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Today's home office furnishings are stylish enough for any room of the home. Photo: aspenhome
Space-challenged family room or den? Look for side tables with pull-out storage and built-in charging stations. Photo: aspenhome
A desk positioned behind a sofa is lovely yet functional alternative to a traditional sofa table. Photo: aspenhome
Furniture manufacturers are delivering on innovation with chests like this one that work equally well in a number of locations—while hiding enterttinment or home office components. Photo: aspenhome
Furniture manufacturers are delivering on innovation with chests like this one that work equally well in a number of locations—while hiding enterttinment or home office components. Photo: aspenhome
Short on (Work) Space?
Try placing a writing desk behind your couch. It will have the look of a formal sofa table, but will give you a spot to work on your laptop or sort your mail.
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Home Office—Outside the Box
A quick look at functional furnishings designed to help you work from anywhere in your home.
- by Jennifer Sellers
Home offices used to be very formal spaces. These designated rooms were filled with all sorts of electronic machinery and filing apparatuses. But then came e-mail. And laptops. And wireless networks. And smart phones. Suddenly, workspaces became very mobile. No longer do you have to hole up in some forgotten corner of your house to get work done, you can do it from your sofa, bed or kitchen table. In fact, many new home furnishings are designed to accommodate today's transportable work style.
"Other rooms in the home, like the great room and breakfast area, offer exciting new opportunities for work spaces in addition to the private office," says Bryan Edwards, vice president of sales for aspenhome. "Many people are combining their working space into their daily home life."
Fit for Any Space
Furniture manufacturers like aspenhome are modernizing the appearance of desks and hutches so that they blend in seamlessly with living area décor. These pieces are relevant to the homeowner's lifestyle and designed for public areas of the home; while they're not the center of attention, they are well within view and access, says Edwards.
Multi-Purpose Pieces
Another defining characteristic of modern workspaces is multitasking. A nightstand or side table can have a built-in charging station. Or a coffee table can have a pullout laptop tray. The key is convenience, and many of today's furnishings allow you to conduct business from any room of the home.
Family Hub
Many families have the need for shared work areas. These stations are always in use and thus need to be in a room that's frequently accessed by all members of the family. This can include a gathering room such as the kitchen—certainly not a traditional area for a home office, but it often gets the job done. If you're setting up a family hub, make sure it has an ample work surface and storage space, says Edwards.
So if you're used to a traditional workspace, start thinking outside those four walls—and outside the box—when it's time to purchase new home office furniture.
