Home Sweet Home Office

  2008-08-28 20:43:15An organized home office allows for a functional work flow. Items needing immediate action should be at our fingertips while items that are seldom used should be stored out of the way. Files, printers and even staplers are critical to completing tasks so place them near your workspace. Lighting is important and should be used to your advantage.

Now that the papers have been sorted and filed away there should be much more flat space clear of clutter. That is a good thing, so do not go out of your way to find something to fill the empty space.

The physical size of your home office will determine what type of furniture can be used. Consider that you will need space for electronics such as printers, computers and keyboards. Of course you know that you need a keyboard but do you realize that they take up a considerable desktop space? The depth of the desktop will make a huge difference.

• Desk
• Desk chair
• Second chair for visitors
• Credenza
• Shelves
• Lamps

Depending on the type of work you do a desk can be large or small. Someone that works strictly on their computer will need much less desktop space than someone that needs to spread their work out in front of them. A small desk can be combined with a credenza or similar small table or chest to provide extra work space.

A comfortable and supportive desk chair is a must. Hours of sitting and leaning forward can be awful for your back. My desk chair has arms but will still snug up to my desk. My back is supported. My desk chair’s height adjusts so my arms are at a correct angle. My desk chair is on wheels so I can adjust where I sit according to what I am working on at the time. Is my desk chair pretty - well no but it is functional.

I do not have many visitors in my home office but I keep an extra chair handy just in case. It is a small plastic chair that shares space in my living room and in my home office. It is light weight and easy to move so it works well in either space.

I do not have a credenza but I see where they would be very handy. Most people set a printer on top and supplies inside. I buy printer paper by the box so a credenza would be handy as storage for it.

Shelves come in every shape and size. I bought heavy duty (restaurant) style shelves for my home office. My big screen TV sits on one shelf and supplies and file boxes share space on other shelves. If floor space is small it helps to take storage up the walls. Metal boxes and baskets hold a lot of my “stuff” and looks good doing it.

I do not use many lamps because of the space they use and the bright glare they put off. A ceiling fan close to my desk does double duty to keep me cool and to provide light. If I were to buy a lamp it would be a small LED task light.

My home office is small but I do a lot of work there. My supplies are close at hand and everything is on wheels so my home office adjusts to my needs. I use a closet as storage for electronics, photos and files that are seldom accessed and a near by shelf holds my printer and other supplies. I’d love to hear about your home office.