furniture and decor blog

A Interior illumination comes from three different sources. Natural light (or daylight) floods into a room through windows and skylights. Depending on the orientation of these and the time of day, the season, the color of your furniture and the weather-natural light can have either a gentle or harsh effect.

The other two kinds of light are artificial. When artificial light from a central source is diffused throughout a room and provides a uniform level of illumination, the effect is called ambient lighting. Artificial light that is concentrated and directed on a particular area is called task lighting. Whether or not an office has good natural light, it will need both types of artificial light.

Natural lighting. Windows, skylights, and French or sliding patio doors bring light, air, and views to your home office. The trick is to provide adequate natural light, but not too much.

Windows may be double-hung, casement, sliding, awning, hopper, or fixed in style. If in doubt, follow the styles used elsewhere in your house or neighborhood. What matters most is exposure: south windows let in bright, direct sun, while north windows provide soft, diffuse light. High clerestory windows and skylights draw light deeper into the room while maintaining privacy. Also consider glass block, which is making another comeback.
Think of French and sliding doors as windows, too: today they share the same solid construction and energy-efficient glazing. While hinged French doors mark the traditional indoor-outdoor transition, today’s sliders seal better and can look great, too.

Ambient lighting. Creating soft ambient lighting for a home office requires careful planning. It’s important to avoid high contrast between your work area and its surroundings. If you’re working at a computer screen, for example, too little or too much background light will require your eyes to adjust frequently. A dimmer switch can control ambient lighting and add flexibility. Having several light sources is preferable to having just one.

Task lighting. Whether emitted from individual desk lamps or from track lights mounted on the ceiling or a wall, task lighting focuses illumination on areas where vision will be concentrated. Insufficient lighting can quickly lead to eyestrain.

If you’re right-handed, task lighting should shine over your left shoulder so that your writing won’t cast shadows on your work. If you’re left-handed, it should shine over your right shoulder. Keep in mind, too, that a desk lamp with a fluorescent tube will not cast a shadow like that of a lamp with an incandescent or halogen bulb.

Beware of glare. Besides inadequate lighting, glare must also be assiduously avoided. Office lighting designs evolved for paper-related tasks, but the computer has changed all that. In general, computer environments require lower levels of well-shielded ambient light than traditional offices plus flexible task lighting that can be tailored to the job at hand. If possible, place both ambient and task fixtures on dimmer switches.

Computer users know how glare detracts from the visibility of a monitor screen. Glare is commonly produced in three ways:

• 1) light bulbs are reflected on the screen from above and behind the computer operator;
• 2) bright windows are situated behind the screen;
• 3) shiny surfaces within the user’s field of vision compete with the screen.

Window coverings can help; so can a screen shade or glare guard for your monitor.

Porch or sunroom. You can also convert a porch or sunroom to office space, though you’ll probably need to build up the floor and walls, insulate, ventilate, and add temperature controls. What about pouring a small slab for a prefabricated greenhouse addition?

Pop-out. Maybe all your office plans need is a slight “push”—like the one furnished by a 24-inch wall extension or a bay window unit. Cantilevered pop-outs can bypass some building restrictions because they don’t need additional foundations.

Useful place to check: Home Office furniture

Attic conversion. There’s lots of potential here if you have the headroom: by code, it must be at least 7 feet over half the floor area. Side walls may be too low for standing, but not for sitting. Try stretching
countertops along these areas. Skylights and dormers add headroom and bring in light and air.
Attic floor joists may not be intended for “live” weight; if necessary, beef them up. Are there wires and pipes? You’ll need to reroute them.

Closet. If your space needs are modest, don’t overlook the opportunity presented by a spare closet (if there is such a thing). A 20-inch-deep space is the bare-bones minimum, but even this depth can house a built-in counter with storage units below and shelves above. With bifold or hinged doors, you can seal off the space when its not in use (and if you’re storing electronic equipment, louvered doors would provide ventilation).

Be on the lookout for other “found” space. How about the niche under the stairs? Or the utility room? Could an existing closet in an adjacent room be colonized as part of an office next door?

Dining room. This can be a candidate, especially if you rarely dine there. One plus: a large dining-room table allows the visually oriented plenty of space to spread out papers and files.

Order, order, order is the key to a dining-room office. You really need to be able to close off your work space during meals-to protect your papers as well as your digestion.

Kitchen. Can a kitchen make a decent work space? It depends on the nature of your work, on your need for privacy, and on how boisterous your family is. Some home workers like the sense of connection to the pulse of a busy household; others feel constantly distracted and exposed to interruption. There’s also more potential for damage to papers and other business materials. But if the site still appeals to you, consider whether you might incorporate your work space into a breakfast area or build it into a cabinet run.

Living/family room. Again, this spot has a strike or two against it. Unless you’re highly organized, you may feel that work is taking over your house And unless you live alone, you won’t have much privacy.

Use modular cabinetry, a room divider, a change of level, or a decorative screen to help define-and contain-the office area.

If you have high ceilings or could raise the present ceiling, you might consider designing a loft adjacent to living quarters. Loft dwellers report an agreeable mix of access and privacy, and the space below the loft can serve other purposes.