A Room with a View”of the Laundry Let's start with the physical office. First, it would be nice if you had an actual dedicated office with a door. Note we said it would be nice. Isn't it funny how reality creeps into these plans and dreams? A dedicated office isn't always possible. People have home offices on their dining room or kitchen tables or in their bedrooms. We even know someone who worked from his spacious walk-in closet”he had conference calls among his suits and ties. If shortage of space is an issue, read up on our organization chapter, because it becomes especially important to keep clutter to a minimum. Add children to the equation and that multiplies tenfold. Here are some tips for working from home when you do not have a dedicated office: -
Invest in filing cabinets and faithfully use them. Try to have only the project you are working on out at any one time to avoid added clutter. Certain businesses are very "paperwork" heavy”for these businesses, filing systems are an absolute necessity. -
Some people have become enamored of those "console" or hutch desks, which can be closed up and shut away like an armoire at the end of the day. If you buy one of these (which can easily start at $1,000), sit yourself right down in the furniture store and really look at the actual workspace you will have. Very often it's extremely narrow or limited, and though an armoire may be more attractive than a desk or open shelving, if you end up working on your kitchen table because you have no elbow room, you just shelled out $1,000 for said sparse elbow room. -
Consider space in new ways. For instance, investing in a closet designer to overhaul a walk-in closet may yield you storage space for papers, books, and office supplies that you hadn't thought of before. Carpenters can design built-in shelves or place shelving up near the ceiling. Express your needs to any professional designer or carpenter you bring into your home. They tend to "see" spatially in ways we ordinary mortals do not. -
When mixing home and office in small space, take special care that your kids can't get at important papers (not to mention permanent markers and your IRS returns). Consider plastic containers with labels that can be put away (up high, on shelves, in a closet) at the end of the day. -
Don't neglect ergonomics. Your spine will thank you. Often, when starting out and working from a space not truly "office" space, such as a kitchen table, you may be surprised to find that the heights of tables and chairs used for dining purposes are not at all well-suited to working purposes. When people leave a large company, for instance, they may take for granted the desk chair they had or the desk height, but office designers may have had a hand in selecting these items to ensure comfort . If you find yourself uncomfortable, you won't put in your most productive day. Erica's first desk space was so poorly planned in her first home that she ended up sitting on the floor and working on her coffee table. Her chiropractor was not amused. See the ergonomics section of this chapter for specific tips.  |
