Cabinet Ideas for Every Room

Home Sweet Home Office

Every home office is as unique as the person who uses it. Yours might be as simple as a desk where you pay bills and write letters, or as important as your base of operations for a home business.

How do you decide on a home office design that´s right for you? By asking yourself some key questions, you´ll be on your way to creating a comfortable, inspiring and productive environment. It´s as easy as 1-2-3!

1. Decide the Purpose of Your Home Office

First, consider these two points: What you plan to use your home office area for, and what kind of space you have available for it. You might also require an independent entrance. To help you determine your needs, Merillat divides home offices into two distinct types: Part-time Home Office and Full-time Home Office. Think about your home and which type of office applies to you.

Part-time Home Office: Part of the time you may use this space to pay bills, to do work away from the office, or track investments. When you´re not working, the space blends seamlessly into the rest of your home. A Part-time Home Office could be a single armoire. Or a desk in your kitchen. Or, it could be part of a bedroom, den or family room.

Full-time Home Office: Usually, this is a room designated strictly as your office. Your Full-time Home Office has everything you need to work from your home, depending on your occupation. Architects and designers need room to spread out plans and samples. Accountants need a large desk space with easy access to their files and computer. Salespeople who spend most of the day on the phone have a completely different set of needs.

Don´t forget to think about future growth. You may want to design your home office to include space for expansion of equipment and storage. Also it´s important to consider local codes and regulations regarding fire safety and accessibility.

2. Assess your work habits

Once you know where you want to locate your home office and consider the functions you’ll perform there, ask yourself some questions. Following are some of the main areas to focus on, according to Bob Garner, Director of Design at Reico, a prominent cabinet retailer in the Washington, D.C. area. By thinking through these issues, you’ll also be well prepared to talk with your building or remodeling professional.

Furniture

• Seating: How long do you spend seated at your desk each day, and do you have any back or leg problems that would require a special chair? Do you need to provide seating for clients or other employees?
• Workstation: Do you require constant access to storage and reference material from your workstation? If you want to conceal your workstation, would you prefer a completely concealed office unit, or would you rather section off your office behind a screen? Pull-out computer keyboards and pull-down doors also help
• Surfaces/finishes: Does your type of work require a particularly durable work surface? Do you want all of your surface finishes to coordinate - for example, wood floor with wood desk?

Personalizing your space

• Do you prefer a more formal or informal work atmosphere? Are you most comfortable with a particular style of decor, such as traditional or contemporary?
• Do you want your home office to blend in with your overall home decor, or to have a style all its own? Keep in mind that Merillat Classic^® and Merillat Masterpiece^® cabinet lines both offer attractive molding and accent options that can add an inviting personal touch to your home office.
• Noise: How much quiet do you require while you work? Do you need to minimize household interaction while you work?

Space and Access

• How much room do you need for viewing large documents or layouts?
• How much file space will you need? "Storage is probably the most variable need in home offices, " says Reico´s Bob Garner. "Some people have everything on a few computer disks, others need a room full of filing cabinets." He suggests using glass doors or pocket doors on cabinetry rather than lots of open shelving so you can avoid "the dust factor."
• Meeting areas: What type of impression do you want to make on clients and visitors ... formal, informal or creative?
• Do you have space for a dedicated meeting area, or will you need to adapt other rooms of the house for that purpose?
• During meetings, will you want easy access to a phone or computer?

Equipment

• What office equipment will you need? Phone, fax, copier, computer, printer, scanner? Will your needs
• Before placing furniture, consider your wiring and cabling requirements and where you will need to access them. "You might like to "hide" the technical tools of a business, but you must also keep them accessible," Reico´s Bob Garner notes.
• Keep in mind safety issues: Allow proper ventilation to handle heat build-up from office machines. Install surge protectors for power surges. Provide cable raceways under the worktops to keep wires from tangling.
• Lighting: Office lighting must eliminate shadows and glare as well as illuminate work centers and provide general room lighting, Garner says. He suggests mounting fixtures under upper cabinets and using desk lamps that sit about 15 inches above the work surface.
• If you have expensive equipment or sensitive information, have you considered security precautions?

3. Get Specific: Think in Zones

Now that you´ve assessed your work habits, get specific with Organomics™! For ultimate comfort and efficiency, Merillat applies the Organomics™ concept to divide the Full-time Home Office into four zones: Workstation, Storage, Communication and Presentation. You´ll find that cabinetry plays a key role in how those zones fit together to maximize the functionality of your space.

"It´s just a question of thinking creatively about the components that are available in cabinetry today," says Merillat's New Product Design Manager. "The potential is limited only by your imagination."

Take a look for yourself, and think of how Merillat could help you organize these zones in your own home office area. Organomics™ can help you achieve the perfect balance between the zones. The result: You"ll create a home office as pleasing to the eye as it is practical.

A. Workstation Zone
Includes your work desk or table and perhaps computer and printer. Innovative cabinet solutions can be designed around your electronics to protect them while keeping them accessible.

B. Storage Zone
Contains all your books, files, computer disks and supplies. From built-in file drawers and shelves to cubbyholes and cabinets, Merillat´s versatile products can help you create an office that fits perfectly into any part of your home while providing ample storage space.

C. Communication Zone
Includes a fax, phone and copier. Especially when you´re moving a mile a minute, Organomics™ helps ensure everything you need is within easy reach.

D. Presentation Zone
Could include a TV screen, projector and space for meetings. Innovative cabinetry can help make every inch of space efficient, comfortable and professional.

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