A Place That Works
Set in the right space and equipped to do a job, the personalized home office combines functionality with freedom of expression.
1. The beautifully proportioned Split desk by Ligne Roset incorporates a desk light for working into the wee hours. $6,840; ligne-roset-usa.com. 2. The Clip perpetual calendar will keep you current 365 days a year. $20; prestigeidentity.com. 3. Rainbow-hued storage options add a dash of color to a home office. Storage cart with 10 multicolor drawers, $79; available by special order at Sam Flax Art & Design, Orlando, or samflaxsouth.com. 4. These clever document holders that look like oversized clothespins are a humorous and fitting addition to any home office. $12 each; seejanework.com. 5. Semikolon document storage boxes, $25 each; available by special order at Sam Flax Art & Design, Orlando, or samflaxsouth.com. 6. The Think Chair by Steelcase provides ergonomic seating in such unexpected colors as tangerine and blue jay. $749; available by special order at Sam Flax Art & Design, Orlando, or samflaxsouth.com.
Whether it’s used to complete work you’ve brought home, churn out resumes and query letters during a job hunt, or to launch and operate a business, your home office needs to be your dwelling’s most user-friendly space.
A workable and work-able home office space needs “flexibility, flow and pleasurable aesthetics,” says Carolyn Moor of Moor Alive Interiors in Orlando, who maintains a home office for her business. “It’s about pleasing yourself while pleasing others.”
When it comes to maximizing space, look for creative ways to carve out a home office if you can’t dedicate a room exclusively for that purpose. Loyda Woods, who owns California Closets in Longwood, has located office areas in such unexpected places as the space below a flight of stairs and has repurposed closets to accommodate desks and office storage. Or, locate office space in an oversized room that’s underused, suggests Moor. “One large room can have many different functions; you just have to be open-minded to how you see that room.”
Make your home office a place you enjoy by surrounding yourself with objects that are both useful and decorative. Use your imagination: Instead of ugly plastic file pockets, mount a decorative magazine rack on the wall to hold important papers and folders, and use colorful plastic or cardboard boxes for storage rather than metal file cabinets that remind you of a being in a regimented corporate office. Amusing or artistic renditions of even the most utilitarian office supplies such as staplers and paperclip holders can enliven the space as well.
“Design isn’t only about our outer surroundings, it’s also about designing a life within ourselves,” says Moor. “That’s what can make home offices so fulfilling if they’re designed properly.” Create a space that truly works for you by making your home office a reflection of yourself and your sense of style.
