the office are long gone, so it's essential to have a designated space in the home so as to ensure maximum productivity. These tips will help you in setting up a home office almost anywhere.

Define Your Space:
Design ideas can be adapted and changed according to the specifications in your home.  The guest room may be replaced, or combined to make a home office space.  Or you may be lucky enough to have an extra room that you can completely dedicate to the office.  But the truth is, it doesn't matter if you have a large room that you are converting into an office or a tiny nook, as long as you can create a place of solitude to get your work done.  The most important thing to remember to not to mingle the area where you do your work, bill-paying, etc. with an area the family uses to relax and spend time together.  Separating church and state will make for a much happier household.

Do It Yourself:
Not everyone has a big budget for outfitting a home office, but there are many things you can do yourself to create an efficient space.  Starting with the walls, consider painting them yourself.  Adding a fresh, lively color or a more calming color will set the tone for your work space.  Next, address the storage issue.  Depending on how much work you're going to be doing from home, you may be ok with just a desk.  In this case, go with something longer and wider giving you more work space.  Any typical dining table will do the trick and save you money.  And as important as a comfortable desk chair is, since this is not your main office where you're spending the majority of your day, you don't need to spend the extra money on a pricey task chair.  A regular chair will do just fine.

This floating desk has a formal feel without taking up a lot of space.

A fun and simple home office that was really inexpensive to do.

Personalize It:
Move photographs or accessories from one part of the house to your new home office to liven it up and make it feel like an extension of the home, rather than a random room that you want to shut off from the rest of the house.  Is there a comfortable chair in the guest room? Do you have some pictures tucked away in a closet that would be inspiring and decorative on the walls of your work space? Look around to see what you can use in your new home office.

The Extra Mile:
In the case that you do want to invest a little bit more money in your home office, upper and lower built-ins are the way to go.  They'll allow you to keep things organized and tucked away without even trying.  Otherwise, some simple and affordable free-standing filing cabinets tucked under the desk will also work.

 Built-ins are more costly and permanent.

A high-end home office with full custom built-ins.

By keeping these simple tips in mind you'll be able to set up a nice home office that will be a steady step for you to establish and increase your productivity.  And just remember that there's no shame in reaching out to the pros at Chameleon Design if you find that you still need a little extra help!