In these days of mobile working, flexible hours and reducing overheads, more and more people are based from home at least part of their working week. I’m lucky enough to have a whole room for home working and this week was delighted to open the door to living:room’s home office to UK interiors blogger, Will Taylor for his regular Office Inspiration feature on Bright Bazaar.

To me it’s very important the work side of things doesn’t take over and that my house still looks like a home, as I discussed with Will – it’s also great to be able to close the door at the end of the day, switch off and enjoy my home.

But not everyone has the luxury of being able to dedicate an entire room to this purpose and part of living:room‘s philosophy is to make space work harder by doubling up on complementary uses wherever possible. By ‘complementary’, I mean those that can co-exist side by side without one interfering with one another – so a home office in the living room where other members of the family may want to watch TV etc., is probably not ideal! Here are some things to consider when setting up a home office and some ideas on how to integrate it seamlessly into your home.

Traditional style home office armoire (Pottery Barn - US)

Location

The increase in the number of people working from home is largely a result of new technology, so most existing homes are not designed to include an office or work space. It may not be about choosing a location so much as squeezing it in wherever you can!

If space is an issue then look for ‘natural’ locations within your home – space under the stairs, an unused cupboard, a wall recess etc. These leftover spaces could be the perfect location to either locate a piece of furniture containing all the office essentials (see image above) or to have something built in to suit your needs. If you have a spare bedroom, then look at building the office into the room’s wardrobe space or cupboards (as designer, Karin Draaijer’s home office, below) – this way it can be closed over at the end of the day, without affecting the use of the room. Just remember to keep some of that storage space for the clothes!

Home Office by Karin Draaijer

Other possible locations might be in a kitchen, integrated into workbench storage or a full-height cupboard; a storage wall in a wide hallway; a large landing at the top of a flight of stairs or a converted roof space, where it may be possible to bring natural light in by means of a roof-light.

Wherever you choose, it’s important that the space be comfortable – well-lit, no draughts or distractions and enough space for your needs, otherwise you won’t use it and could be wasting your money.

If your business is based from home full-time, then good natural light is non-negotiable – it is easier on the eyes, reduces the need for & expense of artificial lighting and, if you’re working on a computer, it’s important to able to rest and adjust your eyes regularly by changing your focus to something located at a distance.

I really like the way Bates Masi Architects created this built-in bench in a bedroom of the Noyak Creek House (click image below for more), as it could easily do double duty as both a dressing table and a low-key work space – with its drawer storage and fantastic natural light and views. This solution will work best in North-facing rooms where you won’t be blinded by sunlight and glare – on those few days a year we see the sun in Ireland!

Noyak Creek House - Bates Masi Architects

Size

Both size and location will depend on the type of work you do and whether your home office is required for full-time, part-time or occasional working. There are some great cost-effective options designed for occasional use and don’t take up much space – here’s one of my favourites from IKEA:

Slimline Computer workstation by IKEA

Or for a more traditional writing desk-style alternative take a look at the ALVE bureau & cupboard, also by IKEA.

Furniture

I have a horror of the pale wood veneer or glass / metal type office furniture that many retailers provide for home use – they rarely reflect the design choices we make for our homes and end up looking out of place. There is no reason why a home office should look like a corporate one – why not think of it instead as an opportunity to reflect who you are and the values of your business? It can still be a professional space but one that works for you, your business and your home. The example below, by Craig Spencer Design, makes excellent use of a left-over space in a hallway and by using a limited colour palette – black and white, with red detail in the picture – ties in with the look and feel of the rest of the house.

My tip would be to add folding doors, even if only from bench-height upward, to ‘close’ the office at the end of the day – open shelves can look cluttered and untidy and having doors will take care of that, until you’re ready to tackle the housework!

Built-in Home Office - Craig Spencer Design

Storage

Most businesses require file storage of some kind, so think about those needs as well as the work-station itself. Again, this doesn’t need to be a traditional filing cabinet – look for opportunities to integrate storage in a discreet way by using existing shelving or storage boxes in colours that match the existing decor. In the living:room home office, I’ve combined open and closed storage, where homely items like books and knick-nacks are on display and the more officey items hidden away. If a filing cabinet is the way you want to go, think about locating it in a cupboard or building it into the work station, so its office credentials don’t dominate the look of the room.

One of the cleverest uses of a small space, I’ve come across is the Finger Apartment in New York by Noroof Architects – I love this ‘invisible’ surface that folds down from the wall creating a table or desk and revealing lots of storage space behind. It’s a great example of how to get double value from a room and could easily be adapted to create that ideal, low-profile workspace at home.

Finger Apartment - Table in concealed position

Finger Apartment - Table in open position

Spot the difference? Genius.

For more ideas, check out the Office Inspiration posts on Bright Bazaar. Will has been blogging since early 2009 and is also a freelance writer for various interiors web-sites and national newspapers. His passion for interiors grew out of working for Habitat as a student journalist and he is now working for US home and lifestyle store, Anthropologie, as they expand into Europe, where he puts all his social media savvy into translating the in-store experience to the on-line world.

If you found this article useful, you may also be interested in:

The Elephant in the Room: Spaced Out

The Hidden Potential in Your Home

It’s Not About Looks – Good Design Works

Do you have any any pet peeves about housing or home design? Please leave a comment with your thoughts on this subject or any other home improvement or design issues you’d like to see featured.