Creating The Perfect Home Office

You may be one of the many individuals that works from home all the time, but are in need of an updated office space.  Or maybe you have been thrust into working from home currently, and are feeling a little bit like we are. First and foremost, we feel very lucky that although we may not be able to be in the office, we still have the ability to work.  But working from home provides a new set of challenges that we do not have in the office.  As all of us make do with the new “norm” we look around and dream about what kind of work space would be ideal.

When we asked Designer Janelle to talk about her dream office, it led her to reflect on a specific home remodel project that included a wonderful home office.  Here is what she had to say, while working from her current “home office,” and tackling caring for baby Hazel at the same time.

The Goal:

When beginning this extensive home remodel project there were many goals we needed to achieve for our clients. First of all, the plan included a much larger butler’s pantry with counter space for when they entertain, an updated laundry room, and a home office all within the same parameters. The office area was going to be fairly small, so it needed ample storage and organization that made sense.  It also needed cabinetry to store all the odds and ends, and house the printer.  Secondly, the office space would be visible from the kitchen and the living room when the one-hundred-year-old pocket door was opened.  That meant we needed lots of closed storage that was not only solving the problem of hiding the “stuff,” but that also was pleasing to the eye.

This is the one-hundred-year-old pocket door. The office sits just behind it.

The Challenge:

The first obstacle was that the existing layout prior to the remodel had a much larger area for the desk.  However, a larger space does not always mean better function, and the current layout was definitely not working for them. Because we wanted to create a large pantry area where the previous desk had been, and move the home office, we had to get creative.

They also needed better lighting in the new work space, and for all of the spaces to flow together and feel cohesive with the rest of the renovation .  One additional challenge was that when the desk was moved to its current location we had to work around an angled wall. This made for a tight opening on the left base cabinet. We ultimately decided to eliminate the top drawer and go with full height doors so that the entire cabinet would be usable and provide the homeowners with the highest function possible.

The Result:

In the end we gave our clients a beautiful and highly functional design that will last a lifetime. We made the most of the space by utilizing the ceiling height and designing counter to ceiling custom cabinets.  The base cabinet to the left houses the printer, and the base cabinet to the right contains two file drawers. The central opening has the perfect amount of space for our client to write or to use her laptop. And as promised, there is plenty of task lighting with puck lights in both of the side cabinets, and a strip light in the middle section. Finally, our homeowner added her own personal touch by applying some leftover grass cloth wallpaper to the exposed wall. We think the result is really special.

Are you looking to create the perfect home office, or redesign another area of your home? Head to Karrbick.com we are happy to bring your project to fruition.