Blog
Home. Work.
Monday, August 14, 2017
If commuting’s not for you, and working from home is an option, there are increasingly innovative ways to combine work and leisure at home. You may even be able to create a workspace in your home for less than the cost of your average season ticket. Fantastic work-friendly spaces can be found under the stairs, in a hallway, or even in a cupboard if extending upwards or outwards is not an option.
Just some key furniture items such as shelving, a desk and a chair can transform a small, unused space into an efficient work area. The trick is to make sure that the décor works well to make the workstation “fit”. Clever use of space is important and with thoughtful planning and creativity, almost any space in the home can be turned into a mini study.
A garden office can offer all the convenience of working from home whilst being distinctly separate. Garden rooms are a popular solution for creating dedicated study space whilst providing peace and quiet away from the main house. They can be fully insulated and double glazed for use all year round and come pre-wired, ready to plug in and start work. Many different styles are available from traditional to contemporary across a range of budgets and sizes. When thinking about installing a garden office, it’s worth checking whether you need Planning Permission, or if you can build under Permitted Development rules.
With careful consideration, you could turn a spare bedroom into a dual-purpose office that can accommodate occasional guests when the need arises. Define the sleeping area separately from the study zone and opt for furniture that allows the bedroom to function as an office without looking like one.
Make the most of unused space under the stairs with office furniture that has pull-out wheeled storage units that tuck back under the desk out of “office hours”. Better still, buy a unit that can completely close when you finish work for the day. If you only have a small area to use, make the most of any vertical space by building units right up to the ceiling and keep a stepladder handy if necessary.
A new trend is to have a designated study area in the kitchen with a concealed drop-down or pull-out desk that you can use for work and the kids can use for homework while you prepare the dinner.
If you have a hallway large enough to house a desk, it can be the ideal place for a small home office or study area. Choose a narrow style desk or one with a pull out shelf and use wall mounted shelves and storage to keep the desk clear to use.
Before any significant expenditure, it’s worth checking with your local Frost office what the likely impact will be on the value of your home, to find out what option represents the best value. Whatever your choice remember the adage about “all work and no play” and find plenty of down time to relax and enjoy your home.
