It's wonderful, it's marvelous that you should be able to work from home. Do you? I chose art licensing as a career so I could work from home and raise my daughters while working. My work is more of a lifestyle business that allows for the blending & balancing of family, home, life and work all together (that's another way of saying I spend a lot of time in my home office).
I like these three rooms. Although they are not practical for what I need, they each exude a light, bright, happy personality (nurturing to the creative spirit).
We have one room dedicated to our home office, where it all happens - the majority of my creative time is spent in this room, where I digitally pull together my paintings, illustrations and create finished pieces. My girls each have their own desk & computer for homework, and it's where my husband manages our home and my business accounts. That's a whole lot of activity for one room that's been functioning on overdrive for the past three years.
It's time for a make over. I want to create a more efficient and creatively inspiring home office - but on a budget - creativity, ingenuity, and a little elbow grease required.
When designing a home office consider:
1. Do I have the space to allocate an entire room to a home office?
2. Is my home office going to be a high traffic area?
3. Do I want a door or doors to close it off from the rest of the home?
3. Will I have clients coming to my home office?
Your answers will provide a basis from which you begin to design your room.
Other considerations you will want to make are lighting: include task and ambient lighting; flooring: hard or carpeted surface; and of course, the main pieces: your desk and shelving/storage. Stand inside the room and look out into the rest of your home - what do you see? This is your line of sight. Do the same, but standing inside the home looking into the office - What do you see? This is the opposite line of sight. You will want everything in your line of sight to harmoniously blend together.
I love the duo-desk, cabinetry & task lighting of this room, but the luscious lime walls and crisp white color of the cabinets in this next photo - the latter really speaks to my creative spirit - I could combine the desired elements and come up with the perfect office design.
This won't happen over night - but I would love to show you before and after pictures. Would you like to see the transformation?
In the meantime, if you're looking for stylish accessories for your home office, Terri Conrad Designs has a variety of patterned storage boxes available at Home Goods and JoAnne's.
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You can also visit Terri Conrad Designs for our desktop magnet boards, and more gift & decor to warm your heart & home (office)!
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Lucy
http://businesseshome.net
Posted by: Lucy | February 15, 2010 at 08:29 PM
I work from my home and I love it.
Posted by: Ana | February 09, 2010 at 03:13 AM
Whoops -- I mean to add that you should check out Studio Magazine if you haven't already. LOADS of great studio organization ideas for us artsy types :-)
Posted by: BJ Lantz | February 05, 2010 at 02:43 PM
Have fun with the remodeling. In my 3 bedroom house, 2 are studio ~ one for art-making & sewing, the other for all things computer & digital. Unfortunately, I spend more time in the latter rather than the preferred former!
Posted by: BJ Lantz | February 05, 2010 at 02:42 PM
Wow, Those rooms are stunning, I love the light!!
I have not figured out a way to make studio functional and attractive all at the same time.
Posted by: Sue | February 02, 2010 at 04:31 PM