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A Guide to Home Office Interior Design And Space Planning

Roy D'Silva
The concept of work-from-home is gaining a foothold rapidly in today's fast-paced life. However, without proper home-office space planning, the idea might prove to be a disaster. Here are some tips to help you design and plan your new personal work place.
Work from home was considered impossible not far back, with the advent of new-age digital technology, especially the Internet, many companies today are opting for 'work-from-home' policy. People who choose this option should have a separate office space where they can concentrate and work efficiently.

How to Create Office Space at Home

Analyze your Requirements

Based on your job, jot down things that you require. A computer or laptop, a fax machine, books, notepads, documents, stationery items can be a few things to start with. Doing this will give you a fair idea of how much space you will require.

Shortlist Office Space

The space where you wish to set your home office is important. This space can be anywhere in the house, your own room, an empty basement, attic, or even an old warehouse. If you have a family, make sure that the chosen office space is not an impediment to them.
Your office space should not be a hindrance in their chores and at the same time ensure that you don't get disturbed. A home office should be a comfortable place, where you can concentrate without any distraction.
The office space should be well illuminated, a dingy environment is depressing and hampers productivity. A window bringing in natural light is always a good idea. Ventilation and electrical outlets should be checked. Analyze all possible places and select the best one.

Customize it Your Way

The best part about working from home is, it provides freedom to work in your comfort zone. Make the most of this and customize your office space with things that motivate you. Also, things that distract you should be strictly avoided.
You can have paintings, family photos, spiritual items, and other stuff that can inspire or motivate you when you are stressed. If you are comfortable working with soothing music in the background, you can even have a music system. 
If noise control is necessary, you can install a door or a partition wall, so you can get your personal space. Don't forget a dustbin, a dedicated dustbin ensures that the home-office space is neat and tidy.

Planning & Space Usage

Once all the things are done, it's time to make optimum use of the space so that your personalized office looks systematic and organized. Here are some tips to increase free space in your room. Avoid large furniture, keep it as compact as possible. You can consider attaching fold-able tables, so you can fold them against the wall when you need more space.
For storage space, you can install overhead shelves and utilize vertical space of the room to gain more floor space. Though your office should have almost everything needed for a day of work, the room should not be cramped and should have space to move freely or even walk about.
A cramped or cluttered workspace can decrease efficiency and mar productivity. Depending on the available space, you can also consider a small sofa as seating arrangements for any business guests that arrive.

Some Other Pointers

● You can consider placing your table against a wall that has a window, this will bring in natural light, and you don't have to stare at a blank wall while working. Note that the view from the window should not act as a source of distraction, but should be inspiring.
● Budgeting for your home-office space will be a good idea as it will give you a fair estimate of your costs and also make your planning more organized.
● You can take designing ideas and inspiration from home décor magazines and websites.
You can design the layout of the room using computer software like Google Sketchup and Ikea planner to enable you to plot out your room, including windows, doors, electrical points, furniture etc., in 2D and 3D plan. Since you are going to spend a lot of time in this room, design and plan it in such a way that you are comfortable, happy, and efficient.