MikeKey.com

Create The Ultimate Home Office

Posted on 24. Dec, 2009 by Mike Key in Entreprenuership

Every week  Lifehacker.com posts a “Featured Workspace“  from their Lifehacker Workspace Show and Tell pool on Flickr.  If you’re an entrepreneur like myself who primarily works from home the before and after photos should be of some inspiration.

Mixing your work with your home life can be tricky sometimes, but for the entrepreneur, it is sometimes a must. I decided to create a completely separate space from the rest of my home when creating my office. When I enter and leave the room, it feels like I’ve been somewhere else.

I spent quite a bit of time planning it out. I wanted a place where I could take care of business, but also hang out, watch a movie, play a video game and basically just be myself. I think every home office must be planned and built to suit the needs of the people using it. In my case, it was 70% business and 30% fun.

Thus the Man Cave Office was created!

Today I’m going to walk you through my ultimate home office and offer up some advice that may help you in creating your ultimate home office.

• Make a list of your goals and needs

  The first thing you can do when planning your home office is to make a list of your goals, wants, and needs. For example, I needed a room I could comfortably work in for long periods of time. I also wanted a room that I could personalize. I am a very creative person, and my tastes tend to be a bit eccentric. I also figured it would be easier to get my wife to sign off on me displaying movie posters, car stuff, and star wars memorabilia in my own room as opposed to the living room.

  Lastly, I wanted a room I could relax and play in. We don’t live in a big enough house for me to create a separate theater room outside of our living room, and I’m pretty sure my wife wouldn’t want me painting the living room ceiling black.

  As you can see knowing this in advance helped me plan out the furniture I’d need and the placement of everything. Which given the room’s smaller size was tricky. Check out some photos of how it turned out.

• Find the Right Desk for Ample Workspace

  Once you have figured out your goals and needs, you should be able to determine how much workspace you will need. For myself, I needed space to work on multiple tasks.  I needed to be able to use my computers, and as a web developer/designer, I have a need for lots of screen space. However, I also have the need to be able to work on the desk. I usually sketch out ideas or have multiple notepads that I am writing on at one time.

  I opted for an L-Shaped desk to meet my needs. My wife actually found the desk on Craigslist for 60 bucks. The same desk sells at Office Depot for $210.00. For years I had been doing the majority of my work on a 17inch HP laptop, which isn’t bad, but when it comes to designing, it began to suck. I opted to get two 24inch HD 1080i monitors to provide me with the screen real estate I need for work. If you’re having a hard time justifying the second or third monitor, The New York Times sings the praises of how Dual Monitors increase productivity. The Virtues of a Second Screen

• Keep it clutter free – Hide those Wires!

  In addition to simply having enough room to work, you’ll also want to keep that work zone free and clear of clutter. I don’t keep an inbox on my desk, but I do keep one spot where I place bills that are waiting to be mailed out. Another thing I’ve done to keep things looking clutter free is hiding my wires. I went to home depot and got a nice wire loom kit for 6 bucks and organized everything. Why have a mess of wires under your desk?

  Believe it or not, having a mess of clutter can actually make you less productive.

• Always organized

  In addition to keeping things clean, I try to keep things well organized. Everyone is different, but you will want to create a system that works best for you and your work flow.

  I am trying to move to a paperless lifestyle, so I have a smaller file cabinet, but one of the personal touches I put on the room is my craftsman tool chest. It acts as a storage area for my PC tools and office supplies and goes well with the overall theme of the room.

• Colors!

  Often over looked, but just as important, colors help set the mood. Vibrant colors can actually help create a mood of happiness and productivity.

  Because the theme for my office was to create a Man Cave, I went with some dark browns. I even applied a wall texture to the main wall that my desk faces. The rough texture is supposed to simulate rock. The ceiling is even painted black to help when watching movies.  I also created a shadow box area where the closet used to be. It adds depth and dimension to the room without being a distraction while working.

  This is the only area where, after awhile, I tend to think about having a bright colored office. So choose your colors wisely. Eventually when my wife and I purchase a larger home, I would like to create a well-lit, bright colored modern office, and then create a separate theater/man cave room.

• Personal Touches

  Depending on what your work is, I feel it is important to put in some personal touches that inspire a sense of creativity or remind you of your goals. Hang some photos or artwork that inspires you and gets you thinking.

  For me, my room is filled with memories of the lifestyle I live. I have dozens of photos to help remind me of where I want to be and how I want to live while working.

So, now I’d like to hear from you. I’ve shown you my workspace, now we want to see yours! Share what makes your space special in the comments below and feel free to link back to your own blog post about your Ultimate Home Office.

Tags: home office, organization, Productivity, tips, workspace