A Closer Look at the Home Office

Home offices are coming out of the closet; trends indicate that a majority of these offices are now in main rooms like bedrooms, dens and dining rooms. "Square footage is at a premium these days, and spaces need to have multi-uses, not just sit and wait for a guest or special occasion," said ASID designer Connie LeFevre of the Houston-based Design House Inc.

When it comes to designing those home office spaces, Hunter Douglas experts and LeFevre offer the following tips:

First, analyze what activities you will be doing and what equipment you will need. For instance, will it be used for running the home and personal business, such as paying bills? Or, like some 17% of Americans, is it to run a home-based business that might require meetings or space to accommodate more than one person?
Next, determine your privacy needs. For home-based businesses, you may consider an entrance that doesn't take the visitor through private areas. Window coverings can also come into play here, shielding valuable equipment from view.
Filing and storage needs also should be assessed. How many files will you need and how many books, catalogs, discs will you have to store?
Equipment and power requirements must also be considered. Computers are becoming essential to more and more home offices, but will you also need a fax, TV, DVD and copier? How many phone lines and how much electricity are required?
How large a work surface do you need? According to LeFevre, the trend is toward furniture that can close up and conceal the office when not in use and that blends with different styles of décor.
Ergonomics must also be evaluated in deciding on a chair and desk or worktable. For the comfort and health of your body, it is essential that the monitor be placed at, or slightly below, eye level. When hands are on the keyboard they should be in a straight line with the forearms level or tilted up slightly. The chair should also be able to be adjusted so your feet are flat on the floor. In addition, the chair should offer strong lumbar support.
Don't forget the lighting. Windows are typically designed to maximize light and eyes naturally adjust to the brightest source. So, it is important to position the computer monitor so that it is perpendicular to a window to help prevent glare. You will also need general and task lighting if you work on a computer.
Window treatments should maximize flexibility so that you can control and lower the light when you are on the computer, versus when you are reading and need more light. According to Hunter Douglas experts, Lightlines® Aluminum Blinds and Country Woods® Wood Blinds with the de-Light™ feature are good options to choose here. They can eliminate the cord holes that can cause distracting sunspots on computer screens. Other good options are Duette® Honeycomb Shades and Hunter Douglas Brilliance® Pleated Shades. These products provide maximum light control and energy efficiency and can be installed from the top down if necessary for privacy and light control with a view.
For work spaces near patio doors and other large window expanses where traditional window coverings won't work, consider Duette® Vertiglide™, where the honeycomb fabric is hung vertically from a track with the shade operating sideways, say Hunter Douglas experts. This can also serve as a room divider. Another option is Somner™ Collection Vertical Blinds from Hunter Douglas, featuring a wide range of vinyl, fabric and aluminum styles with colors, textures and patterns to enhance any décor. For a sheer look with privacy and light control, choose Luminette® Privacy Sheers. This product features soft fabric sheers backed with rotating fabric vanes.
When it comes to aesthetics, bridging the gap between commercial and residential design is essential. Choose colors, patterns and textures that are soothing, rather than harsh and cold. Even window treatments can be soft and textured with a touch of color say Hunter Douglas experts. In addition to Duette Honeycomb Shades and pleated shades, other fabric treatments include Silhouette® Window Shadings with the Signature S-Vane™, a great glare reducer with soft fabric vanes suspended between sheer front and back facings, and Vignette® Modern Roman Shades with billowy layers of gently contoured fabric folds that roll up into a sleek headrail.

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