Home Office Design Made Easy

Designing a home office is easy for some people, while others find the process daunting. Whether you want to set up a new home office or redesign an existing office, there are several ways to select the right furniture, provide enough storage space and create a home office design that meets your needs and work style.

Setting up a home office doesn't have to be difficult or overwhelming. By planning ahead, selecting the ideal space and finding the right furniture, you can make the process easier.

Ask yourself some important questions

The first step in home office design is to make sure you carefully evaluate every room and ask yourself a few questions:


Will you actually work in this area?
Will distractions be kept to a minimum?
Is there ample lighting?
Is there enough room for all of your equipment, files, and supplies?
Are there enough electrical outlets?
Would it be difficult to run a phone line and Internet access into this space?


By answering these questions, you will identify the best space for a home office.

Functional home office furniture should fit home décor

Invest in functional office furniture that fits the décor of your home. Whether you want a simple writing desk with a lap drawer for supplies, or a large desk with drawers for supplies and files, determine whether the piece is functional, and whether it matches your décor. When purchasing home office furniture, look for an ergonomically correct desk and chair as well as a bookcase to store reference and business books.

If you have limited home office space, or you need to "close up shop" at the end of the day, a computer cabinet or a computer armoire with enough space to house your office equipment is ideal. Plan ahead by measuring your space before you buy any new office furniture, making sure it will fit through a doorway or stairway.

What type of desk arrangement works best for you?

Choosing a desk arrangement that best suits you is an important part of the home office design process. Decide which of the five basic desk furniture arrangements for your home office is best for you: L-shape, Parallel, U-shape, corner, or reverse corner arrangement. The L-shaped work area allows you to store equipment off your desk and move it onto a secondary surface; the U-shaped work area makes it simple to keep everything within reach on three surfaces; the parallel layout positions your desk facing into the room with your secondary surface behind you; the corner arrangement and reverse corner arrangement include a desk with returns on each side. The desk faces into the corner or out into the room.



File storage can be beautiful

Be creative with file storage. Instead of using a grey, metal file cabinet to store your files, find other alternatives. You could store files inside a decorative wooden trunk, within a piece of furniture that is disguised as a storage chest, or inside a storage ottoman with a lid that doubles as a seat. Set up an easy-to-use filing system using hanging folders for main categories with interior (they're cut lower than manila) folders inside. Lateral file cabinets like those offered by Hooker Furniture are designed so well, no one would even know they are a file cabinet. A Preston Ridge file cabinet, for instance, would look lovely in a living room, hall or beside a bed.

Save space within your home office by using multifunction or "all in one" equipment that faxes, prints, copies and scans documents in color. The smaller footprint (and often low price) of these machines makes them ideal for most space-challenged home offices. Keep storage space on your computer to a minimum by storing information online through a virtual filing system, and eliminate the need for a special photo printer by using an online photo processing service.

Design your home office to reflect your taste, interests and style. If your office isn't carpeted, add an area rug to reduce echo. For privacy and to minimize the effects of direct sunlight, add window treatments. Don't forget to provide enough light for your desk and overall office.

Planning for client meetings

If you are going to meet with clients in your office, set up a space within your home office complete with guest chairs and a meeting table to spread out paperwork. If the kitchen is not nearby, set up a small break area with a coffee maker, dishes, utensils, and if possible a small refrigerator.

Lisa Kanarek writes about home office furniture, home office designs and home office trends for Hooker Furniture. Hooker Furniture (http://www.hookerfurniture.com) is an 82-year-old manufacturer and importer of high-quality, value-priced furniture for your home office, home entertainment, bedroom, dining room and bathroom rooms.

Lisa Kanarek is also one of the nation's leading home office experts and the author of several books including Home Office Solutions: Creating a Space That Works For You, and is the founder of HomeOfficeLife, a firm advising corporations and individuals on all aspects for working from home.

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Design a Functional Living Space Using Furniture Buying Tips

When you're updating your home with beautiful new furniture, think about how to best complement each room, whether it's bookcases to organize your personal library or a TV stand that can showcase your new flat-screen TV. We all know there are plenty of furniture suppliers out there, so it's important to know what you're looking for before you begin your search.

