Home Works

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans spend more time each year commuting (more than 100 hours) than they do on vacation (80 hours). Disheartening as it is, this statistic makes the increasing number of people who telecommute understandable. Twenty-five million Americans already do at least some of their work from home, and wireless Internet access, overnight delivery, and other modern-day conveniences make this an option no longer out of reach for the average employee.

Such trends have not gone unnoticed by Minnesota builders and designers, who say the state’s popularity with Fortune 500 companies—nineteen call Minnesota home—and the growing need for corporate employees to have satellite offices at home contribute to the increase in home offices. “Over the past few years, we’ve definitely done a lot more home offices because people want to commute less and just run their businesses out of the house, or they’re bringing so much work home that it makes sense to dedicate space just for work,” says Al Maas, chief manager of Meadowcroft Homes, LLC and president of A. Maas Construction, Inc., both in Burnsville.

So why battle traffic when you can fire off e-mails, answer your cell phone, and host meetings in the comfort of your home? With the latest in functional, stylish home offices, all that’s required to put in a full day is the will to work, a few steps’ walk to the computer, and your fuzzy slippers.         

Location, Location, Location
The first step to create a functional, work-friendly home office is placement, and that in turn depends on what kind of business you’re in. For example, if you’re expecting clients, you should consider a room closer to the front door for easy access and to avoid visitors having to foray too far into the regular living space.

“People in sales who have clients coming to a showroom don’t want them to see that the toys aren’t picked up, so being near the front of the home acts as a barrier,” says Brad Goering, sales and marketing manager for Sherman Associates, Inc., in Minneapolis. Clients may need meeting space for conferences, so an ideal home office would be just outside the house in an outbuilding or above a garage that offers the necessary square footage.Goering says psychologically, some mobile professionals even prefer such outbuildings as a way to create clear boundaries between work and home. “Some people definitely make it an ‘away’ space because they like to work from home but need to walk to another building on the same property. They need that separation.”

But Bernadette Hornig, also with Sherman Associates, Inc., warns that the more tucked away an office is, the easier it can be to avoid using it. “I suggest offices be centrally located within the home so that they are accessible, because you’re less likely to work if it’s completely out of the way and inconvenient. Thoughtful design decisions ahead of time can help avoid that.”

Shining Some Light on Organization
The informal atmosphere of a home office is a major draw to telecommuters, but it can also be a downfall when it comes to organization and clutter. Because co-workers and bosses aren’t around every corner, it’s easy to let papers and files spread uncontrollably across desks and onto floors. According to Bob Near, renovation/design manager with Streeter & Associates in Wayzata, the best way to combat the chaos is built-ins. Not only are they beneficial when space is a concern, they offer a number of variations on shelving and cabinetry to store everything from binders and books to large blueprints and overlays.

“Built-ins can have file drawers and cabinets to store any kind of data or papers, and you can always add more if you find your business growing,” Near says. They also offer plenty of space to display awards and work samples for clients to peruse, and they give a professional, finished look to a home office. Open storage within easy reach of the desk is popular for projects in progress because it keeps key materials in front of you—which mean fewer trips away from the task at hand.

Escaping office clutter is second only to a telecommuter’s ability to avoid the fluorescent lights that are ever-present in today’s workplace. Natural light is typically the biggest perk—you don’t need to be CEO to have multiple windows with a great view. Jack Carter, owner of John Thomas Custom Homes, Inc., in Wayzata, says on top of windows, a mix of lighting styles suits his telecommuting clients best. “Recessed lighting in the ceiling is popular, but we also usually add areas of direct lighting, halogens over conference tables, and task lighting for the desk.”

Tech Savvy
Having the amenities of home close at hand doesn’t mean sacrificing the advantages of the highest possible technology. Although it does mean serious upgrades will have to be made in older homes and even added to new construction to make a home office operate on the same level as a multi-million dollar corporation.

“First and foremost, structured wiring is a must. This basically gives you the ability for multiple PCs to tie into one server,” Goering says. “And now most home offices do wireless Internet connections, so you need a spot for the air station.”

Once your home is corporate-grade, it’s important to assemble the necessary tools that recreate what you used when you were part of the outside world. That can mean color printers, multiple phone lines and a professional phone system, conferencing equipment, computers, file backup system, scanner, fax machine—there’s a reason they say the devil is in the details.

To make sure telecommuters hit the ground running with all the proper tools intact, Kerry Hage, owner of Hage & Co., Inc., in Rogers, says taking time to consider daily work needs is important. “People who work at home have to give a lot more attention to what their own individual work station needs are, so it’s important to spend time understanding what it is people do, what their needs are going to be, so we can really customize the space around those unique needs.”

Beyond the Cube Walls
Along with the freedom to make your own schedule, work in your pajamas, and take a three-martini lunch, working from home also means you don’t have to stare at gray cube walls for eight hours a day. Adding color, wall art, and different materials allows telecommuters to personalize their offices for optimum comfort and style.

For Goering, home offices are a favorite because formerly restricted employees get the chance to make their ideal workspace outside of corporate boundaries. “Companies can be very restrictive about personal style in offices, but when it’s at home, everything is fair game and people like to spend money on so many different creative things. You don’t have to adapt to the space you’re assigned, so we can really customize to people’s needs and explore fun materials to create the space.”

For most home office owners, that means modern, clean lines and experimenting with colors and materials to create the ideal office. The initial urge may be to make the office décor similar to the rest of the home to preserve flow, but deviating in small areas—such as using different finishes or woodwork than in the rest of the home—means the office is set off as a space specifically for work.

But Goering warns that making an office too appealing can be detrimental. “You don’t want an office to be so comfortable you use it as a retreat from family—that’s the danger. When your office is at home you can find yourself gravitating toward it and you work too many hours.”