Creating Office Space at Home
2020 has been a year of change, both at work and at home. As offices and schools transitioned to online, home owners have been looking for houses with flexible spaces that can be used for work or learning. While every house doesn’t necessarily have an extra room, or rooms, for an office, there are ways for home owners to set aside space without a huge investment. After a year of uncertainty, many companies are now comfortable with remote workers, so we anticipate the need for home offices or classrooms to continue.
Basements
- Basements lend themselves to office space since they usually offer large amounts of unused space. Carving out an office space is as easy rearranging furniture and putting up some screens, or using drywall to create a separate space.
Dining Room
- A dining room usually offers a large amount of “desk” space for multi generations of families to share. Set aside a small cabinet to clear away your work and/or your child’s school supplies during off hours.
Bedroom
- Many articles have been written about the need to keep work out of the bedroom. But if the space isn’t available, consider creating a small office area in the bedroom, such as a small desk in lieu of a nightstand.
- If you have multiple small children, kids can become roommates. Then, use the extra bedroom as an at home classroom.
Closet
- Many homes offer closet space that can be repurposed into office space. Install a desk and shelves above – doors optional!
Porch
Don’t overlook your porch, which is often a fairly large amount of space. Enclosing this space can be fairly easy, and can provide you with an additional space to work from for 3 seasons. Adding heating and/or air conditioning will make this area more comfortable, and extend the seasons.
Garage/Shed
For years photographers and artists have used their garages as a studio. The nice thing about this option is that there are many options available, and you are able to keep your “work environment” separate from your “home environment.”
