With 3.5 million home workers – employed and self-employed – in the United Kingdom and 35% of employees taking work home on a regular basis a home office or study is becoming a popular addition to many British homes. A home office obviously needs to be comfortable as well as practical – you are likely to spend much of your day in there after all – but a room dedicated solely to a home office may not be possible in all homes.

It may well be, therefore, that a home office needs to be incorporated as an element of say a living room or bedroom design. Striking a balance between the use of a space as an office and for normal domestic functions should not be too difficult, however, although a little forethought may be necessary.

Whilst ergonomics are important typical office furniture may not be necessary. You can, for example, adapt the shelving inside a wardrobe to store your office supplies or choose a cupboard or shelving that matches the décor of the room so that your chosen space does not necessarily look and feel like an office. Additional seating may not only increase the functionality of your office space generally but also provide you with somewhere to relax away from your desk at lunchtime or after work. The use of patterns too can make an office space seem more “homely” but you should be careful that these are not too overpowering or distracting.

Good lighting is a necessity in any office environment but the range of task, ambient and accent lighting fixtures available nowadays means that does not need to be at the expense of other functions. Necessary office items such as an in-tray or a notice board can also be subtly transformed into a basket, a wine rack or wall art, which whilst nonetheless functional are more in keeping with the look and feel of a room as a whole.

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