Blog
Home.Work.
Monday, August 15, 2016
Whether working from home or studying for exams, there are increasingly innovative ways to combine work and leisure at home if you think outside the box. You don’t necessarily need a spare room or loft conversion to create a workspace in your home although both would be nice. Fantastic work-friendly spaces can be found under the stairs, in a spare corner, a hallway, or even in a cupboard.
Just a few key 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 key and with thoughtful planning and creativity, almost any space in the home can be turned into a mini study.
And then, of course, there’s the garden office which offers all the convenience of working from home whilst being distinctly separate. Garden rooms are becoming a popular solution for creating a dedicated study space, 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 sizes and budgets. It’s worth checking whether you need Planning Permission, or if you can build under Permitted Development rules when thinking about buying a garden room.
With careful planning, you could turn a spare bedroom into a dual-purpose space to accommodate occasional guests and serve as an office. Define the sleeping area separately from the study zone and choose furniture that allows the bedroom to function as an office without looking like one.
Make the most of the space under your stairs with an office and cupboards large enough to hang coats, store sports equipment or cleaning gear. Create a whole office space in one corner with wheeled storage units that pull out when in use but tuck snugly under the desk at the end of the working day. Better still, buy a unit that can completely close when you are not working, hiding any work in progress out of sight! If you only have a small area to use, make the most of any vertical space with shelving 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 style desk that can be put away when you’re not using it. The kitchen is often the hub of the home so kids can be getting on with their homework while you prepare the dinner. If you’re lucky enough to have a hallway large enough to house a desk, it can be an 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.
Whatever your choice remember the adage about “all work and no play” and find time to relax and enjoy some leisure time at home!
