You may want to establish a home office to have a quiet place for the children to do homework, use your computer, or pay household bills.  It isn’t hard to justify the need for a home office. 

If you have a spare room in your home to set up a home office, you will want it to tie it into the rest of your home.  Pick soothing paint colours that coordinate with the walls in the other rooms of your home.  Wood moldings, rich wallpaper, artwork and plants will help to make your office space a comfortable living space. 

If space is at a premium and the office has to be incorporated into another room, other options such as a guest room, living room, dining room or kitchen are available.  In the living room, position your furniture so that it is not centred around the desk.  Think of it as a living room and not as an office.

 Keep the office out of the bedroom.  You don’t want to wake up in the morning looking at paperwork.  Keep your bedroom restful.

 There are tabletops that fold down from the wall, armoires made especially for computer equipment, small desks that look great in the kitchen and screens to hide workstations.  

Storage is always an issue.  However, there are file cabinets that are made to look like a piece of furniture that can double as an end table or buffet.  There are wicker baskets, fabric boxes and many other choices in which to store paper and supplies.  Open bookcases can look messy so choose closed cupboards instead.  Take advantage of wireless technology and place the printer and fax in another room away from your desk. 

Natural light is important in an office and if possible, your home office should be situated in an area where you can take advantage of this light.  Adjustable desktop lamps are a good choice to light your work area.
 

There are many choices available to establish a comfortable and workable home office no matter how much space you have available.