Old
Bedroom, New Office
By Miranda Hitti
Are you an empty-nester with bedrooms left
behind by your grown kids? Then perhaps it's time
to give Junior's room a new identity.
One possibility is to turn an old bedroom into
a home office. Whether you intend to work
full-time from home, or just use the space to pay
the bills and browse the Internet, bedrooms can
make great home offices, according to architect
Neal Zimmerman , author of At Work, At Home:
Design Ideas for Your Home Workplace (The
Taunton Press ).
"A bedroom usually has insulation, heating,
lighting and electrical [wiring], compared to a
garage or attic," Zimmerman says. "Furthermore,
it's easily privatized." Shut the door, and the
office is all yours.
Here are Zimmerman's tips for turning a bedroom
into a home office:
- Consider the kind of work you'll be doing.
How many people will be using the room , and
what sort of equipment will they need? For
instance, a seamstress or artist would need
specialized gear, while someone who primarily
works on a computer requires different
equipment. If you're setting up a home-based
business, be sure to obtain any required
permission or licenses before setting up your
space.
- Think in terms of work stations. Zimmerman
has an acronym, CAMP, to cover the bases. "C" is
a computer station; "A" is an administrative
station (for paying bills and handling
paperwork); "M" is a meeting space and "P" is a
project station for specialized work, such as
weaving, woodworking or composing music. Which
letters describe your needs? "Not everyone is
going to need all four," Zimmerman says.
- Make the space healthy and comfortable. "Get
a good chair, no matter what," Zimmerman says.
And make sure you have appropriate lighting and
a work area that is ergonomically correct. For
instance, take care to set up your computer
keyboard in a way that protects your wrists.
- Get organized. Build your storage needs into
your home office. Providing room for your
supplies, files and other necessities will help
you to be more efficient .
- Give the room some spirit. "I believe it's
really important that you feel good about being
there. It shouldn't simply be a place to suffer
work," Zimmerman says . Paint the walls, bring
in art or family photos, and make the office as
personal and delightful as possible.
Your career just might benefit from the extra
details and pleasant environment . "A space that
is set up to be enjoyable and productive for its
user will ultimately produce better work,"
Zimmerman says.
Photos from At Work At Home: Design Ideas
for Your Home Workplace by Neal Zimmerman,
copyright 2001, by permission of the publisher,
The Taunton Press.
RESOURCES:
At
Work At Home website
At Work At
Home
URL: http://www.atworkathome.com/
At Work At Home: Design Ideas for Your
Home Workplace
by Neal Zimmerman
To
order this title click here.
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