WWW.MYBUSINESSASSET.COM | WINTER 2010 | BUSINESS ASSET 5

Home OfficeOrganize Your

4 BUSINESS ASSET | WINTER 2010 | WWW.MYBUSINESSASSET.COM

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Little piles of paper are forming all over your house. Forget about eating on the kitchen table. And the island that was supposed to be your cooking workspace is full of school papers, bills, important information for your business, and catalogs galore. And it’s not only building up, it’s also building out into other rooms. You need a change. Well, the New Year is a time for change. The resolutions start flowing and renewed energy leads to self-evaluation. You ask yourself: What are my business goals? What do I want to achieve this year? How can I increase my productivity? The answer lies in organization. You need a workspace that is both functional and practical — a home office that blends with your busy life. The good news is you can have organizational nirvana without compromising design. Interior designer Toni Saccoman knows firsthand that the key is to make your workspace blend with the rest of the house.

The home office of 2010 “Open floor plans are it today. And the kitchen is the center of everything,” explains Saccoman, principal of Toni Saccoman Designs in Chestnut Ridge, New York. Blending the home office with the kitchen makes sense, as people tend to spend most of their time there. They want to keep one eye on the kids, one on the TV, and still be near the food. “The challenge is in designing the office to blend with the kitchen, yet organizing it to function separately,” says Saccoman. Also according to Saccoman, there are many ways this can be achieved, like choosing the same kitchen cabinetry for the desk, but using different materials for each countertop. Many people make the mistake of wanting granite for the counter, but she recommends using wood. “Wood is more comfortable and absorbs light. Granite, although beautiful, is usually shiny and cold and reflects light, which can make you tired.” For cabinetry, she recommends a stained finish for the desk instead of paint, since stain will handle the dings better. “Painted finishes require higher maintenance; use

them on pieces you have less physical contact with.” If your house has a large pantry, you can also convert that into a workspace, or even use the kitchen island cabinetry for your office supplies. If you have a laptop, potentially every space is your desk. That’s when the focus is on organizing your supplies, so don’t be afraid to clean out a knife drawer for paperclips, pencils, and Post-It® notes.

Functionality is key A wide and open living room can also become a natural workspace, especially by placing a desk in a small corner or alcove so it looks like a built-in. “The nice thing is computers are smaller and thinner and take up less space today,” says Saccoman. ! Install shelves Shelves are perfect for storage boxes to put your paper, pencils, and pens. You can buy these relatively inexpensively at many local and brand-name home goods stores. Measure and plan for enough height between your computer and the shelf. Standard desk height is 30 inches above the floor

but 36 inches (kitchen counter height) is also acceptable. A drop-down leaf on an armoire desk lets you hide your mess. Plus, it typically contains a place to neatly house all your supplies and may include corkboard to post important reminders. ! Hide those wires Try going wireless! Wireless keyboards and computer mice free up the space so you never have to worry about tugging on a cord again. But even if you do have cords, there is an inexpensive solution: twist ties. Tie each cord separately, then tie them all together in one big lump. You can either screw in

hooks under your desk to hang the wires or place them in a wire basket screwed to the bottom of the desk. Either way, out of sight, out of mind. Plus this way you’ll have more room for a recycling bin to reuse paper. It’s never too late to go green.! Get a shredder Now let’s talk about the paper that’s practically growing like weeds all over your house. Build time into your schedule to go through your mail every week, so you can get rid of the things you don’t want and file the things you need. Then shred anything that’s over six months old. If you set it aside to read and you never did, and odds are you never will.

Think long termWhatever home office design solution you decide on, you want to make sure it is one you grow with. And just like the New Year’s resolutions you make, what you want today may not be what you need down the road. “It is important to take every factor into consideration,” notes Saccoman. “The best designs will transcend time.” BA

Achieve a functional and attractive home office for the New Year

S T A Y I N G O N T O P

An important tip: Get a cross-cut shredder that slices confetti-style, so you can make sure your personal information will not be legible.

Open floor plans are it today. And the kitchen is the center of everything.

By Karen Pasacreta