With so many homes built before the arrival of the home computer, many home computer owners are faced with the task of incorporating 21st century requirements while still creating homes that are tidy, stylish, and user friendly. Dedicating space to a permanent home computer area is generally the best option, so if you have an unloved corner or part of your basement that could work well as an office then why not clear out that space and set up a comfortable, attractive work zone? It’s easy to transform that tired basement corner!
Good storage equals good rooms, and this motto is particularly relevant when dealing with the home office. Offices, by their very nature, should be orderly and efficient, so make sure you provide enough storage to allow you to keep paperwork close at hand, archive older items and establish a way to organize and plan for upcoming work and events.
No one wants to sit facing a work area all night when they’ve been at the office all day, so try to keep your home office hidden when not in use either by housing it in a specially built cabinet with doors or screening it from view. We sectioned off this ‘L’ shaped area with large sliding frosted glass wardrobe doors, which provide an inexpensive camouflage while adding a clean design feature to both zones. The finished room looks modern and architecturally inspired, all for the cost of a few wardrobe doors!
Offices don’t have to be grey—adding colour will make yours a happier space, and happy workers are more productive. We added orange splashes, not with paint, paper or art as we would normally do, but with storage bins, boxes and files in a zesty tone. Use framed family photos, artwork and accessories to give your office a personal home touch. You don’t want it to look like an anonymous cubicle on some open plan office floor.
The best thing to do to make your office feel larger and more organized is to get paperwork off the floor. Wall-mounted shelves are perfect for this as you can decide exactly where you want them and how many you need. And don’t think they have to be in line or at the same level—do as we did and stagger heights to add interest.
Adding a comfy chair like the curvaceous design wonder seen here is great for breaking away from the shackles of the desk to relax and think things through. And what could be more inspiring than a brightly coloured classic seat that positively oozes style?
Light up from the floor up with Scandinavian style blonde wood. Practical as well as beautiful, the light tone does loads to lift levels of warmth and modernity especially in a dark room with little natural illumination. It’s important to check dampness levels in basements, and only lay wood floors if your basement is Sahara desert dry—a little moisture and your floor will be buckling and unsightly in no time!
Colin & Justin
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