Designing A Home Office that Works

Color Says It All

One of the most impactful things you can do to transform your office is to choose the right colors for the room. It’s important to match your color scheme to the style in which you work. For example, if you are an energetic worker who jumps from item to item, you can choose bright, bold colors to match your energy level. If your work is stressful, you should choose more calming colors to help you stay more relaxed throughout the day.

Light the Way

Most of us are attracted to dim and ambient lighting, but your office is not necessarily the place low levels of light. A dim office makes reading and typing difficult, adds to eye strain and fatigue, especially if the work you’re doing isn’t particularly fascinating. If your new office has a window you can use natural sunlight to supplement the artificial light.

Be careful to protect your work area from the glare of too much bright sunlight., Recessed ceiling lighting with soft light bulbs and dimmer controls is the best way to provide general lighting. A table or floor lamp will add to the room’s aesthetics. If the plan calls for wall cabinet storage over a counter or other work area, you may need concealed under cabinet lighting to give enough light to these areas.

Desk and Other Work Surfaces

Don’t skimp on work surfaces. You may feel that you can keep your paperwork, files and equipment neat and orderly, but wisdom dictates that a busy schedule may not allow the time to keep everything in its place and you may find that you have more materials on your desk and other counters than you had imagined especially if you perform a variety of tasks.

Also remember that although you may love that textured laminate or the beauty of a soft wood desktop, you should probably be more concerned that you the surface be smooth and hard. Edges and corners on work surfaces should also be soft and have radius corners if you move around a lot.

Storage

Aside from wanting more space, the most common concern we hear when designing home offices is lack of organization. With this in mind, your remodeling effort should include furniture that provides plenty of opportunity for organizing the specific items you need for your work and other materials if the office serves more than one purpose.

If you are attempting to plan the room yourself, start by writing a list of everything you require. From there, you will need to determine the amount of space, the type of space and the best locations for all your important things.

For example, when considering where to put your printer, think about your ability to reach it, how the trays operate, where the cables and power cord will go and where to store your paper and inks supplies. The same applies to any other equipment you will need now and in the future.

The final aesthetic appearance of the room you desire will determine the find of storage, shelving, work surfaces and furniture you should consider. If a simple utilitarian look is sufficient for you, metal storage cabinets, vertical file cabinets and an inexpensive open desk should be enough. If you are looking for a more attractive appearance that fits your tastes or the style of your home, may need to have professional assistance.

The Kitchen Master design team will be happy to show you how to have an office that will satisfy all your needs and fit the way you work and play.

City Resources

Burr Ridge Kitchen Remodel

Carol Stream Kitchen Remodeling

Naperville Kitchen Store