Home Office Design Ideas
November 10th, 2009 | Interior Design
The clever planning of storage facilities within your workshop will be vital to its success. If you apply the same principles as used in your kitchen design ideas, you will be on the right track. You can also incorporate some of your living room designs if you want to create a feeling of similarity within your workshop, but don’t go overboard - it’s a place of work, not for relaxing. Plan chests, filing cupboards and similar units are best designed to your own specification and, wherever possible, built in and out of the way.
A distinction should be made between those items you may be using on a daily basis and those used less frequently. You may choose to store often-used tools on a wall-mounted racking system where they can be easily reached, while those that are rarely required can be housed within less accessible units.
The position, size and height of work surfaces should also be carefully thought out for your home office design. The availability of natural light will probably determine the best site for your working zone and it is important to remember that, for your comfort and health, your seating arrangement should be ergonomically determined.
When it comes to deciding upon finishes for the various surfaces within your studio, consider first the practicalities. What will stand up to the ‘abuse’ you are likely to inflict? A painted cement floor (which can easily be repainted when badly damaged) is suitable for heavy-duty wear and areas where high temperatures are involved. A sheet-vinyl or ceramic-tile flooring may be the answer for messy but less damaging activities.
For ‘dry’ activities, cork or vinyl tiles (which, when worn out, can be individually replaced) may be the most suitable floor covering. If you are working with textiles, a hard floor will be easier than a soft one to keep clean. A wooden flooring may prove the most apt for a room used for physical activities, but do take care with slipperiness and splinters.
Whatever your selection, think also about the acoustics of the room (soft finishes help to cushion sound), and remember that, where mess is concerned, a threshold mat will help prevent dirt permeating your home. Walls with a gloss-paint finish are generally considered fairly robust, and can be repainted when badly scarred.
Your second consideration should be the aesthetics. For most situations a plain paint wall surface may provide the best answer. It will form an ideal blank canvas against which your activities can take place and can act as a display surface to which items can be attached with removable masking tape or adhesive pads. A picture rail might also prove useful.
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