With 45% of employees working remotely, at least part-time, it’s no surprise countless homeowners look to maximize their home office space. However, even homes with a single office aren’t outfitted for more than one individual working remotely, which is why it may be time to redesign your spare room. Before jumping into a home renovation and redesign, there are several things to keep in mind.
From what flooring to choose to choosing a contractor, crafting your home office can seem overwhelming. Thankfully, we cover everything you need to know to transform your spare room into a professional home office. Keep reading to find out more.
Here at GreatBuildz, a free service that connects homeowners in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, and San Diego Counties with reliable contractors, we speak to homeowners every day about how to plan their home redesign projects – read on to learn from our experiences.
Planning an Office Renovation
Before worrying about anything else, you should decide where you want your office. Consider turning your garage into a home office, if you have the space. While there are some key considerations to keep in mind when renovating a garage, this is a great way to maximize space without losing a spare room or usable living space.
Garage renovations take some advanced planning, especially if there is no heat or cooling in your current garage. Thankfully, there are plenty of experienced contractors who specialize in garage renovations.
We can help connect you with the right contracting team in your area, so you can spend less time worrying about building your new office and more time planning your dream workstation.
Once you’ve decided where you’d like your new office, it’s time to design your workspace. First, pay attention to how much space you have to work with. Noting down essential measurements can make ordering furniture much easier and help you decide on space optimization.
Be honest about how much space you need, and don’t be afraid to make your home office multi-use. For example, you can combine book storage with your office space or include a drafting table for professional and personal projects. Customizing your area is one of the best parts of renovating your own home office, so get creative and ask your contractor for suggestions.
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Lighting, Flooring, and Walls, Oh My!
When possible, adding natural lighting to your home office has many benefits. Natural lighting can boost your mood, and you can enhance your natural lighting by adding reflective mirrors or sheer curtains, and ensuring nothing obstructs the windows where you get the most light. You may not have natural light options if you plan on renovating your garage.
Luckily, alternatives like floor lamps and recessed lights can easily brighten up your home office. Pay attention to the lighting hue, as cool lighting can help with alertness. Remember that some lighting can irritate certain people, so pay attention to what kind of lighting works best for your office.
Once you know where your light is coming from, it’s time to get grounded and think about flooring. While you may think about carpeting your home office, consider sticking to wooden or other hard flooring options. These are easier to clean and can support area rugs for added warmth and comfort. Hard flooring can be a lifesaver and reduce frustration when using rolling chairs.
For those who work with messy materials in the home office, hard flooring is easier to clean overall, making it a must-have for any high-traffic space.
Related: Essential Guide to Find a Quality Flooring Company For Your Home
Depending on the overall design you have in mind, neutral flooring is always a safe option. While you may be tempted to use the brightest tiling you’ve ever seen, neutral flooring allows for more room customization and saves you the headache of swapping out your tiles should you ever reuse the space.
Coordinate your flooring color with your furniture palette. While not everything in your office needs to match, try and balance dark and light wood tones, and pick a trim that coordinates with the rest of your office. This coordination gives the room a planned feel and can elevate the look of any space.
Finally, before you pick out wall colors, think about using an accent wall to liven up the space and create depth. While warm white is always a go-to in home renovation, adding a pop of color or pattern to your office can brighten the room and add a touch of class.
Certain colors are said to induce calm, productivity, thoughtfulness, or sophistication. Natural patterns, bright colors, and textured walls can revolutionize a space and turn your once-garage into a high-decor workspace fit for a CEO.
Furniture, Decorations, and Wall Fixtures
Picking the right furniture for your workspace comes down to quality, function, and aesthetics. You want your office furniture to stand up to daily wear and tear while choosing furniture that fits the overall vibe of your workspace. Try and find a desk that’s big enough for your day-to-day work without too much extra space. Extra space encourages clutter, which can distract you from your daily tasks.
Instead, choose a desk with plenty of storage space that fits your aesthetics. Consider an adjustable standing desk if you like to change your workspace throughout the day, as increasing your blood flow can lead to better productivity. Picking the right desk depends on your taste and the dimensions of your new home office.
While your desk is the center of your workspace, ensure you have enough space in your office for storage and anything else you need.
The next piece of furniture for your home office is your desk chair. Ergonomic desk chairs are a must-have for anyone who works from home. Not only can the right desk chair reduce back strain and lower your chance of workplace injury and tension, but it can also provide plenty of comfort while you work. Find a desk chair that combines incredible aesthetics with ease for the ideal workspace.
Once you pick your workstation, it’s time to look into decorations and wall fixtures. Room decorations are highly customizable, so be sure to pick things that work with your taste and the overall theme of your office. You don’t have to spend too much on decorations, as a few well-placed pieces can brighten up a space.
You can even use plants to liven up a room; just be sure to choose plants that match the available lighting in your home office. Otherwise, you may be doomed to wilting leaves and gardening headaches.
Try to use decorations as visual markers throughout the room. Decorations should guide the eye through the space, not overwhelm them. Keep wall decorations to a few key pieces, and try and coordinate decoration colors throughout your office to create a unified aesthetic.
Avoid cluttering your space with unnecessary objects, but don’t avoid decorations altogether. A well-decorated workspace is a joy, so customize your space to your specifications.
Once you’ve figured out decorations, choose wall fixtures for your space. These can include suspended shelving for added storage or other decorative items to liven up an area. If you’re working with limited space, adding wall storage can transform your workable square footage and turn a cramped home office into an efficiency zone.
Related: 2023 Home Remodeling Design Trends in Los Angeles
In Conclusion
Now that you have a general idea of things to keep in mind when building a home office, it’s time to find a contractor.
GreatBuildz makes it easy to find a great contractor near you. Of course, even the best project will fail without an experienced contractor at the helm, so make sure you take the time to find a highly-rated contractor who understands your vision and can help turn your spare room or garage into the office of your dreams.
While it may seem overwhelming initially, with a bit of planning, your new home office is only a few steps away.
When it comes to planning the perfect home remodel, you shouldn’t have to go it alone – GreatBuildz can help simplify your renovation experience.
GreatBuildz is a free service that connects homeowners in Los Angeles, Orange County, Ventura or San Diego with reliable, thoroughly screened general contractors and provides project support from start to finish. Call now (818.317.3567) to chat with a real person about your next remodel project or visit our website for more information: www.greatbuildz.com
