4 Mistakes to Avoid When Designing a Home Office
May 23, 2019A home office can be a useful addition to your custom home design. Oftentimes, having a dedicated place to work or run your business from home can also help make you more productive. But, as with any room, good design matters and mistakes in your home office design could increase distractions and negatively affect your productivity. Here are a few mistakes to avoid when designing a home office:
Mistake #1 – Treating Your Home Office as an Afterthought
When it comes to planning out your custom home, your home office is likely not at the top of the list. That’s normal! The mistake comes in when it doesn’t make it on your list at all and it becomes an afterthought, a “throwaway room”, or a last-minute consideration.
A home office is one of the ways to use a shed. Although this offers you a little bit of flexibility when it comes to planning, you still don’t want to treat it as an afterthought. The shed may be a separate building from the main house, but it still needs some forethought and planning to function well.
Depending on how you plan to use it, you may be spending a lot of time in your home office. Even if you won’t be spending a ton of time in it every day, you want to make sure you put enough time and effort into the design to ensure it’s built for your needs and is conducive to doing work.
Mistake #2 – Placing Your Home Office Near Busy Areas
Some people thrive in an active, busy environment, but it’s often a distraction for many others. This makes placing your office near busy areas one of the mistakes to avoid when designing a home office. Placing your home office near the busiest and most active areas of your home is a sure way to increase distractions and decrease productivity.
You know how you work best and if you know people or noises will distract you, then it’s better for your home office to be placed away from the busier areas of your home. This is especially important if you will be meeting with potential clients in your home office. In that case, more privacy is a must and a separate entrance doesn’t hurt either.
Whether you’re bringing clients into your home office or not, don’t forget about adding soundproofing to your office! This will help you create an area where you can focus and will help insulate you from the potentially rambunctious happenings in the rest of the house.
Mistake #3 – Ignoring the Details
The overall look, feel, and atmosphere of your home office are important, but ignoring the details is a big mistake and an all-too-common one. Subpar lighting, uncomfortable chairs, not enough storage, poor cord management, and more are all consequences and frustrations you may end up with if you ignore the details in your home office.
Instead, take the time to think about the light you prefer and need, and the home office lighting ideas that will help you get it. Include a few windows for natural lighting and install a dimmer switch that allows you to adjust the brightness of the room to what you need throughout the day. Also, take the time to find a comfortable desk chair, think about your storage needs, and explore some home office decor ideas that will help personalize the space.
You want to make sure you have enough home office storage ideas to prevent clutter from building up and also that you have the proper cord and tech management in place to prevent tripping hazards. You also want to make sure you have plenty of electrical outlets and charging stations available for all of your devices and that they are easily accessible without needing several extension cords. Implementing some good home office organization ideas can help you get the look and the function you want.
Mistake #4 – Focusing Too Much on a Traditional “Office” Look
Just because you’re using your home office to work or run your business doesn’t mean it needs to be stiff or overly formal. There’s no need to go for the traditional corporate look in your home office.
Most modern corporate offices don’t even ascribe to the traditional look anymore, so don’t be afraid to add some flavor and personality into your home office. You don’t want it to be crazy or for it to not match your work style, but it doesn’t have to be sterile and boring either.
There may be pros and cons of a home office, but avoiding these mistakes when designing your home office can help ensure you get a room where the pros outweigh the cons, that you can work in, and that also works for you. Plus, it can help you design a productive home office. A home office is just one room in your custom home.
Instead of going it alone and trying to figure out the details, partner with an experienced custom home builder with an in-house design process. They’ll get a feel for your style and what you need and will help you design the home of your dreams. If you’re ready to bring your dream home to life, contact Custom Home Group at 717-284-4090!