My husband recently began working from home. He is in the Email Marketing field, and unlike blogging, you need more than just a 13-inch lap top and a kitchen table to get your stuff done! Gah! So we needed to figure out a way to make him a home office in our 3 bedroom townhouse. It may not sound as difficult as I think it was, but when every room is pretty much filled with furniture, the thought of plopping a desk and chair in one was like playing a game of Tetris.
So how do we make room for him to work diligently with out feeling cramped? That was our mission last week and one word – Ikea! I am a huge fan of Ikea, the ginormous Swedish-based company that serves Swedish Meatballs, $1 ice cream cones, fresh cinnabons and aisles, aisles and aisles of DIY furniture for awesome prices. Extra bonus (beside the cheap food 
) Ikea is known for its European-modular-fitting furniture and carries great pieces that are perfect for small spaces that also need to be functional. So it was a no brainer to hit up the local store by us and see what we could get for the least amount of money.
Here are a few tips to creating the best working space with the amount you have to dedicate to it:
- Assess the Space: Figure out how much room you have to work with and measure the space before you even think about buying furniture. See if you need to move the rooms current furniture around to make it work. Like I said before, sometimes it really feels like a live game of Tetris, but finding function in conjunction with aesthetics is the name of the game.
- Do Your Research: Check online first. See what the stores near you have available so you are not wasting your time. Especially if you are going to Ikea. That place can be a huge maze and extremely confusing at times. If you go in with a plan and even print out or write down the items you’d like to see in person, it will make the shopping experience easier and quicker.
- Check List: Make a list of everything you will need to work. From a desk to chair to file cabinet. Most likely you can find all these items in the same store so you are not running around like a chicken with its head cut off. This can help you budget as well. A little advice – don’t go over board with random things! The basic items for a home office tend to be a desk, chair and computer. All the rest can come with time! And I’m sure you have pens in your junk drawer. We kept our list to the bear minimum and it ended up saving us a ton of money.
We created a great space for him to focus in a matter of hours that was under $300, thanks to Ikea. We purchased a desk and chair that not only is functional but we didn’t have to sacrifice the current room to make it work. Now, I know for some this may not be the case but the most important thing is to just make sure the space is comfortable and enjoyable for the worker. If its not, you will just feel stressed and only the work will suffer.
workin’ hard
Do you, your spouse, significant other or know someone who work from home? How did you/they create their work space?
– Amanda
