With more and more people preferring the convenience of working from home, dedicated home offices have become a necessity in most Melbourne homes, and if you have school-age children, setting up a family home office is a sensible idea. At Duncan Thompson Extensions, we have over 30 years’ experience building quality home extensions and renovations for families across Melbourne. A dedicated office space in your home helps you set aside household distractions and focus on work, and while it needs to be a functional and practical space, you want to feel inspired and creative in a space that has been specifically designed to enhance your productivity. Here’s a few tips for creating a stylish and functional workspace that will benefit the whole family.
Understand How the Space Will Be Used
Start by making a list of the ways you intend to use the space. Home offices often fulfil a range of needs for the whole family and may be used for much more than a dedicated workspace for a single family member. Ask yourself the below questions:
- How many people will use the space on a regular basis?
- Is it where the kids will do their homework?
- Does it need to be a big enough space for meetings with other people?
- How much equipment will you need? A single desk and laptop or different desks with multiple monitors and printers?
- Do you need a separate ‘break-out’ zone for important business calls?
By knowing the potential uses for the room or space will determine the layout, furniture and storage that you will need.
Get Organised
Organisation is the key to creating a neat, tidy and functional space. Home offices tend to be full of paperwork, books, stationary, computer cords and accessories – so storage is integral to home office design. Having a place for everything and knowing where everything is when you need it will ensure maximum productivity so invest in quality storage shelving and cabinetry for books, files and documents and drawers and boxes for stationery, paperwork and equipment. Try to utilise all the space available, installing cabinets all the way up to the ceiling, and resting a ladder against them is a great way to optimise space. Open shelving is great for smaller rooms and makes a practical and stylish way of maximising office storage without enclosing the room.
Add Personality and Warmth with Colours and Decor
One of the best parts about a home office is that you can decorate it exactly how you want it, making it a place where you actually enjoy spending time rather than it feeling like a sterile office environment. A warm and welcoming space helps to improve productivity, so choose calming wall colours and décor pieces in hues that reflect your personality will really help to create an inspiring room. You can even follow colour psychology to pick décor and wall colours in an energy inducing hues, such as shades of yellow, orange and red. Including bold colours, interesting features and designer pieces will instantly add luxury, and turn your work space into a sanctuary.
Ensure It Blends in with the Style of Your Home
A great home office should complement the design and style of the rest of your house so consider how it will blend in with adjacent areas, especially if the door is often open. The colour palette, architectural features and furniture choices should blend seamlessly with other rooms, making your home office a feature that enhances your whole home and not just a boring room with a computer and desk.
If you need more space for a modern home office, get in touch with the team at Duncan Thompson Extensions today. We’re passionate about quality workmanship and design and we have many years’ experience building house extensions of the highest standard across Melbourne’s inner Eastern and bayside suburbs. Call us today on (03) 9836 8655 or contact us online now.
