Quit Your Commute-Design Your Home Office

6 Winning Home Office Interior Design Hints

Tired of that commute and wrestling with traffic each day? Most people these days commute an average of an hour per day total commuting to and from work. Would you like to gain back 5 hours a week or over 20 hours a month to do more activities you enjoy or start your side hustle? A home office shed is a way to go. You can convert most backyard sheds into office shed, which we have discussed before, so we are assuming that you have built or are converting a shed into a home office shed.

Interior design elements are some of the most important key elements of your office shed. How your office shed is equipped from the beginning can make or break your home office experience. Today we look at 6 key factors that will enable you as a DIY builder or contractor to create a home office shed that is inviting and a functionally great place for a telecommuter to be most productive.

Home Office Shed Lighting

A well-lit office is important for being productive and not tiring part way through the day. Natural light is best and we hope you have equipped your home office with good ventilation and windows that bring in lots of natural light. Skylights and a large sliding patio door can provide great natural light or one of our larger double-pane shed windows would work well also. Be sure to install a shade on your window in case you get lots of sunlight so you still have good contrast with your computer screen.

Once windows and shades have been decided on, the next lighting issue is good overhead lighting and/or well-placed lamps. We have found for space sake it is best to have overhead lighting on a dimmer switch directly over your desk. Direct lighting over your desk won’t throw shadows and tire your eyes. Track lighting or can lighting work well overhead. They are some great LED decorative lighting that adds design interest while giving you great lighting also.

A good addition to your home office shed is a floor lamp for reading. We suggest a floor lamp with a natural light bulb, great for reading and also close work. Make sure that your floor lamp either has a directional function or has the light bulbs facing downward not upwards–torch lamps don’t work as well for reading. Natural light bulbs also let you bring the sun into your home office shed when the days are not sunny and bright.

Home Office Shed Flooring Choices

When thinking about flooring for your home office you want to make sure that it fits your taste, is easy to clean, and your flooring choice will absorb sound. Why absorb sound? If you are working from home and are on the phone, using Skype, or doing webinars it’s best to have flooring that will absorb sound not increase sound. So the carpet is one of the best ways to go with wood flooring being the second choice. We prefer a low pile dense commercial carpet; easy to vacuum, keep clean, and absorbs sound very well.

Home Office Shed Electrical Outlets

Having sufficient electrical outlets in your home office is essential. The last thing you want is stringing extension cords all over your office shed. There are some great choices these days for electrical outlets that include USB charging ports. We have found that the 6 side electrical outlets with 4 USB charging ports work incredibly well for a home office. Having enough outlets are important when you start thinking of all of the devices that will be needing electricity in your home office; UPC, computer, monitors, phones, copier, lights, printer, sound system, possible stereo and/or TV, and more.

Create Plenty of Home Office Storage

Storage is paramount if you are to stay organized working from home. It is so easy to end up with piles of papers by the end of the day–organization is key. Even if you do most of your storage in the cloud, most of us still have at least one filing cabinet. Vertical filing cabinets are best since they take up less space. Also, it’s amazing how many reference materials and books you can accumulate that are for your business–our suggestion, instead of taking up floor space with a bookcase, install decorative molding and shelving a foot under your ceiling for storing books and such. If you must bring in more furniture, we have found antique sideboards that are used in dining rooms and have both drawers and shelving and make for a great storage place for books and business supplies that don’t fit well in a desk.

Your Place of Business–Home Office Desks

The most important piece of furniture in your home office shed will be your desk. This is your place of business. You want to make sure your desk has plenty of storage capabilities, has plenty of leg room, is at the right height for you to use your computer with comfort, and is pleasing to your taste. Whether you use an architect table or opt for a roll-top desk, or something in between, the most important is that its design fits the functions of your business very well. Roll top desks lock for security, if you have kids at home, it’s the best way to keep things from being borrowed unannounced and knowing that what you rely on for your business is secure.

Comfortable Home Office Seating

Why we say home office seating and not just an office chair is our experience is that it is great to have an over-stuffed chair or love seat in your home office shed also. When you take breaks or want to do some extended reading for your business you will find you will be more productive doing your reading in a comfortable chair or loveseat to make it a more relaxing experience. Also if you take breaks during the day, which we highly recommend, having a place to relax and put your feet up is a great addition to your home office shed.

Desk chairs come in as many varieties as you can imagine, from minimalistic to overstuffed, or technically advanced models. They can run in price from $100 to over $1000 depending on budget and all the adjustments you would like them to perform. Our experience has been that a straight back, adjustable seat height, and enough padding in the set to make long stretches at the computer comfortable are the most important key components of a well-built desk chair.

For all your window and hardware needs for your home office shed, look no further than Shed Windows and More for selection, value, and great customer service from sales to the delivered product!