Home office design and decor often comes down to a space battle but the simply truth is the home office is perhaps the one place in the home where space should be the first and foremost consideration and anything but the final frontier.
Whether for a small home business, a homework area, telecommuting or for a start-up venture, the home office is intended as a productivity center and whether the benchmarks are higher grades, revenue or venture cap, a dedicated space can prove much more than sufficient, it can be inspirational or even motivational.
First and foremost, create a home office space that holds as few distractions as possible. As a general rule of thumb, high traffic areas are not ideal so forsake the family room or the kitchen table.
And while some people function better with white noise than others, that particular stimulus should ultimately be of your own creation and on your own terms. The opening and closing of the fridge door or pot lids can prove beyond distracting lending itself too easily to frustration. The same holds true for the family room.
Having decided on the space most appropriate to the task or tasks at hand, the next consideration is a work surface. A banker’s desk, no matter how regal or austere could well overwhelm your productivity space leading to an uncertain and an ineffable sense of intimidation.
By the same token, too small a work station can lead to frustration and the urge to will yourself away from the task at hand. For urban spaces incumbent with studios and lofts where the battle for space is nothing if no incessant, consider a table with several height and format settings.
Brookstone offers raised-top coffee tables while Calligaris takes the concept a step further, offering a surface with five settings and is also expandable with the ability to go from the intimacy of a coffee table to a desk to a full dining table. Talk about multi-tasking.
The next consideration is lighting. First and foremost, employ all the natural light you possible can, bearing in mind light changes with the weather and as the day wears on. Overhead lighting is imperative and a desk lamp to better assist you in literally focusing on the task at hand is also an absolute.
If your work surface cannot facilitate a lamp, a floor lamp makes a functional and suitable alternative. A functional chair is also a requirement and will complete your desk ensemble.
If client contact is a requisite for your home office environment a separate and functional seating area should be created. Consider a contemporary couch and a functional table. As with the desk area, task focused lighting is an absolute. To complete the setting and help give it the sensibility of being unto itself a simply area rug can provide a visual border to better define the distinct space.
The final home office decor essential comes down to those personal touches. A family portrait if you’re so inclined however as a productivity center something more motivational and aspirational may well prove the order of the day.
For a masculine touch while individual athletes pay tribute to temerity and stamina, vintage sports team memorabilia conveys a sense of endurance and the ability to work together towards success. For a deft but confident feminine touch, the intricacy of a Persian rug, art glass or intricate wall art intimates both quality and attention to detail. And for a general sense of grace under pressure a waterfall fountain easily accomplishes the task.
