Home Sweet Office

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Home Sweet Office

Organizational trends to make working from home a breeze

STORY BY RACHEL MADISON

Working from home is more common than ever, and thanks to this new trend, the home office has become one of the most important rooms in the home.

Jay Jones, owner of Liberty Hill-based Specialty Millworks, said there’s been a lot of changes in home office trends over the last year and a half, primarily because more people than ever are working from home due to the pandemic. He said nearly half of his workload is dedicated solely to home office design and remodeling.

“Most people already had an office in their home, but everybody didn’t have full use of it before,” he said. “They didn’t care to use it fully because they were still going to work. Now we’re dedicating space and planning designs down to the inch of what the usable space could be. People are putting a lot more money into their offices now than before.”

TRENDS

One of the biggest home office trends is to create a large amount of storage space, Jones said.

“Everybody wants more storage,” he said. “But they also want a nice clean look. We aren’t doing as many accent shelves anymore, like something people can set a piece of blown glass or other décor on. People want storage they can really use.”

Jones said lots of built-in cabinets as well as file drawers have become very popular, and many people will even ask for more storage options as he is designing their office.

People want an abundance of drawers,” he said. “We will do a small piece, and then they realize they want to add even more storage.

When it comes to materials, Jones said wire grommets and wood tops are popular for home office desks, as are archways.

A variety of storage options is a top trend in home office design.

“People don’t just want arches in doorways,” he said. “We are doing arches on cabinets now, too. Everybody wants that rounded and raised look, because I think some of the old-world décor style is trying to come back. Modern styles are still in, but more people are creating some of that old world style.”

Another trend Jones has seen is office “peninsulas,” where two people can sit down to work at their computers at the same time. If a husband and wife both work from home, they can use this set up to work in the same space,” he said. “The one I recently did was 4 feet wide and protruded from the wall about 5.5 feet.

Other trends Jones said he is seeing include lighting sensors, so when someone walks into or out of the office, the lights automatically turn on and off, as well as under counter lighting or accent lighting to add to the cozy feel of the room.

“You can do a whole lot of remodeling to your office, and everything can still look dark, but it’s really simple and easy to add electric while you’re spending money, so add the lighting where you can,” he said. “You can also add USBs strategically around your office where they are accessible, because every office needs them these days.”

ORGANIZATION

Ashlie Cobb, owner of Liberty Hill-based organization company Unstuck Living, said organization is key when redesigning a home office.

“For two years now, I have had clients calling and asking for help getting their home office organized,” she said. “If you don’t have the space to separate home life [and] work life, you’re usually working from a desk in the corner of a bedroom, maybe a guest room, or sitting at the kitchen table feeling totally stuck around supper time. It doesn’t matter how small the space is, you have to separate work life from home life.”

Separating the two can be easier said than done, Cobb added, but if you’re realistic with your family dynamics, it’s possible.

“Give yourself grace if you’re in a season of life with toddlers, kids in sports or just living through the realities of a global pandemic,” she said. “Stay flexible and remember you won’t always be in that stage. Control what you are able to and let go of the rest. If you need a quiet place, try turning a closet into a home office.”

Cobb said organizing a home office should start with an ideal dream situation—what does the perfect space look like?

Then we work backwards,” she said. “We start with the reality of their current space. Everything has to have a place. If it doesn’t have a space, then we decide [if we] can throw it out. This usually involves paper. I recommend converting as many documents as possible to a hard drive.

Cobb said ideas like including a shared space in your home office for your kids is a good way to make the space work two-fold.

“When I designed my office and a few clients’ offices recently, we all agreed that having shared space for kids was important,” she said. “[One] client and I designed a desk with a double workspace for the kids to do homework.”

Creating a shared work area for kids in your home maximizes your space and allows for quality time together. ASHLEY COBB PHOTO

In addition, Cobb suggested scheduling time daily or weekly to put away items collected that don’t belong in the space. She added that working from home can give you a chance to exercise a lot of creativity, which can be very freeing.

“Life outside the cubicle is a good life,” she said.