Home Office Remodeling Ideas to Create Your Perfect Space
Clever home office remodeling ideas that you will love for years to come.
The concept of the home office is only growing in popularity as more people bring their work home with them or simply work from their home-based office. A space designed to house computer gear and other office equipment continues to be a popular area for renovation. However, some homeowners are transforming their home office into a more family-friendly space. Your design firm can work with you to achieve an office that will optimally address everyone’s needs.
Money Matters
While it’s only natural that most homeowners are concerned about the cost of renovating their home in any way, it’s always important to keep in mind that some renovations can greatly enhance the value of the home. Also, many people who work from home can even declare their office space on their taxes; it’s certainly worth looking into if you have a home business. Your design firm is adept at working within clients’ budgets. Together, you’ll be able to devise an affordable plan.
Why a Family Office?
A family office serves many purposes in one functional space. While it provides a space for adults to perform their work, it can also accommodate homework needs, book storage, and even arts and crafts activities. Do your children spill their homework all over the dining room table? Does your tween surf the web behind the closed door of a bedroom? You can keep an eye on your children in a home office and provide an optimum environment for computer use and schoolwork completion.
Features of the Family Office
When considering your design plan, discuss your current needs with your design firm, but don’t forget to consider future needs either. Your home office, if designed carefully, can grow with your family. The following design/renovation features are just a few considerations for your family office:
Built-Ins
A contractor can build or install built-in bookcases that are both functional and visually appealing. By building your bookcases from scratch, you can choose the wood, finish, and other decorative elements like trim. Bookcases are naturally designed to hold books—everything from picture books to computer manuals, but they can also provide a great decorative element to your family office transforming it from a purely functional room to a sumptuous library setting.
Storage
Cabinets are probably going to be a necessary feature for the home office. Yet, your firm can help you incorporate them in interesting ways. Consider the functionality of a kitchen island. Why not install an office island where kids (and adults) can spread out their work and all needed supplies can be stored within? Counters along walls can also feature cabinetry beneath or above them for storing items like printer paper, computer supplies, arts and crafts supplies, and even the family’s board games if necessary.
Aside from cabinetry, consider a specially-designed display area for housing important items like interesting collections of pottery or even trophies. Your display cases can include lighting features and provide aesthetic interest to the room aside from their inherent functionality as a storage unit.
Window Seats
If your office has various desks to accommodate, there may not be much room for comfortable seating. Your design firm can help you transform a window into a focal point complete with a comfortable seat for reading or lounging with a laptop.
Desks
Innovative workstation solutions are transforming the look of the home office so that the traditional “computer desk” is no longer needed to house computer towers or cumbersome gadgets. Today’s computer gear is more sleek, so your design firm will likely have excellent ideas about helping you design workstations that suit the way you work as well as the type of equipment you work with.
Expansions
For large families, an expansion could enhance the functionality of a family office. Perhaps blending a hallway with a spare bedroom could provide a larger, more open space to site your office. Perhaps basement walls could be knocked down for a large office area. Even expanding your attic space could result in a dramatic new room that will likely become everyone’s favorite place to be! For office spaces with high ceilings, why not consider dividing the room with a loft to better section off children’s office space from the adult’s?
The Benefits of a Multi-functional Office Space
When designed with your needs in mind, your office room can truly provide the functional space your family needs. From quiet a reading room to painter’s studio, the home office should adapt to the needs of each individual in the family. Be sure to check out a wide array of design plans to adapt useful features to your own plan. Your design firm will likely have many great ideas and you can complement them by furnishing your own ideas through images from books or the internet.