Design a Home Office

How to design a home office in your basement.

The basement is often the most underutilized space in a home. It has great potential as a home office. Here are useful ideas for creating a functional and efficient home office in the basement.

• Clear out the junk. Often basements are filled with stuff that people don't want or need anymore. The first thing is to get ride of the clutter in your basement. Sell or give away items that you definitely don't need. Hang items on the wall or from the ceiling to create more space. If you have a large basement select a specific area in which to create a home office and use the rest for storage. Try to keep this area away from distractions like utility equipment that may also be in the basement. You can use attractive room dividers to separate off your home office area.
• Painting the room. To design a home office paint the entire place white or cream - walls and ceiling - to transform it into a fresh, light space. It also helps to protect against damp. It is best to use masonry paint when painting concrete basement walls as it is specially designed to adhere to these type of walls.
• Cover the concrete floor. You can cover the floor in laminate flooring with an eye catching graphic pattern to cheer the whole area up. Or use area rugs in your specific home office area to spruce up the floor. An attractive concrete basement floor paint is another option.
• Position your desk or work table. You can gain a lot of space by carefully placing your furniture. If you are using a corner place two tables together in the corner to create a large work surface. Make use of the space under the second desk for storage.

• Create storage space. Install shelving along the walls. Paint the shelves white or an attractive soft color. Use covered boxes or attractive baskets for closed storage. If your budget allows you can install built-in "kitchen cabinets" to store all your work and office supplies. Make the most of your wall space when you create a home office in your basement, usually there is plenty of open wall space. If your budget doesn't run to wooden shelving think about using a hanging shoe organizer instead.
• Lighting. This is an essential element when you start to design a home office in a basement area or a garage.These areas usually lack natural light. Make the most of any natural light by locating your desk or work space next to it. Clear away any plants or shrubs that may be blocking the light coming into the basement. Make sure you have enough outlets for floor and desk lamps to provide adequate light. Have more outlets installed if you need them. Traditional basement lighting usually consists of inexpensive practical lighting - often flourescent tubes. Change the ceiling light if need be as flourescent lights can be harsh and cause eye strain. Full-spectrum light fixtures simulate natural sunlight. Track lighting is attractive and inexpensive and provides both ambient and accent lighting. If your basement ceiling is low consider recessed ligthing.
• Dampness. This can be a problem in the basement. Make sure your basement is properly insulated and professionally damp-proofed. Electronic equipment hates damp. An air conditioning system can help circulate air down in a basement.


• Add your own personality. Basements can be impersonal spaces. Make this a perfect workspace for you by adding personal touches such as artwork, photos, bulletin boards, plants, wall hangings and posters. However avoid the temptation to clutter up your working space.

When designing a home office remember that above all your work space needs to be comfortable, accessible and practical whether it is an entire room or just a small corner of the house or basement.

More home office ideas

Design a home office in the corner of an existing room

Get creative when designing a home office - you can make your own perfect work space using what you have available.

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