Homes offices are becoming an every-day necessity in many home designs. Whether you use your office as a hobby room for playing games on the computer, browsing the Internet, or as your full-time work center, it should be well balanced and extremely functional for every purpose it serves in your day-to-day lifestyle. These days, working from home is appealing to many people – more time to sleep in, lack of rush hour traffic and more time with the family. Sounds perfect, right? However, separating your work and personal life can become difficult without the best layout for your home office. By following a few steps, you can achieve a truly functional home office that reflects your style and personality.

From the college student to work at home mother, many owners of luxury home plans have a designated room set aside for their home office, while owners of smaller floor plans utilize a corner of another room. Either way, this trend is a very popular convenience that can fit into any home design and routine. Before tossing all the office supplies in the middle of the floor and going to work, take the time to realistically evaluate your home office needs:

• Privacy Requirements – Will you be meeting with clients? Do you need to keep an eye on the kids during your work time? How distracting are other elements of your home life?
• Work Style – Is your work mostly electronic/computer based? Will you handle excessive paperwork? What will special projects require in terms of space?
• Supplies – What are your must-have office supplies? What storage woes are you facing?
Upon answering these questions many homeowners are able to resolve home office problems before they arise. While every situation is certainly different, there are some solutions to common issues that you should keep in mind.

Whether you live in a luxury home plan or small ranch home plan, you may determine a spare room or secluded corner of another room is the best fit for your home office. As long as you determine which areas are for work and play, your office can be truly functional in any part of your home. Whatever area you decide for your home office, the space should be at least 10 feet by 10 feet.

After determining where your office will be located, it is a good idea to break the space down:
• Computer Zone – It is important to have a space where computer work can be done without the keyboard and mouse competing for space with other work essentials. For the most comfortable and healthy computer use, place the monitor at eye level approximately 18-28 inches away from your seated position.
• Paperwork – Every job requires a certain amount of paperwork, and this is the place to handle mail and other documents. A minimum five feet of surface workspace is required to keep this area efficient. A portion of this surface can be dedicated to filing systems and necessary supplies, but the rest should be clutter free to focus on the task at hand. Keep this area adjacent to your computer zone for easy transition between work spaces.
• Surrounding Space – Though the desk is typically the main focus in a home office, it is important to give the surrounding space proper attention. A cozy chair, window seat, and small table provides supplementary seating for clients, as well as a small change of scenery when working from the desk feels monotonous.
• Storage – While these are not necessary to keep within arms reach, it is a good idea to focus on quality storage around the room. You have to see what is in your office on a daily basis so resist plastic bins and cheap shelving. With the massive movement to home office design, more retailers carry attractive budget-friendly storage accessories like faux leather file boxes, streamlined cabinets, and inexpensive do-it-yourself shelving units.
• Projects and Large Tasks – If your job requires work on projects and other tasks that will easily overwhelm your desk, it is important to have a spot for these to reside. The designated space for large projects also allows suitable supplies to be stored near the project, increasing functionality of the room.

Once the office is broken into efficient workstations, it is time to look at the room’s aesthetics. One of the best aspects of working from home is the personal touch you can give your work environment. It is important to acknowledge that you are free to think outside the corporate box. This is your home office and you are not limited to any specific arrangement or décor within budget. There are some details that will greatly improve your work if given proper attention:

• Desk Position – Feng shui practices recommend placing the desk facing the door to see who enters the room. This is a power position that lends itself to efficiency and prevents sore necks from repeated twisting toward the door.
• Lighting – It is important to avoid glare and eyestrain so a good balance of recessed, task, and natural lighting should be considered for the office. Seek a professional’s opinion before undertaking any electrical projects.
• Color – Embrace the use of color in your home office. Dull and cool colors promote lethargy, so turn instead to rich reds, blues, and purples that represent prosperity. Greens are soothing so incorporate a few live plants to improve the room’s well being.
• Boundaries – It is vital to productivity and sanity to keep your personal and business lives separate. Make a daily schedule and stick to it, even if you think sleeping an extra hour cannot hurt because the office is just down the hall. Often times that extra hour of sleep turns into an extra hour of work, cutting into family dinners or special events. Or it may simply mean an hour loss of productivity that can be damaging down the line. In either case, using your time wisely is key to balancing your work life and your home life.
• Noise Buffers – Though the house may not be your responsibility during your work hours, the smallest noises will distract you from tasks at hand. Use doors and carpeting to mask the hum of laundry machines or the children’s television show. Try to avoid giving into temptations of “quick breaks” for snacking in the kitchen or checking the news on TV. This loss in concentration wastes more time than the break itself.
• Clutter – Noise clutter and physical clutter create distractions and increase stress levels. Evaluate the office weekly and remove unnecessary objects like wayward toys and trinkets. File completed paperwork immediately so is does not inhibit your ability to find what you need quickly. Clutter also applies to your computer. Organize file folders and keep the desktop clear to make it easier to locate documents in a flash. Organize important emails and rid your inbox of unnecessary correspondence.

As your day-to-day lifestyle changes, you may determine that enhancing your home office is necessary. It is important to re-evaluate your space to be certain that your office is truly functional and appealing. It is, of course, a reflection of your personality and your work. Therefore, achieving an efficient and balanced design in luxury house plans can transform your home office into a cozy niche that you can simply call our own.