Technology downsizes the home office
These days, desks look more and more like simple tables. Any old one will do.
Long gone are the days of Rolodex files, huge computer terminals and stacks of sorted slots for paper flow. No more rows of file cabinets are required in a home office. In fact, sometimes all you need to work is a smartphone or iPad.
When I was a young designer, much was written and spoken about the paperless office. Huge office furniture dealers researched heavily the office of the future, which was foreseen as paperless. These were the giants of the industry, like Herman Miller, Steelcase and Knoll office furniture, and they peddled partitions and surfaces for workstations.
The only files that many workers now keep are virtual and sit in imaginary “files” in our computers. To be fair, the need for hard copies of certain documents has not evaporated entirely. Sometimes, you still find it more useful and convenient to keep a job or client file that includes paper copies of certain transactions or key documents, plus copies of emails or instant messages.
Nonetheless, for the millions of Americans who work from home part time or full time, the need for a separate room has nearly been eliminated and has more to do with personal preference for quiet, than spread space and file storage. That function might be satisfied by a kitchen table, such as the one seen here, in a loft apartment or a coffee table in a living room.
There are stand-up workstations and small office armoires available. Another favorite design is the flip-down desk made to work well with other bedroom furniture suites. These slim desks can be squeezed into TV rooms, dining rooms or foyers.
Sometimes a generous stair landing might become the designated home office.
I work from my upstairs home office and recently realized my credenza with two lateral file drawers hasn't been opened in more than a year! I could remove it from the office without ever missing the items now stashed inside. The larger point is that now, more than at any other time in American life, a smaller floor plan can still deliver all the function you require.
An honest evaluation of the physical space you need is one key to creating a workable home office. Perhaps you already have the space without looking for a larger home or undertaking a remodel. At the start of a new year, set aside a little time to purge and organize.
When I look at both my home office and the larger one of my long-retired husband, I acknowledge we have wasted space. We could both share the same area and have plenty of room to work.
However, the real objection is that we don't want to be together and instead claim our own areas. That is a completely different issue than spatial requirements. In fact, if one of us works in the dining room, then we could free up an office for another bedroom.
Blunt honesty about the use of available space is worthwhile if you are in the midst of revamping your home. Where is it written that you have to use the spare bedroom as you are now doing? Why can't you negotiate another plan?
• Christine Brun is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of “Small Space Living.” Send questions and comments to her by email at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net.
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