A Guide to Renovating Your Home Office

Improve or create a home office to enhance your creativity and productivity.

Are you tired of working from your kitchen table? It's time to renovate. A home office is a perfect way to up your creativity and organization as you continue to work from home. To start, create a list of those features you wish you had in your current workspace. During this process, you might wonder: What makes a home office great? How can I achieve a space that answers my needs? As you start researching contractors for renovation, use this guide for wisdom and inspiration.

What's Most Important When Planning a Home Office Renovation?

LOCATION

One of the biggest challenges of working from home is distractions. You hear the kids playing or the TV going. The next thing you know a task that should've taken you 15 minutes has gone on for over an hour. What is the best way to prevent this? Find a quiet and private location where you can feel removed from home life.

Don't have a spare room to dedicate to your home office? Don't fret. It's time to get creative. You can turn a closet or wardrobe into a mini-workspace, or even create a work niche in a corner of the guest room. Other great locations for a home office might be:

• An attic or loft area

• The basement

• The garage

The key here is your vision— there is no one-size-fits-all for a great office, and you've got to adapt plans to your space. If you're feeling stumped, your renovation company can help you find the ideal home office location.

LAYOUT & STORAGE

As the saying goes, form follows function. When you create a layout for your space, think about how you use it daily and how you want to arrange furniture. For example, your desk is the most important feature in the space-- where will you place it? If you're like most people, you'll want to be facing a window. So, plan the room to move around the desk, preventing tight squeezes and wasted space.

While creating the layout, it's also a good idea to think about built-in storage. You might have storage from your previous office set up, but chances are it wasn't enough. This is your chance to create elegant storage made for your needs. Have a lot of books? Add floor-to-ceiling shelving on one wall (or more!). Need a place to store confidential documents? Add drawers and cabinets (complete with locks) to the wall. You can even tuck away unsightly technology, like your printer, into custom cabinetry. Whatever storage solutions you choose, make sure they're easy to access for a seamless workflow. Some people even like to tuck their desks into wall shelving, which is especially useful for tight spaces.

LIGHTING

Research shows that being in natural light can improve your mood. In other words, a workspace with big windows is a big win. You might even consider tucking in a window seat for when you need a work break. Enjoy the view and some rays even on the busiest day.

Anyway, as we've mentioned before, the key to good lighting is layering. Add recessed lighting in the ceiling for ambient light, including dimmers so you can adjust the brightness based on your mood. It's also a good idea to add task lighting at the desk and any seating ideas; this is great for when you're burning the midnight oil. Task lighting also gives you a chance to show off your personality by picking out fun fixtures. On that note, you might add a funky pendant light over the desk

Create Your Ideal Home Office With RD Construction

Narrowing down a list of contractors for renovation? Already working on a floor plan and ordering furniture? Wherever you are in the renovation process, we hope this guide helps you make design choices that serve your work-from-home life for years to come.

RD Construction is a reputable renovation company. We guide you through every step of a luxury renovation: Design, selecting and purchasing materials, and construction. Get in touch, and we'll help turn your renovation dreams into a reality.

P.S. Don’t forget to check out our Instagram for design inspiration.