Building a New Home? Tips for Designing the Best Home Office

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As of August 2024, 14% of the United States workforce works from home. That’s nearly 22 million people! Now, working from home is often a critical factor in employment decisions. With the number of people working from home continuing to grow, the importance of having a functional work space at home increases.

Whether you are planning to build a new home, or looking for ways to improve your work space in your current home, these tips (straight from an experienced home builder) will help you design a home office that boosts your efficiency, productivity, and creativity. 

Types of Home Office Setups

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating the perfect work space at home. Depending on your needs and available space, here are a few of the most popular home office setups. 

If you’re building a new home, we can help you decide which setup is best for you based on the square footage of your home, your budget, and your needs. 

A Room Dedicated to Your Home Office

This option is likely the best one if you need a lot of space to work, or if you have a room that doesn’t have another use. 

A Portion of a Room Used for Your Home Office

If you’re not interested in dedicating an entire room to your office, consider using just a portion of a room. A larger bonus room, bedroom, kitchen, or basement can be converted into a multi-use area with office space and a separate space for furniture, TV, pool table, and toys. 

Coworking/Shared Home Office 

Couples working from home together is common, but doesn’t come without challenges. In most cases, dedicating two rooms to office space isn’t possible. But, there are creative ways to split a room to suit both people.

If you and your partner are both working from home, this office setup could be best for you. 

Space Saving Options for Your Home Office

When designing their forever home, we see many homeowners choose to downsize. In this case, there are several creative ways to fit office space into your home, without having to take over a whole room, or even part of a room. 

For example, fit a small desk underneath a flight of stairs or inside a large walk-in closet. At Custom Home by Modern Structure; we love to get creative! 

Top Considerations to Make When Designing a Home Office 

Now that you have a better idea of what office layout works best for your career and your living situation, let’s talk about other considerations to make. 

Choose the Location Wisely 

If you don’t have a space dedicated to storing all the supplies necessary to work from home; your home may start feeling a bit cluttered. Before you start remodeling a room or designing a new house, take some time to think about where you want your office space to be. 

Remember, the best location for one person, may not be the best location for another. Factors like proximity to noise, children, and entertainment areas often come into play. 

Consider these home office locations:

  • Basement – where its quiet and out of the way 
  • Guest room that isn’t used often
  • Walk in closet that doesn’t get used
  • Bonus room
  • Near the front door if you have customers and clients that visit
  • Away from entertainment areas and noise 

Consider How Much Space You Need

What do you do for work?

  • Do you work solely from a computer? 
  • Do you paint, make products, or cut fabrics? 
  • Does your job require you to sit, stand, and move around the room?
  • Do you need to host meetings in your office? 
  • Are you on the phone a lot?
  • Do you need a lot of storage space?

Your unique situation will determine how much square footage you should dedicate to your work space. If you plan to build a new home, the experts at Custom Homes by Modern Structure take the time to listen to your needs, and help you decide how small or large your home office should be. 

Plan for Storage

Some work-from-home jobs require you to keep physical files on hand or store supplies like printers, paper, computers, paper cutters,books, art supplies, etc. You may also have TV’s, shelving, racks, and other items that need to be mounted to the wall. 

Before you jump into designing your home office, we encourage you to think ahead and anticipate all of your storage needs. It’s important to make sure your supplies are easily accessible when you need them. 

Potential storage options include:

  • File cabinets (stationary and rolling)
  • Shelving
  • Floating shelves
  • Desk drawers
  • Desktop organizers
  • Custom storage with slots, trays, bins, shelving

Make it Comfortable

Maintaining a good work-life balance when working from home can be difficult. After all, you end up spending your entire day at home. The best way to mentally separate your work from your home life is to create a comfortable, unique, and welcoming work space. 

Try incorporating a few of these into your work space for a comfortable and efficient space:

  • Natural light from windows
  • Artwork and pictures
  • Light fixtures with appropriate brightness
  • Comfortable furniture
  • Beverage station
  • Plants
  • Proper power and internet access

Call an Experienced Home Builder to Help You Design the Ultimate Home Office

If you’re in the market to build a new home, finding the right home builder is key. At Custom Homes by Modern Structure, we have over 20 years of experience in the home building industry. We’re building modern, multifunctional, beautiful new homes in the Evansville and surrounding tri-state area. 

We understand the importance of designing a home that suits your unique lifestyle, and that includes designing a home office that’s efficient, comfortable, and innovative. 

Are you ready to start the home building process? Schedule a free building consultation by filling out this simple form or calling us at 812-306-8438. 

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