Home Is Where Your Work Is

You’ve decided to work from home.

But with your kids running around, friends calling and other household distractions, work is more challenging than ever.

What you need is a home office. (No, a desk stuck in the corner of the family room does not qualify.)

Whether starting a home-based business or telecommuting — as an estimated 40 million Americans now do — the trick is to create a work space that’s productive and receptive to visiting clients, yet doesn’t disrupt harmony in the household.

Besides the obvious technical, economical, legal and practical considerations, permanently bringing one’s work home requires careful planning around visual, physical, mental and personal elements, says interior designer Anne Wait.

“More important than anything, you want to delineate your personal life from your professional life,” says Wait, who refurbished her garage into a design office more than a year ago. “For my own needs, I wanted my home office separate from my house as much as possible.”

Like a growing number of professionals, Wait moved her interior design business from a commercial district into her home to cut overhead costs and reduce commuting time.

Not including self-employed or part-time workers doing computer and Internet-based jobs, roughly 9 million telecommuters across the nation now work at home, thanks in part to computer-based and wireless technologies, which enable employees to submit work to central offices from remote locations.

And that number is expected to rise as jobs in the information industry continue to grow, according to statistics published by Herman Miller Inc., a Michigan-based, employee-owned residential and commercial furniture company.

In designing its home-office line, the company conducted a year-long field study of nearly 40 different home-based business and telecommuting workers to determine the products and designs that best fit a range of home environments, behaviors and work trends.

Telecommuting - or working from home instead of at a company office - helps employees manage family and work obligations, cuts costs for lunches, car maintenance and fuel, and reduces job-related stress for some. Studies also show that telecommuters take fewer sick days, report greater job satisfaction and improved creativity.

On the downside, blaring televisions, barking dogs, churning washing machines, Aunt Sally’s phone calls and children playing within earshot can disrupt concentration and business calls.

Likewise, family members might find it difficult to have to tiptoe around the house during a homebased worker’s “normal business hours.”

Laundry rooms, garages, attics, guest rooms, play rooms, dining rooms and even walk-in closets have made successful transformations to home offices, according to designers.

Ideally, the office should be close to the home’s main entrance or have its own entrance to avoid leading clients or employees through the house. And the room should function solely as an office, not double as a guest room.

Regardless of where it is, a home office should have its own phone line, to keep personal and business calls separate.

Enough electrical outlets are needed to support some basic plug-ins, including those needed for computers, printers, scanners, desk lamps, fax machines, adding machines, fans or air conditioners. And keep in mind that some household electrical systems can get overloaded easily.

Some home office conversions require more physical makeovers than others. Garages and attics, for example, might require building code upgrades or new lighting, ventilation, insulation, heat and air conditioning.

To bring more natural light into her own garage, Wait installed windows and French doors.

Similarly, some of her clients have installed windows in their converted laundry rooms or walk-in closets, or have expanded roof-lines in attic spaces, she said.

Regardless of the room or space, decor and style should be tailored around function as much as personal preference.

“It has to be a pleasant room to start with,” says Lilli Kalmenson, another designer who works from home. “Otherwise the work will not be productive. Productivity is definitely related to the atmosphere of your working environment.”

For lighting, she advises choosing lamps that best serve specific tasks - such as swivel floor lamps near drafting or design tables. Also, use natural light as much as possible, and keep computer screens from facing windows to reduce glare.

Wait recommends making the room a “light, bright, airy space,” and using vibrant colors to lift spirits and bring a “whimsical feel” to the room.

And before business is in full swing, a good filing system and storage space will be needed for office supplies, documents and tools of the trade.

When using available floor space, closets, floor and wall shelving, it’s important to create a system that safeguards documents and products, as well as helping to organize them. Designers encourage home workers to have some locking file holders for sensitive material and to keep a fire-proof lock-box or safe for backup computer files and important client documents.

Wait stresses that every home office should have a door.

A door is more than a safeguard from curious pets, playful children or house guests, she says: It obstructs the office from view during “off” hours and reduces the temptation to finish work during family time.

“That’s people’s biggest complaint when their office is shared with the family room. You see your work out on Saturdays and holidays, and before you know it, you’re sitting there doing work,” she says.

Besides physical boundaries, home-based workers should set up mental boundaries to keep professional and personal life separate.

“Pretend like you’re going to work,” suggests Wait. “Discipline yourself to be in your office during set times. Take breaks and receive personal calls during that time. And if you have chores, or a child to pick up from school, take two hours for lunch to take care of personal stuff. You could always stay in your office an hour later in the day.”

And accept that the two worlds will inevitably overlap.

Herman Miller researchers, who has studied hundreds of home-based workers, found that business contacts from other time zones sometimes called during family dinners, for example, and children frequently needed rides home from school or practice at set times every day.

Boundaries are helpful, but remember flexibility is one advantage to working at home.

Adds Wait, “The trick to staying productive - not letting yourself get too distracted - is that it just takes discipline. You have to discipline yourself.”

On that same note, designers recommend placing home offices as far from the kitchen as possible.

This sidebar appeared with the story: HOME OFFICES The basic checklist

Experts suggest these basics for the home office:

* Ergonomic chair, for optimal comfort and back support

* Dedicated phone line

* Desk/work table

* Computer

* Surge protectors for all electrical equipment

* Filing system

* Shelves for resource manuals

* Storage for office supplies

* Task lighting

* Backup computer files

* Fire-resistant lockbox to safeguard sensitive materials, computer disks, etc.

* At least one locking file

Other suggested items, which can vary according to budget and needs, include computer printer, scanner, fax machine, chairs for visitors.