How to Create a Successful Home Office Space

When many jobs went remote at the beginning of 2020, we expected a few weeks and then a return to normal office life. Now that we realize there may be a chance of working remotely becoming a common practice, you may be wishing you would have skipped the guest room or basement gym and put in a home office. If you’ve been sitting at the kitchen counter or using a stack of phonebooks to lift your computer, here are some tips on how to create a home office space that will feel better for long-term situations.

Let’s look at the easiest and most ideal option first—an extra bedroom. Sure, you may have already turned this into a guest room however, there are plenty of ways to reorganize so there can be a comfortable place for overnight guests and a quiet place for your day-to-day work week. Just be sure to keep the furniture in the room smaller so the room doesn’t feel cramped.

Another space that could work for a home office is a closet. Sounds terrible, but if there’s space for a desk and chair and it has a light then this may not be a bad option! Consider the closet that you’ve stuffed full of junk your future quiet space. Begin by clearing out the closet and get rid of what you don’t need and once you find a place for the items that once lived in the space, you are free to find an affordable desk that will fit the space nicely.

If you have a finished attic or basement, this may be a great place to set up if they are not highly trafficked areas during your work hours. Both of these spaces may offer you more room than a closet, bedroom or space in the kitchen/living room. A bonus is if these rooms were already used for living space and can be easily adjusted to be an office.

If there is no room in the house, consider adding an outdoor fixture. Many companies have created standalone structures that can be assembled by homeowners to keep home offices separated from the home or to provide office space to those who have no room in the house.

Depending on your budget, there may be more than one option that fits your situation. Either way, if working form home is going to be a staple in your life for an extended time, having a workspace that doesn’t need to be moved, cleaned up or clutters your living space may be worth the investment.