When you work at home it is important that you have a comfortable and efficient place to work. You spend a large part of your day working, why shouldn’t you be comfy while doing it? The beauty of a home office is that you can customize it to your own tastes and interests. I had originally intended this post to be about all aspects of setting up a home office, but soon realized that it was way too much ground to cover. I decided to break it up into a series of posts instead. Today we are going to focus on finding a place to make our office.
Options for locating your office space
Dedicated room
In a perfect world we would all have a separate room with a door that we can close. Unfortunately, that is just not something that is possible for everyone. In fact, most of us don’t have the luxury of that much space. If you do have access to an empty room, congratulations! The very first time I worked from home I had a dedicated room and it was glorious! I had plenty of room for everything I needed, and I could shut the door at the end of the workday.
Pros – complete privacy, quiet environment, clear boundary between work and home life
Cons – requires an extra room in your home, which is not feasible for many people
Partially dedicated room
The next best option is a shared space room. This would be something like a guest room with enough space for a desk. My hubby currently has this situation. There is a small guest bed in there for company and the rest of the space is taken up by his office.
Pros – private, quiet, efficient use of space
Cons – May not be an option if you frequently have guests, requires careful space planning
Open Space
This would be something like an unused dining room that you can set up as a dedicated office space, but that does not have doors. This is my current situation. Our home has a living room right inside the front door. We never use it, so I set my office up in there. I will admit it is far from a perfect situation as it is wide open to the rest of the house. However, since there are only 2 of us living here it is quiet enough. I’ll eventually write a separate post about how I make this work.
Pros – dedicated space without needing an extra room, may have good lighting/natural light, can be quite spacious
Cons – limited privacy, potential noise and distractions, affects the aesthetics of your home’s interior
Unconventional spaces
I have seen people come up with some really creative ways to house their home office. One of my favorites is the office in a closet (the “cloffice”). Personally, I could never make this work as I tend to spread out a little too much. However, if you like a more compact working area and have a spare closet, this could be a great solution. This would also work great with a cupboard under the stairs (you’re a wizard, Harry), a nook, a basement, an enclosed sunporch, etc.
Pros – gives a purpose to wasted spaces, cozy
Cons – usually has limited space, may require some creativity with the furnishings, may not have electricity easily available
Bedroom office
This is exactly what it sounds like. It is an office space inside the bedroom that you sleep in every night. I have also done this and it was my least favorite. At the time it was really the only option. I made it work, but I definitely felt like I never left work. It definitely affected my sleep, but sometimes you just have no choice.
Pros – quiet, away from the household hustle & bustle
Cons – difficult to separate work from rest, may affect sleep quality, can make the room very cramped
Mobile office
Sometimes there is just no space to have a desk anywhere in your house, so you just have to set up your laptop wherever you – kitchen table, lap desk, tv tray in the living room, etc.. During the pandemic many people who had never worked from home before found themselves in this situation. I consider myself lucky that I have never had to do this on a long term basis. I have had to do it when travelling. It is do-able in the short term, but I would absolutely hate it on a steady basis.
Pros – flexible, do not have to give up any spaces in your home
Cons – daily setup, inconsistent ergonomics
Key Considerations
When you are deciding where to set up your home office there are several things to take into consideration.
- Noise levels – This can be particularly important if you kids, pets, and/or roommates.
- Lighting – Is there adequate lighting so that you can work efficiently?
- Power access – Does the space have enough electrical outlets for your office equipment?
- Privacy – Depending on the type of work you do, there may be privacy concerns that would necessitate closing and/or locking doors.
- Ergonomics – Can you work comfortably and safely in your office space?
Final thoughts
While a dedicated room is the ideal scenario for your home office, any of the other options can work with careful planning and setup. You should focus on creating a space that supports your productivity while also maintaining the household needs of you and your family.
Make it a great day!