Current societal needs are making a functional in-home office an essential need for many homeowners.
According to Global Workplace Analytics, in 2019 there were 4.3 million telecommuters in the US which represents about 3.2% of the workforce in our country. Since the global pandemic, even more individuals are either being required to work from home, or are seeing this as a viable, even advantageous, alternative to going to a commercial office location. Researchers expect that up to 30% of us will be working from home, at least part of the time, by the end of next year.
A new home gives you the opportunity to create a functional, useful and even life-affirming work space. Many of our clients are looking for spaces that can multitask as guest rooms, a location for kids to work on school projects, or a private nook to read/meditate. No matter your need, as a custom home builder we can modify any of our home designs to meet your work-from-home requirements.
A few initial thoughts for your consideration include the following:
- Natural lighting is key when considering your home office.
- If you plan on spending long hours at your desk, consider proper ventilation with fresh air opportunities to keep you alert and focused.
- Remember to consider enhanced electrical and WiFi access points/needs for computers, scanners, printers, chargers, TVs/speakers and lamp lighting. Here’s where a planned layout for desks, and cabinets/shelving will be key in advance of us dry walling and running electric on your home office.
- If you’ll need to do a lot of video meetings, think about your video backdrop location, room darkening options and the general room layout that conveys the image you want to communicate.
You’ll be glad you spent time thinking about your home office where you might be spending a lot of time!
