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“I had to share this with you because I know you talk about how to
set up your home office and how important it is to make it a comfortable
environment to work in.
“Well about 6 months ago, I got really sick of the bland basic beige walls
and furnishings that were surrounding me everywhere I looked. I actually
hated my office and didn't like to go in there.
“I had quickly put together the space 4 years ago when we moved into the
house prior to having my own business. At the time we just needed a place
for our computers and the phone, nothing was functional.”
How many of us can relate to her situation? We often head for the most
unused area of the house – regardless of where it is – hook up a phone, set
up a desk or table, and maybe put our computer there. This might work
temporarily, but in the long run? Read on...
“As my home-based business began, I realized that although I am a very
creative person, the room was hindering my thought process and hurting my
productivity and creativity. So, I was on a mission to make my office more
like the rest of the house and an actual extension of our living space.
“After all, this room is where I spend most of my day and night once the
kids go to bed!”
Lynnette made a few VERY important points here. If your job entails
creativity of any kind, a stark, boring environment will do NOTHING to start
those artistic juices flowing. In fact, they might just dry up entirely.
If your job requires more productivity than creativity, and you spend more
than a few minutes a day in there (and who DOESN’T spend much more time than
that in their home office?) a boring, lackluster space is still not
conducive to a happy work experience and focused mindset.
Lynnette continues...
“I set out to make a plan of what I wanted the room to become. I bought
magazines and started saving tear sheets of all the "looks" that I liked.
“Then, I decided to adjust the floor plan and arrange the desks to utilize
the wall space better. I believe in the principles of Feng Shui so I was
happy to see that as I mapped out the room my desk "area" was in the MONEY
SPOT! Woohoo! Needless to say, my desk didn't move!"
Whether or not you subscribe to the principles of Feng Shui, finding the
ideal spot for your desk is of the utmost importance. Good lighting and easy
accessibility are two considerations for starters. If you’re a rightie,
consider writing room to the right of the computer, and of course, the
opposite holds true for lefties. A banker’s lamp or other task lighting on
your desk does wonders and can help save your eyes from strain.
She continues, “I wanted a beautiful room but I didn't have a lot of
money to spend. So I tried to come up with alternative methods of creating
the office of my dreams.
“I started by purchasing a three-piece bookshelf style 70's wall-unit from
the local thrift store. When I brought it home (it took me three trips!) my
husband scratched his head and jokingly said "What are you gonna do with
THAT?!" I told him that "we" were going to make it into two desks with
bookshelves and a window seat. He laughed all the way into the house.
“Well, I'm the only one laughing now! After several days of sanding, sawing,
hammering, priming, and painting, the project was finally complete. It
actually took about 3 weekends start to finish including the "shopping" part
and loading in the furniture.
“Two of the units I used as the support for the desks (hollow core doors)
and the other unit, I disassembled and made it only 16" wide (or tall
depending on how you look at it) so that it could lie lengthwise on the
floor in between the two wall units and create a window seat with open
storage below to hide all of my kids' toys that inevitably end up on the
floor of my office.
“It was amazing. It was exactly the right width of the room once it was in
place. The furniture Gods were on my side."
If you want to take a cue from Lynnette, measure carefully before you even
go shopping. Measure the entire room, the area for the desk, the window
size, and the doorway. A little prep time goes a long way toward avoiding
wasted hours in considering purchases that cannot work for your particular
space.
“My total budget was $500 but my goal was to do it for less. Here's the
price breakdown.
“The wall unit was originally priced at $99 but I talked them down to $40.
Can you believe just $40 for solid simulated wood grain? My husband thought
it was $40 too much.
“Desks were made from 2 hollow-core doors from Home depot - $20 each, 4
Adjustable legs from IKEA $10 each, 6 drape panels from Wal-Mart for $13
each and 3 curtain rods on clearance also from Wal-Mart $10 each, 2 gallons
of paint $20 each,4 baskets for storage under the "window seat" $8 each.
“My only splurge was an 8x10 banded sisal rug $199 from a local furniture
discounter. That rug really helps to pull the room together and makes it
more like a ‘living’ room than an office. TOTAL = $499.00. $1 to spare!"
In her case, Lynnette wanted the room to feel like a living area as well as
an office, so the major purchase – the sisal rug – was an important
investment on her part. If you don’t mind your office feeling and looking
like an office, you might just need a $50 plastic chair mat and save that
additional cost.
“Check out these before and after pics to start your OWN creative juices
flowing. My friends and family
can’t BELIEVE that this is actually the same room. My husband can't believe
that I still LET him have a desk in such a beautiful room ;-). Now, I can't
wait to get up in the morning and head to my NEW office.
“For those that still think it doesn't matter what your home office looks
like... since my OWN home office makeover, my productivity has DOUBLED and
so has my income!!!! I'm a believer!"
