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By Dave Adams, BDI Furniture
The home office is one of the most coveted spaces in a home. Find out what styles are trending for this room or how to create one when square footage is tight.
1. Home buyers are looking for homes with dedicated office spaces.
With the housing market exploding, many home buyers who work remotely need a dedicated office space. Home offices are no longer an afterthought; it’s now essential, and you should pay attention to staging this room.
2. Dedicated spaces can be created in shared rooms.
For homes without dedicated office space, you can create workspace nooks in bedrooms, living rooms, and dining areas. The dining table no longer cuts it as a place to work long-term. For office nooks in shared spaces, consumers are using room dividers, shelving, or even topiary walls or living planters to help create separation. This can help people mentally get into work mode—and then leave it behind at the end of the day.
3. Hybrid furniture solutions can offer multiple functions.
In many households, more than one person may be working from home, which requires getting more creative with space. Many with smaller floorplans are turning to hybrid designs with furniture that plays various roles. For example, coffee tables can convert to a workstation, laptop tables can easily be transported room to room, and storage furniture can double as accents in open spaces.
4. Standing desks are gaining popularity.
Consumers have started to embrace standing desks—well-known for their health benefits—at home over the past year. If you’re opting for a standing desk, some important features to consider are wire management (make sure the desk has a place to tuck away cords), keyboard storage, cabinets, antiglare desktop surfaces, and lifting mechanisms for monitors and other items.
5. Less storage is needed.
Remote workers have fewer requirements for large storage units like filing cabinets, which has shifted demand away from big, bulky office furniture. To be sure, office furniture still needs to serve a function. But today’s digital age provides a greater ability for furniture to be creative and reflect personal style.
6. Create a “Zoom room.”
Most remote workers will need a place appropriate for video conferencing. Ideally, you want your “Zoom room” to be in a quiet area of the home. You want your background to be professional but infused with some items that show your character. You can enhance the natural light in the room with lamps or ring lights to get the right look. You also want to sit with good posture so your face is at the right level and angle to the camera. An ergonomic chair can help. (Read more: 10 Tips for Looking Your Best on Video)
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