Five Easy Ideas That Will Redefine “Home Office”

With 80% of Americans spending more time working after hours or tackling flex days at home, people are looking to create home offices where they can work without interrupting family activities.

For those of us not lucky enough to have a spare room to devote to an office, and need somewhere to work besides the sofa or the kitchen table, here are five ideas to creatively add a dedicated work area that will take up minimal real estate in your home floorplan.

1. Make the most of a corner. Create a nook with a small corner desk and upholstered chair. Use the wall space above the desk for wall shelves, hanging files, and memo boards.
2. Rearrange furniture to make the space.  Move your sofa to the center of the room. Place a decorative table behind the sofa with a back table and office chair against the wall.
3. Under the Stairs? Yes.  Use an oddly shaped area under the stairs to create a small workspace with a stylish decorative table, chair, and small filing cabinet.
4. Take advantage of wall space:  Use two tables divided by a bookshelf to create a two-side work desk with storage.  Be sure to match the décor and woods in the room so the area blends with existing décor and enhances your workspace, rather than detracting from it.
5. Repurpose an extra closet.  Create a small nook in an extra coat closet.  Paint the interior of the closet and add a small work table with decorative chair and utilize the existing shelves for storage.

Wherever you decide to create a work haven, be sure to add good lighting, wall art, or a mirror and some decorative color-focused accents and accessories to define the space. Allow function to meet form and blend it with the ambience of the room.

The trick is to use conventional areas in non-traditional ways and turn them into productive and efficient spaces.  Looking for more? At AFR^®, we have plenty of ideas to help you create a workspace that will meet and exceed your expectations.  With a large and flexible inventory, we have many different furnishings and styles to help you design and decorate a home office.

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