Unlike regular offices, a home office ought to be designed around your personality and individualized to suit your needs. There are two central elements that will make a home office’s design help you to work efficiently; the chair and the desk. Desks should be chosen to fit in with the dimensions of the room you have available, yes, but they also need to be fit for the purpose that you intend them for.

Built In Storage.

Keeping your office essentials tidy is even more of an issue in a home office than elsewhere, so that you can shut your work away at the end of the day. If you have chosen an ‘open’ desk for your room that allows you to see through, there’s no need to compromise with integrated storage. One side of the underneath of the desk should be set aside for a lockable drawer or two.

There are a number of good quality desks that have storage compartments beneath the desktop, ideal for storing your equipment. If you are pushed for space in your home office, for instance if it is located in a guest room, then opt for a bureau with a pull down desk, to save room.

For offices where one wall is set aside for a wide desk space, make sure that you have cabinets at either side of the sitting area. And for a simple and cost effective approach, install a set of stackable storage bins under the desk.

Adjustability.

If you do a range of work at home, being able to adjust your desk for different tasks is a great advantage. A desk that can be flat for a laptop computer, or tipped forwards, for drawing on is helpful, but make sure that you choose one that can be secured in the correct position without wobble. Height adjustable desks, with built in cubby holes, are also very useful and they are available in a variety of colors, to suit most office designs.

Keep It Clear.

Keep a clear mind to get the most productive time whilst you are at work in a home office. To help you with this, select a glass topped task desk. A transparent desk top discourages the build up of clutter and this, in turn, can help you focus on the task in hand. If you have an office that shares its space with another room, then a clear desk can help it blend into the existing décor, without making too much of a statement.

Double Desks.

Desks with two levels can help you split your work. If you use your desk for creative work, it will help you separate that from more administrative tasks. Split level desks will usually allow you a cubby hole or two, between the desks, to store a few essential items.

Use the higher level of your double desk to keep things in your eye line, like a clock or a computer screen. Roll-out desks help save floor space in an office and also often offer you the same advantages of a split level double desk.

The T-Shaped Workspace.

T-shaped desks afford several breaks that a normal task desk won’t. A T-shape instantly creates two separate work zones, ideal if you work collaboratively with someone else. A T-shape that extends from the side of the room will create a counter top feel and this can be beneficial if you use your home office for meetings with clients. Remember that a T-shaped task desk does not need be constructed from a single item of furniture and you can create the look from multiple pieces.

Picture sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11and 12.