To do this, it helps to understand the different types of furniture and how they can be effectively utilized in your home. There are hundreds of varieties of bedroom furniture, closet organization systems, entertainment furniture, computer furniture and office furniture to choose from, but once you know what you're looking for, it becomes much easier to narrow the selection.

Get the help you need to turn your house into a beautiful and functional home. Follow our helpful furniture buying tips today.

Create a Comfortable Entertainment Room

As technology steadily progresses, the entertainment rooms in today's homes are becoming more and more extravagant. TV stands now need to hold huge flat screens, DVD players, Blue Ray players, high power speakers and a wide variety of gaming systems.

Both the kind of media you have and the amount of space you're working with directly impact your TV stand choice. If you have limited space, a corner entertainment center is a great way to free up the middle of a room. If you want to be able to put your TV and its accessories out of sight at a moment's notice, an entertainment armoire is an excellent choice.

You can find everything - from complete home entertainment centers to basic TV stands with one or two shelves - so you need to have specific criteria in mind when purchasing this piece of furniture.

Also, if you want to keep your DVD and CD collections organized and off the floor, you'll want to purchase some type of multimedia storage cabinet or tower. We has a variety of models in all different shapes and sizes, so it's easy to find one that meets your needs.

Organize Your Home Office

Whether you run a business from home or simply use your office as a place to pay bills and catch up on work, your home office needs to be organized. The key piece of furniture in this room is going to be the computer desk. There are tons of models to choose from, so it's important to know what features are most important to you.

Do you only have a laptop and wireless mouse or do you have a large computer monitor with a variety of accessories? Do you have lots of file folders, books and manuals that need to be easily accessible? Do you want to display pictures, knickknacks and other memorabilia? All these factors need to be considered as you look for a computer desk that meets your exact needs.

Everything from simple computer desks with pull-out shelves to expansive desks with hutches, glass doors and other impressive features. Determining your needs and assessing the size of the room you're furnishing is crucial to getting the perfect computer desk.

Don't forget to add bookcases and file cabinets as additional places for storing and displaying your office essentials. A bookshelf is a great place to arrange your favorite knickknacks and display your personal library, while file cabinets can stylishly keep your most important documents out of sight and organized.

Turn Chaos into Calm in Your Bedroom

Your bedroom should be a place where you can relax and unwind at the end of the day. It needs to be comfortable, calm and organized, and the right bedroom furniture can help you achieve that with ease. Traditional chests and dressers are a necessity for keeping your clothes in check, but one of the best organizational tools available is a bedroom armoire. These furniture pieces can be used for clothing, jewelry, accessories and more. They can also hold a TV, and because they have closeable doors you can put their contents out of sight in seconds.

If you need help keeping your walk-in closet clean, you'll want to purchase a closet organization system. These innovative systems offer customizable ways to organize your clothing, shoes and other wardrobe essentials. You can find cabinetry, cut-to-size shelves, and adjustable clothing rods for wide spaces, narrow spaces and everything in between.

If you already have the perfect mattress and bed frame, consider making your bed a focal point of your room by finding a decorative headboard. They come in all different shapes and sizes, and some even have small shelves for storing nighttime essentials. If you'd prefer a headboard without shelves, you probably want to consider purchasing a nightstand with a pull-out drawer and some additional storage space.

Store Anything, Anywhere

Although a home office is a great place to utilize bookcases and storage cabinets, these versatile pieces of furniture have a place in every room of your home.

Whether you want to display your knickknacks as decoration or organize your belongings behind cabinet doors, storage furniture can help. Utility carts work best in the kitchen and in various hallways, while storage cabinets and bookcases are better suited for living rooms, dining rooms, dens and basements.

Storage furniture comes in all different shapes and sizes, so it's easy to find a model to meet all your organizational needs. Say goodbye to clutter by utilizing storage furniture in every room of your home.

Design Spaces You Love to Live in

No matter what your personal taste is, you can design a house you're happy to come home to with help form us. Apply your own style to the furniture buying tips above until you've found the perfect pieces for every room.

Feel free to think outside the box. There are no hard and fast rules to successful decorating, so it's really up to you to create rooms you love. Look around until you find furniture pieces that meet your needs, reflect your favorite styles and make your home beautiful.

Get helpful furniture buying tips from Sauder. Learn to use bookcases, computer desks, TV stands and more to create a functional and beautiful living space.

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