Decorating The Home Office

As professionals migrate to home offices and the life of freelancers, or their careers advance and they bring work home, the home office becomes a necessity. However, more decorating mistakes are made in the home office than anywhere else in the home.

First, the home office rarely needs an office modular system. In fact, today's modular systems are space hogs, can be uncomfortable, and increase stress. The office desk and space should fit the professional's needs - not the other way around.

If you do not need a file cabinet at your finger tips, then do not buy a module with a built in one. Instead, use that space for something you may need like maybe a printer stand, or a small table to keep a laptop on, if you work on 2 or 3 computers at a time.

I have a friend who uses a Mac and a PC. Instead of creating a workspace that facilitated his 'web/cell movie' business, he has his Mac on one table and his PC five feet away. After several frustrating months he discarded half of his $7 000 module office, and bought a $47 table from a local office store.

He put the work areas back-to-back. Now when he needs to switch computers he turns around. However, he admitted to me that this is not an optimum situation. When he has the money, he is making a wall bracket that will hold multiple computer monitors, and a desk that will hold more than one keyboard.

Another consideration should be whether you need shelves or drawers. Personally, I find that shelving is easier for me to use. In fact, I recently tossed the $400 file cabinet I bought and installed several shelving units up out of my way, but within reach.

Another overlooked aspect of the office is heating. Many home offices bank the office desk against an outside wall. The temperature under the desk can be ten degrees, or more, lower than the rest of the room in the winter months.

The winter can also cause lighting problems. Florescent lighting is a good idea for an office, as long as it is bright enough for the professional's needs. There are different types of florescent lighting. The best lighting for the winter months replaces the sun's rays. Green house and sunlight bulbs can improve productivity and reduce the chances of SAD.

The last consideration is ventilation. Few people take the time to analyze the ventilation in their offices. Trapped pollutants from carpets, solvents, insulation, and formaldehyde in foam and insulation all cause lung-irritating pollutants that contribute to what is now called office sickness.

The most important thing to take into consideration is your personal lifestyle. Many people think they can move their office home and leave office politics, stress, and frustrations behind. This will not happen.

It is important to take stress and anxiety into consideration. Some freelance professionals address this by adding a good sound system to their office. Others add a television. Long time work at home professionals all talk about the need to hear ambient voices. No man is an island.

One great way to learn what is needed in a home office is to follow the blogs of freelance writers and graphic artists. Many talk about the ups and downs of working at home, and how to overcome them.