Building a home office is very convenient especially if your work is related with paperworks or if you’re doing business but the real problem is, what if you don’t have enough space for an extravagant office? It’s either you take a renovation service (which is costly) or stick with what you have. Here’s a question that would give you an idea about resolving your dilemma and the following are resolutions from experts.
“When we renovated our home I was working full-time. Now that I have children, I want to work part-time and turn our 4x1.7m windowless storeroom into a home office. How can I achieve this?”
The key is to be clever with storage. Go for a slimline desk or trestle table, and some drawers on casters that tuck under the desk and roll out. Make the room comfortable; if it’s not, you won’t want to work there. Buy a great chair that you’ll love sitting in. No windows? Good lighting is a must, perhaps a light with a flexible arm. Buy desk organisers and don’t let clutter take over. A pinboard above the desk can be used for photos and notes.
- Sarah-Jane Pyke, Designer at Arent & Pyke, Potts Point, NSW.
I suggest you arrange some cupboards, shelves and a desk on the long side of the room, or a long bench with mobile drawer units below it and wall-mounted cupboards above, The children can do their homework at the other end of the room while you’re working at the other end. You’ll need to consider the building code requirements for light and ventilation; these elements will also add to your enjoyment and health. If you can’t install a window in the room, a ventilated skylight could be an option.
- Tim Stewart, Architect at Tim Stewart Architects, Fortitude Valley, QLD.
First, see if changes can be made to bring in a view and fresh air. I suggest a 4m wall of mirror with the joinery opposite, a door at one end and a window at the other; alternatively, you could have the window within the mirrored wall or above your desk. The joinery should include a 300x70cm desk (open underneath for mobile drawers), 30cm-deep shelving over the top, and a full height cupboard at the far end for storage. Install practical lighting and apply magnetic paint above the desk to create a pinboard.
- Caecilia Potter, Design Director, Atticus & Milo, Hawthorn, VIC.