The Essential Home Office

Wow, now that so many people are working from home, I'm curious what the 'must have' list is for a home office.

I read last year that the number of people working from home was 43%, so I had already started to incorporate home offices whenever I could.  With COVID-19, that number has clearly skyrocketed and a home office seems more important than ever.  But I realize that many people don't have room for a separate office - so the dining room table may be put into service.  Or maybe a card table in the basement.

Before - this was the kitchen, connected to the front hallway

New office - hallway closed off and door added to connect to dining room

But what would you want in your home office?  In the Centennial Cottage, we turned the old kitchen into a home office.  It's an unusual move, but it made sense with the new addition that was put on the other side of the house.


And right from the start, I tried to incorporate my usual list of 'must haves'.  Room for a desk and comfortable chair,

This isn't an ergonomic chair - but it's pretty!!!

CAT 5 and cable connection for internet, windows for natural light (one faces south and 2 face west, so it's a nice bright room!) and ventilation, and room for books and keepsakes.  Oh and we also insulated the walls between the office and the rest of the house and added a nice solid door.  It still may not drown out the sound of a barking dog, but it will help when you're doing a videoconference!

I did a wall of bulletin boards in this room ($1.95 each on clearance at IKEA!).  I love a bulletin board and use them all the time.  It's great to pin up inspiration photos and key items I need to remember!

This room had the added bonus of an adjoining bathroom.  The old bathroom was pretty tired and had almost no insulation in the walls, but we gutted it back to the studs and after adding lots of insulation and new lighting, we updated every surface and added a nicer window.  A bit of a change, don't you think?

Bathroom Before

Bathroom after

I love the hexagonal glass tile - it has a watery blue shimmer that is so pretty in the shower.  And the marble floor is a wow!

And we were able to squeeze the tiniest vanity I'd ever seen in there!  It doesn't provide a lot of storage, but in a small bathroom, any storage is helpful!

Okay, so what's on your 'must have' list???  I'm starting the design for the new house and am updating my list!







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