Once you move into your new house, where will you spend the most time? If you are one of the millions of Americans who work at home, it's likely to be your home office, and planning it should be a priority.
You may think your home office now is swell, and you want exactly the same setup in your new place.
Take another look. You may be churning out the work product because, like most people, you're amazingly adaptive. You've got a desk, a computer, some bookshelves and a nice view. What's not to like?
Maybe quite a bit. Your only bookshelf is at the other end of the room. Going back and forth for reference materials you use nearly every day is a pain, so you keep them close at hand -- in piles on the floor around your feet. Your printer is on the floor next to the bookcase, which means you have to get up to retrieve whatever you print. Every time you bend down to add paper, your knees hurt. When you sit at your computer you overlook a park, but whenever the sun is out, you have to close the blinds or you get a headache.
Join the crowd. Most of us, when we think of the work we do in our home offices, focus on the report that must be written by 5 p.m. or the proposal that's due tomorrow. We don't perceive any connection between how the office is organized and how easily we produce the report. But there is one, and when it's factored into the planning of an office, the work will go more smoothly and productivity increases.
How do you get from A to B and an office that's tailored to you? There are no rules of thumb for how to design a home office, the way there are for kitchens.
The main idea is that the work area is organized so that all the things you regularly use, including your computer, printer and books, are close enough so that you can reach them without getting up. You also need storage for files, binders and office supplies.
You might think that a little tweaking of the office furniture you already have will do the trick. But if you're like most people, what you have is a hodgepodge of pieces that defy workable arrangement. For your new home office, you're well advised to chuck them and start over.
The work area that will work best for you depends in part on your age. Are you older than 45? Most people in this group use a computer, but still do a lot of writing on a yellow pad and want a sizable writing area where they can spread out. This should be next to the computer monitor -- on the right if you're right-handed, on the left if you're left-handed. Work station arrangements that are L-shaped, U-shaped or galley-shaped with a desk and credenza set up so that a swivel of a chair puts you at the computer or the desk will work well.
Maybe you're in the 30-to-45 age bracket. People in this group are more likely to do almost all their work on a computer screen and center their work area on it. They still want a writing area, but it doesn't have to be as big. If they use a laptop computer, they don't need a separate desk.
Or, maybe you're a recent college graduate and used to working on your laptop computer in just about any circumstance from a noisy Starbucks to a hushed library, in a chair or on the floor. People in this age group are likely to think they don't need a separate home office at all -- they can perch anywhere. But I would argue that to do your best work you need to concentrate, and for that you need a separate office.
Another factor to consider is your personal working style, Dallas home office expert Lisa Kanarek said. Though everyone has quirks, most people fall into one of three categories, she said.
Kanarek's "collector" fills up every surface and drawer, to the point of total inefficiency. For such an individual, even one older than 45 who is used to a huge desk area, limiting both the size of the work area and the number of drawers will improve things markedly. Kanarek also urges collectors to designate a spot for an in-basket and commit to going through it every week.
The "bouncing ball" is easily distracted by nearly everything, including e-mail, phone, the spots on the carpet and the to-do lists on the bulletin board behind the computer monitor. Such a person needs a work area that faces a corner or a wall with a calming piece of art, not out into the room.
