Feb 12, 202111 min read

THE CORNER OFFICE

With more people who work probably partly work from home ,the corner office will indeed be the place to be .For home residents ,a new space may become crucial ,something which residential property planners would like to make note of faster and more total virtual assimilation will become as mandatory as piping power fixtures

Demand for office space has changed over the years. With the growth of the suburbs, many employers moved from downtown locations to the periphery to take advantage of lower rents, less expensive parking, and proximity to worker’s homes.

Other trends shaping the market for office space include an increase in telecommuting—that is, working from home through the use of technology—and changes in work preferences among young professionals. Smartphones and communications software diminish the need for dedicated physical offices, with many offices remaining unused for full or partial days due to remote working from a variety of locations.

How we work is also impacting office design. Traditional cubicle and doored offices have been replaced by open plan offices designed to promote communication and collaboration and are characterized by shared desk space and technology functions.

Every business that is operated or managed from home will require some sort of workspace, but not all will require an office in the traditional sense. If you operate a freelance photography business, for example, your main workspace in the home may be your darkroom. If you operate an automotive paint shop, then chances are your workspace will be the garage or a freestanding shop out back. If you operate a dental practice from home, then your workspace will probably be a portion of your home used for a waiting room, a treatment room, and an office. In other words, workspace requirements will vary depending on the business you choose to operate.

It seems nowadays there is a high demand for small home offices.

More and more companies are establishing remote work options for busy families and dual working parents. There are also a number of working parents that have started their own home-based businesses. With this demand comes a need for homeowners to strategize their home office space.

A small home office doesn’t have to be expensive, but it’s important to carefully plan out your space. The office space should reflect the design and comfort of your own home surroundings. Embracing every nook and cranny of your designated area is key.

Once you have chosen where the office space should be, think about a paint colour that will help you concentrate yet stay calm under pressure. White offices are very popular these days but I have seen a lot of different shades of blue as well. Blues are a nice choice if you are looking for a cool, calm place to relax. And remember to choose a colour to get those creative juices going.

Fold up desks are a great idea for very small corners.

Your home office furniture should complement the other furniture in neighboring rooms. If you have a modern decor then think about putting in a modern office. Alternatively, a warm, traditional home would welcome a cosy, soft space with warm woods, and comfy chairs.

The organization of your home office space is very important. Remember to organize your space horizontally and vertically. Floating shelves are wonderful for this purpose, as are baskets and file organizers. When you have a small space to work with, think about purchasing desks with drawers and cupboards to hide the mess of the desk and stay organized.

And where possible, take advantage of as much natural lighting as you can. Natural lighting has many advantages, but experts agree the more natural light you can bring into your office space the healthier and more productive you will feel.

While helping you determine your needs so that you can create the right home workspace for your business, this chapter is broken into sections to help you establish your home workspace step by step:

Selecting your workspace based on your needs-

*Planning your workspace.

*Renovating your workspace.

*Equipping your workspace.

*Making your workspace secure and safe.

*Providing your workspace with furniture, equipment, and supplies.

*Building a positive image for your new business.

Selecting Your Workspace

The type of business that you will be operating from home is key to determining the type, size, and location of the workspace you need. You must also carefully consider day-to-day living as well as special occasions, seasonal activities, and guests.

If you have a family and will be operating a business primarily from within your home, you will want to incorporate as many of the following ideas as possible to help achieve the best business-family balance:

If available, choose a separate room as dedicated workspace. Then you can close the door to keep business in and family, friends, and pets out.

Pick a room or other space where you can minimize distractions, far away from kitchen, laundry room, and PlayStation noises.

Select a workspace that is large enough to operate your business. Working out of two or three separate areas of the home is far less productive than working from one area, although you can certainly use another part of the house, such as your basement or garage, for storage, if necessary.

If clients will be coming to your home, the ideal is a workspace with a separate outside door or very close to an outside door.

If you will be operating a business that creates noise or generates by products (dust, mess, fumes), consider the garage or an outside structure for your workspace.

Planning Your Workspace

You will greatly maximize your chances of putting together the most productive, functional, and visually appealing workspace at the lowest possible cost if you take the time necessary to plan your workspace well in advance of actually setting it up.

First, determine if there are any renovations that must be done. It's always easier to get these completed in advance of setting up shop. After renovations or if no renovations are needed, completely clean the space and all surfaces--walls, ceiling, and floor--and do any painting.

The next step is to take measurements of the room and make a scale drawing of your place . Once you have an accurate, scaled floor plan, you can move on to purchasing equipment and furniture that fit your space and suit your needs. After you have purchased all or most of what you need, install the furniture and equipment according to your plan.

This may seem like a time-consuming way of setting up your workspace, but you want to do the job only once, do it within your budget, and get exactly what you need to start your business right. The extra time spent planning your workspace now will ultimately save you time and money down the road, as it won't be necessary to interrupt business to redo your workspace or lose productivity because the space does not suit your business needs.

Your Workspace Options

Your workspace options range from a corner of the home to a separate outside structure. This will depend on the size of your home and available rooms, the type of business you are running, and any other residents. Obviously, someone who is living alone has different options than someone whose home reminds visitors of the movie Cheaper by the Dozen.

Spare Corner

Though by far the least expensive way to set up a home workspace, using a spare corner of the house can have some disadvantages. If you are not alone, you will have to deal with a lack of privacy and noise. However, if all your budget allows is a second hand desk in the corner of your living room to serve as the head office location for your new business, then go for it! Many successful business people have started with far less. Lillian Vernon started her massive catalog empire from her kitchen table.

There are a few reasons to select a corner office design for your working space at home. Corner desks and storage shelves look wonderful, placed in an empty corner, allowing to create multi functional rooms. Corner furniture efficiently use available space and is ideal for decorating small apartments and homes.

Also corner furniture items, especially built-in wall shelves and office desks , create very cozy working spaces and make home office designs feel comfortable.

Extra Bedroom

A spare bedroom is the second-most popular choice for almost any type of home based business that has no or few client visitors. Here, you can create the full office experience or use as much or as little space as you need. In addition, since this is a dedicated workspace, you can decorate as you choose and take care of all functional needs, such as installing an extra phone jack, stronger, insulated windows to keep out the cold of winter, and so forth.

PICTURE COURTESY : INTERNET