Designing Your Home Office

When working in your home office, one of the greatest things about it is that you get choose how everything is set up! Having a home office makes you the boss and you get to choose your desk and where it goes, where your equipment and the supplies go, and get to choose the chairs and the lamps. Setting up your home office can be a great experience. Let's outline the best ways to make this happen. Let's explore the essentials of designing your home office! This means everything from finding the space to buying the right supplies. Since you will be spending a lot of time in your office, let's make sure that you design it right.

Your Office Room

The first thing you are going to need to do to set up your home office is to find the perfect room in your home to have your office! Many homes have rooms designed as studies but there are few things that are essential to having a great room to work from. First off, you are going to want to make sure that the room that you pick to be your home office is separate from household members and their distractions! Being in a room that has high traffic will only take away from your office experience which is meant to give you a place that you can focus on your work and get your jobs done! Other things to consider are making sure you have enough room for a desk, a chair, some equipment, office supplies, and of course enough space to think and move around. Other things that are important are having enough electrical outlets and power for all of your equipment, having a good heating and cooling system, and last but not least, having windows for sunlight and fresh air. Remember, if you choose a room completely separate from other rooms that are defined work space used exclusively for your business, then you can deduct your home office from your taxes! So it would be better for you to choose a space in your house that isn't used for family life. If you can't find your own room or space in your home then you might want to think about putting in an additional room which can cost a lot but is worth it if you are having your office at home because you will need the space and separation from the rest of your home.

Making Your Plan

Ok, now that you've picked your home office room, its now time to fill it up! But before you buy any furniture and equipment you will need to map out your office and make a good layout plans. The first thing you need to do is measure the length and width of the room and the height and width of the doorway. Then you must consider all of the equipment and supplies that you will need to run your business. This includes a chair, desk, filing cabinet, bookshelves, computer, fax machine, copier, storage bins, supplies like paper, pens, pencils, media storage, etc. Remember, you will be spending much of your time in your office so try to make it a place that you will enjoy being in everyday!

Some other suggestions when designing your home office are that you should paint your office walls neutral colors like white so that they will not be a distraction. Try not to over clutter your office, give yourself room so that are more organized and that every piece of equipment is in an effective place for you. Have your equipment in place where you can easily use it or reach it. Lastly, make your office an extension of you by placing some personal items, pictures, and plants around. This will make your office room even more enjoyable to spend time in!

Buy Equipment

The corner stone of your office is your office desk or Workstation. You are going to need desk space for your computer, and then more desk space for writing, placing work objects like books, and giving yourself some organization space. So you will want to think about what type of equipment you will need are where it will go in your office. You will have to figure out how much space you have for your desk too. If you have a lot of room, the best option is to get an "L" desk. You can either buy an "L" type desk or you can choose a great main desk and then choose a smaller desk that can be placed perpendicular to the main desk. A big desk is perfect for your computer equipment and then if you place the smaller desk to make the "L" position, you can then use that desk as a writing surface or as a place of organization, etc. Make sure that you choose a sturdy desk and find a desk that is at a height that is comfortable for you.

Next you are going to want to buy your chair. Your office chair is one of the most important items in your office! This is because if you purchase a cheap whacky chair you could hurt yourself and then hate working in your office. Remember, you're the boss now at your office! Get yourself a good chair that will reduce fatigue and other pains that occur when your posture is bad for long period of time. The office chair that you are going to want to buy is will be an adjustable chair that will adjust to your height, have comfortable armrests, a fitting back angle, and of course great lumbar support so you can enjoy your office and avoid pain or even injuries.

After the desk and chair you are going to want to fill your home office with all the other office essentials like a good bookshelf. A good bookshelf is great when it's installed right behind and above your desk. This way your books are always at arms reach and it will save yourself a lot of room. You are going to want to purchase as big of a bookshelf as you can so that you give yourself room to grow as you accumulate more items. You will be surprised how fast your bookshelf will fill up. Filing Cabinets are important too. You will want to purchase at least a four-drawer filing cabinet. For your home office it is very important that your filing system is organized and easily available! You will also want to make sure that you have a place for your cell phone with a charger, etc, so that your phone is always ready, charged, and able to be found! Storage is key, so make sure you have space and functional organizers for all your office needs!

Now that you have your basic structural office furniture, its now time to put in the computer. Your computer will most often be the most expensive piece of equipment you purchase for your office. Here are a few suggestions. Choose either the PC or Mac that is best for your office needs. Get yourself a big screen monitor or even more then one monitor to give you lots of office room on your computer! Make sure you have mid-range processor power. Make sure you have at least 512MB of RAM. You can increase power in your system is by adding more RAM! You computer should have at least a 20GB hard disk and a CDR or DVDR backup. Buy yourself a great computer, it's worth it! Also buy yourself a lap top computer for when you have to go out of the office for meetings, etc.

Conclusion

You now have your home office built and you got to choose how everything is set up! There are so many options when choosing your desk, your equipment, supplies, your chairs and the lamps, etc that you are sure to find the perfect items that fit your personal office needs! Setting up your home office can be a great experience so explore all the essentials listed in designing your home office and sure that you design it right! Good luck!