By this point in the pandemic, many of us have established some sort of WFH (work-from-home) routine. For the lucky few who already have a designated home office, please carry on. For the rest of us still working at the kitchen table, dining room table or on the couch, we know full well that this is neither productive nor sustainable. However, creating a functional work area can present a challenge if you have limited rooms and space in your home.
Ideally, you should have an organized and clutter-free area that functions as only your work area. Home-life and work-life can be a blurred line if your laptop follows you around the house, so ditch the kitchen table and put on your creative thinking cap. Your new office space is limited only to your imagination!
Find the Nook
Most of us have a little nook or space in our home that is easy to overlook. Perhaps it is an under-utilized space under the stairs, a corner of the room where larger furniture doesn’t quite fit, or a section of a blank wall. Clear the area of any clutter and measure the wall to ensure a small desk will fit. Purchase a small, inexpensive desk (about 100cm X 50cm) online for about a hundred dollars, or you could buy a ladder desk (with built-in shelves) for a bit more money. You can best utilize the space by going up instead of out. Add narrow shelving vertically for storage, hang a picture, and choose a slim office chair. If it’s the corner of a room you’ll be using, check online for a corner desk that nestles right in, to look like it was meant to be there. Keep the office area neat and use it only for work hours.
Create a “Cloffice”
Welcome to the latest design trend in home offices. The cloffice is a closet turned into a home office space. It could be a walk-in closet, linen closet or even a hall closet. Think of this as an excellent opportunity to clean out your belongings and put the space to better use. To set up your office, start by removing any current shelves or rods and measure the width to ensure a small desk or table will fit. Paint the closet a cheerful colour or add some wallpaper for variation. Add shelving above the desk as high as you like and use decorative boxes to store office supplies. A slim desk lamp and a small but comfortable chair will give the illusion of more space. Consider removing the door entirely or keep the door so you can shut work out by closing it at the end of the day.
Reclaim your Space with a “Contained Office”
If a cloffice or nook is not an option, you can still create a personal work area in the main living space by turning an old hutch or wardrobe into a contained office. They are easy to find online, or you may have one in your dining room, storing dishes you never use. These pieces are ideal if they have doors to close when you are not working, so it remains part of the main décor. Then, when it’s time to work, open the doors and voila! A desk, shelves and even a whiteboard or bulletin board turn this piece into your home office. If the furniture needs some adjustments, it can be painted, shelves can be moved or removed, and a bulletin board or folders mounted inside the doors.
There are many ways to add a small office to any home. It just takes a bit of creativity and a willingness to think outside the box.
Written by: Julie Achtermeier
