How to Create a Work Space in Virtually any Area of the Home

Here is some much-needed great news: you do not need a dedicated home office to work successfully from home. With some creativity, you can set up a functional workspace in a variety of unused and often overlooked spaces in your home.

Home work space

For example, the following ideas will help get you well on your way to a positive telecommuting experience:

Transform Your Stair Landing Area

For people who live in a two or more story home, check to see if you can turn the top of a stair landing into a workspace. To help define the workspace in the open area, consider painting a panel in a contrasting color on the wall behind your desk in approximately the width of the workspace all the way up to the ceiling. This will create a framed backdrop for your “office.”

You will probably need to choose a slim desk and other furniture so people can walk past you, but by adding some floating shelves on the walls above the desk and/or considering a wall-mounted fold down desk that can be pulled back up when not in use, it is very possible to create a narrow profile that still offers plenty of room for your equipment.

Use a Room Divider

After pondering your work-from-home setup, you realize the living room is your best option. The only drawback to setting up a home office in this space is that other family members spend time in there too, which may be a distraction. To make this work-from-home office setup as efficient as possible, consider using a room divider to create your own cubicle in the room. This will help to minimize distractions and keep you focused on your work.

Just be sure you have adequate lighting and a strong Wi-Fi signal in your cubicle; if need be, you may have to reposition your router.

Consider a Closet

A walk-in closet can make for a decent work-from-home office. Granted, unless you have more closet space than you need you’ll have to clear out your clothes and other items. For the time being, they can be stored in flat boxes under your bed or, if possible, moved to another closet.

You can remove the closet door if you wish; this will help the work area seem like a natural extension of the home, or you can keep the door on so you can close it when your workday is over.

Add a Desk to Your Bedroom

You might not be wild about working in the room that’s supposed to be your haven from the outside world, but as the saying goes, sometimes it’s any port in a storm. To help transform your home office into your regular relaxing bedroom at night, move your desk chair into the closet or other room when your shift is over and consider adding storage with doors so you can easily hide away your work supplies. A secretary-style desk would be a good choice for this situation as it will also allow you to close it up when not in use.

No Home Office? No Problem

If and when you move into a new place someday, you might add “home office” to your wish list. But for now, you can definitely make do with the spaces that you have. Keep an open mind and channel your inner creativity as you walk through your home looking for a landing area, closet, or another area that would make a decent enough home office, at least for the time being.

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