Anyone who tells you that only a spare bedroom will do for a home office clearly never saw the potential a home can have. If you crave an office space in your small home, a spare room of any kind will not be required. All you need is a bit of wall space and a lot of imagination. To help you get going with the latter, here are some tips for carving a out a neat little home office with the space you have.
Window space
Creating an office space in a small home can be as simple as setting a desk and chair in front of a window. Is there a window in your bedroom, living room or kitchen that has little else next to it other than a radiator or a row of shoes? If so, make the best of your space and start setting up a makeshift office that provides plenty of natural light.
For low windows that stop at your waist (like kitchen windows), you may want to consider mounting a wooden ledge under the windowsill to act as your worktop. Alternatively, you could convert your existing countertop and lower cupboard space into a work area. Consider fitting shutters to your window too to let you adjust the light accordingly with your work needs. For added privacy, you may wish to consider window tinting. If your office window faces a main road or the front of your property, for example, a privacy film of stained or frosted glass can provide the light you need whilst retaining your privacy from passers-by.
Study corner
Look carefully at the bare sections of wall in your home. This could be a corner of your hallway, a spot beside a curtain or the space at either side of a fireplace. Now imagine a wall-mounted desk and floating shelves in this same space. You now have an efficient new office location at home.
Thanks to living with wireless internet, an office space shouldn't be restricted to where your modem outlet is. A space for a desk, chair and the wall space for floating shelves is all you need to make an office work anywhere at home. For a bold, distinctive look, and one that distinguishes it as your work space, paint a small section of your wall space in a horizontal stripe of colour (this only needs to be the width of a small, narrow desk). Complete the look with 3 or 4 rows of floating shelves (depending on your ceiling height) and hey presto, you have your very own work space!
Asleep on the job
While it's true that the room you sleep in should be a haven of relaxation, there's no reason why you can't bring work into the bedroom. The trick is to keep your décor style and colour scheme seamless throughout. If your bedroom follows a theme and colour palette of deep rich tones, make sure the desk and chair are in keeping with this too. Likewise, if your décor is more on the natural side, stick with warm, earthy tones in your choice of office furniture, storage and decorative accents.
Rather than striking a harsh contrast between your slumber zone and your work station, you want your work area to feel like a natural extension of your bedroom. Case in point, the usual desk clutter that can accumulate in a normal work environment should not be permitted here. Clutter should not be seen in your sleeping space and can actually disrupt your productivity. Feel joyful in your work space and keep this in mind when decorating your bedroom office in terms of discreet storage for your work supplies and accessories that are pleasing to the eye.
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