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Office Space, Interior Space Planning |
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Putting aside the physical attributes of one's home office space, you usually hear the buzz revolving around functionality. The way in which your home office functions will only be as good as the efficiency of the interior space planning that's behind it. When I think about planning a home office I always focus on that word "plan" probably because of that well known adage, "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." Truer words were never spoken than with interior space planning. It never ceases to amaze me how, instead of a hand-drawn layout or plan, people insist using the "Just-put-it-anywhere" floorplan for a room in the house where functionality is so crucial.
The work-at-home industry has experienced a steady growth rate for some time now. To say the least that growth has been nothing short of phenomenal in the last ten years. And the fact that more and more individuals are leaving that cave dwelling of an existence behind when they trade in their office space cubicle for a work-at-home career has led to so many changes in the home office industry where design and layout are a factor. Enter that critical concept called interior space planning.
When you're designing your home office space, keep in mind that you want the end result to be not only functional but eye-appealing as well. So what goes into giving your home office the eye appeal that is desperately needed? Simply stated, it takes exactly the same three principles as what propelled you into the work-at-home industry to begin with --- specifically, commitment, discipline, and the love of what you are doing. One of the first things to remember is that if you have a family, you do not want your home office to be an impediment to other members in your household.
If you are fortunate enough to have an outbuilding (casita or mother-in-law quarters), then you can get pretty creative with the decoration of that office and it won't conflict or interfere with the look of the rest of the home's interior. Consider the shade of paint to use. Since this is something that shouldn't hurt the eyes or shock your clients, then use a more neutral, soft, or subdued color. Garish wallpaper and wood paneling are a no-no anymore. If it distracts the client's attention from you, then it will wind up detracting from your earnings as well.
Take into consideration the comfort factor not only when you are thinking about the other members of your family, but most importantly, when considering your clients that come to your office space. Their comfort while they are meeting with you makes for a more pleasant experience as well as making them want to come there again and again when future meetings are scheduled. The bottom line is that you will spend many hours in this room, so set it up and decorate it so that it will reinforce why you chose a career where you can work at home and not fight commuters on the freeway every day. |
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