 | Shellie Blevens has 17 years of experience in the window covering and decorating field. She may be reached at 620-231-5440 for a free consultation. The Home Place at 616 N. Broadway is a full line Hunter Douglas dealer and appointments can be made to meet with Shellie Blevens, the owner and professional decorator to determine what would work best for you. They also carry custom window treatments by Graber and Comfortex. Custom made fabric beddings and window treatments can also be made at the Home Place, and there are many, many fabrics to choose from. The Home Place has been in business since 1983 and Shellie Blevens has owned it since 1996. |
Home Furnishings
2012-04-20 11:25:53
Make a home office useful and beautiful
Q: I have decided to freelance and work from home. We have a small guestroom which I want to repurpose as my office. Can you give me some ideas on how to make it beautiful, but very functional since space is limited?
A: Certainly! With the trend toward working remotely in so many industries, there are many ideas and products that will help produce a beautiful space that is efficient and tailored to your needs.
When decorating a home office, blend professionalism with a dash of coziness. It should be beautiful, but a space that inspires, not distracts.
First, consider the look and feel to be accomplished. Should the office feel like a quiet study, a hub of creativity, modern, industrial, or contemporary? All of your subsequent choices should consider that ultimate goal.
One of your most important tools is color. If the rest of your home is more subdued, consider differentiating the space with a color that inspires you. No matter what your ultimate design goal, color is important in making it happen—whether it is a striking blue wall used to display projects, or pops of color that provide design cohesion. Consider adding color to normally mundane office furniture by recovering an office chair with decorator fabric for example.
Space and efficiency are important concerns for home offices. There are many ways to make the most of every inch of space and still not feel overwhelmed or cluttered. First, consider what is really need in the office. If you do not needed lots of storage, or run a paperless office, consider keeping file cabinets (and their alternatives) to a minimum. On the other hand, if you have a substantial amount of things that need to be stored, make provisions for that or those items will take over your space.
• Consider storage options that are visually appealing as well as functional. Cubby-style storage for example can house baskets and interest while still being useful.
• Consider your workflow and place working items logically.
• Make sure you have enough lighting. If not, consider a wall mounted desk lamp to save space.
• Look for unused space and consider useful options like adding a storage seat beneath a window, shelves to line a high ceiling, or a pull out workspace.
• Make space do double duty as much as possible. The tops of storage spaces can be work or display areas for example.
I hope these pointers get you off on a wonderful design adventure!
