Home offices: Case studies

Making the decision to work from home? Here are two case studies of people who set up home offices.

Mezzanine workspace

Opening up the roof space (especially if there is insufficient height to create a loft conversion) and creating an open mezzanine can be a great way to find new space. In this example, which cost £20,000-£30,000, the workspace has ample room for desks, computers, printers and other necessary items, while pigeon-hole shelving on a wall behind (not shown) provides functional storage. The workspace is separate enough to keep paperwork out of sight, but still feels part of the home.

ABOVE (left-right): Skylights positioned at various levels ensure the right amount of natural light, with desk spot lamps for task lighting; A staircase from the living area to the home office subtly links both spaces.

Cupboard workstation

In this project, a mother of school-age children was running a small business from home. She needed her work to be close to the heart of the home but did not want to pack everything away when the children came home from school. This workstation in a cupboard, which cost £3,000-£5,000, was perfect. She could pull up a chair and have her phone, desktop computer and filing all in one neat space. At 3pm she was able to close the cupboard doors and give her attention to her children.

ABOVE (left-right): Closing the concertina door on this office allows the desk and paperwork to be tucked away; When not in use, the workstation appears to be a built-in cupboard, taking up minimal space.

Featured in the January 2012 issue of Real Homes