The number of people who were working from home was growing rapidly before the pandemic. During the shutdowns, companies learned just how much workers could do from home, and the shift became more permanent. If you have found out that you are one of the growing crowd who does at least part of your work from home, you may have realized the difficulty of creating home office space.
From finding natural lighting to minimizing distractions to finding the perfect everyday desk, quite a bit goes into crafting the home office. Ideally, you’d have an extra room that could be solely dedicated as a home office. For most people, though, that is not the case. Utilizing your space as a multipurpose home office can be done, with just a little bit of creativity.
The Benefits of a Multipurpose Space
Having a multipurpose room with a desk that doubles as office space can provide numerous benefits. Additionally, utilizing the wall for storage can maximize the functionality of the space. Keep in mind that even though you are setting aside workspace by creating a multipurpose office area, others are free to use the room, desk, and wall too. So don’t be surprised at interruptions.
If you designate a portion of the kitchen as your workspace, expect traffic throughout the day from people moving around the room, walking past your desk, and interacting with the wall. Learning how to be productive in a shared room with a desk is essential to creating a successful, workable space. With that being said, there are many benefits of a multipurpose desk in a room that far outweigh the challenges.
A Sense of Togetherness
Oddly enough, sharing a room or desk can be both challenging and beneficial. Working from home can mean you are more closely connected with those you love in the comfort of your own room and at your own desk. For parents, your children may be playing in the room nearby while you complete a big project at your desk. Your teen may be sitting at their desk in their room reading a book while you finish up a report on a tight deadline. Sharing the multipurpose room with others can bring you closer together and bring the best parts of working from home into focus.
Best Use of Available Space
If the living areas in your home are small, the need for a multipurpose home office room is greater. Being a little inventive means using the amount of room you have available in the wisest way. A multipurpose space allows each person in the home to access and use the area, so no one has to give up what they need or want to make room for an office. Organization is the key to helping everyone be able to use the same room for a variety of purposes.
Positive Economic Impact
If you can combine your needs for multiple spaces into a single area, you can save money in several ways. Creating a multipurpose space can be an affordable option rather than moving to a larger, more expensive home. Just a few minor changes to your home or designated space can create a fully functional work area without giving up other areas of your home or spending a lot of money building on.
Enhanced Comfort Level
When you remove clutter to create a multipurpose space, you may improve your comfort and your mood. Why? You regain control of your environment. Designing your multipurpose office space the way you like allows you to work when needed, and enjoy the space when you are not.
Flexibility
When you have office space at home, it improves your work-life balance. You can toss a load of laundry into the washer in between calls, grab a quick salad for lunch, or use your lunch hour to grab a prescription for a family member. You don’t have to take a whole day off work to wait for the cable company to complete their work order. Even picking up a sick child from school is easier, since it’s not as time-consuming. You may also save money on after-school care if your children can entertain themselves for a couple of hours while you finish up your work.
Getting Started Designing Your Multipurpose Home Office
Traditionally, homes have been set up so that each room serves one purpose. Today, with space becoming a big commodity and more of the workforce working from home, it’s not uncommon for a space to have numerous functions. There are lots of ways to design your multipurpose office space. Here are a few ideas to get you started!
Determine Your Needs
Before getting too far into the designing process, you’ll want to determine your specific needs for your office space. Consider the type and size of computer you’ll need to accomplish your work-related tasks. If you need two monitors, make sure to include space for them in your planning phase.
If you do most of your work on a laptop, you can plan for less space. Also, think about the space you’ll need for other items such as a printer, books, pens and notebooks. Even though you’ll be using the space for more than work, you want to make sure the space designated for your work-related tasks is adequate and that it is functional.
Choose a Location
Once you have determined your needs and the items, you’ll need space for in your multipurpose office, look around your house for a suitable space. Remember that virtually nothing is off limits.
Any room can be transformed into a work area. Maybe you have a little nook just off your kitchen that would work? Could you designate a corner of your bedroom, or your guest room? You may have some space near your laundry room? Even a closet can be turned into a workstation! Choose the location that will accommodate your needs best. Make sure to consider elements such as lighting, noise level, and the amount of privacy you’ll have when working.
Design and Decorate
You found the perfect area, planned around what you need for working, and now it’s time to personalize your space. While it’s important to be at least slightly minimalistic, that doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate a few design elements.
There are many subtle, easy ways to share your unique personality. As room allows, adding simple items like desk organizers, plants, or custom lighting can add texture and interest to the space. You may want to add some colors and patterns that complement the other décor in the room where you’re setting up your office. It should work seamlessly with other items in the space without drawing too much attention to the area.
Stay Organized and Productive
You know how you work best, so choose items and systems that will fit in the space and help you stay organized and productive. Consider storage systems that will help improve your productivity. A hanging storage option is a smart use of space and increases functionality.
Whether you make lists or use an app to organize your daily tasks, make sure you have a way to arrange and work through your priorities. Keeping a calendar and planner handy can help you stay on task and remain productive. Too much clutter can disrupt your organization and productivity, so make sure the workspace is clear, keeping only the most critical items needed for your daily tasks on hand.
You may choose to use dividers to define your functional areas and divide the space visually. A folding screen can be used to quickly mark off your work area. Hanging curtains can also conceal sections of a room when they are not in use. If you’ve decided on a closet or small closed-in area for your workspace, folding doors can be used to hide it when you are not working.
If your office space is a bit more mobile you may use coasters on desks or office chairs. That makes it easy to transition the space into a work area, or back to a school space, home theater, or workout area as needed. However, you may also want to transition to an adjustable standing desk and do away with the office chair at times altogether. This saves space and provides you with plenty of health benefits.
Multipurpose Home Office Ideas and Inspiration
It’s important to make your multipurpose room personal and inspiring. This is the perfect time to get creative. You may choose multifunctional furnishings such as a fold-out couch which can provide seating during the daytime and fold out into a bed at night. Add storage options to unlikely corners.
Think about shelving over and around door frames, on top of kitchen units, or inside a stairwell. Consider incorporating functional features such as an adjustable desk. Provide flexible storage options such as hanging a suspended storage cabinet over the desk where it doesn’t take up floor space but it’s easily accessible. Use practical items such as a sleek desk mat to add personality and functionality to your space.
Working from Home, Redesigned with Beflo
Are you ready to use these multipurpose room ideas and transform an area in your home into a functional home office? There are tons of multipurpose room ideas and interesting ways to create a home office, even in a very small space. At Beflo, you’ll find the office items and accessories needed to create a functional, practical multipurpose home office. Whether you need a portable laptop docking station, a laptop holder, or want to transition to a standing desk, you’ll find what you need for your office space at Beflo. Check out their office space furnishings and accessories on our website today.