Robin Daly and Christian Ursino
Robin Daly studied interior design and is a third-generation co-owner of
her family business, Daly’s Paint & Decorating. Christian Ursino
has more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of interior design.
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You have that extra room, and you’ve decided to convert it into a home office — but right now you are staring at four blank walls, a small window and a closet. Now what? 425 Design to the rescue! You may be overwhelmed by the prospect of going from blah to beautiful, so we’ve taken the mystery out the process and have created a project cheat sheet to guide you along. All you’ll need is a camera, graph paper, pencil and inspiration!
Step 1 - Take Photos
Grab your camera, take a picture of each wall, any special features that might need your attention, plus an overall room shot. These images will come in handy as you go through the design process.
Step 2 - Measure
Measure all four walls, the closet, door heights, sizes and location of the windows, and ceiling height. On some quarter-inch graph paper create a sketch of the room with your measurements. Make sure you take note of where all the doors and windows are located on your sketch. If there is any unusual bump-out or alcove, make sure to get these on your plan.
Step 3 - Analyze Your Needs
How often will you use the space? Is this your primary work area? Will you be sharing the space? Will you be meeting with clients here? Consider how much work surface you need. Do you spread out or is everything on your laptop? What are your storage and filing needs? It’s always better to have too much than not enough. Have you taken a look at how many outlets you have? Are you wired? Overhead, task, and natural light sources all need to be considered. Plus, if you are facing the sun, will it create glare? Make sure you have both general and task lighting, and blinds to manage the sun.
Step 4 - Get Inspired!
Inspiration can come from many places; one of our favorite launching-off points is Google. Type in “home office” and search both Google images and videos for some fresh perspective. But don’t stop there. Take a visit to your local bookstore and pick up some inspirational design magazines. These don’t have to be focused on offices, either. Instead you are looking for images that speak to you on a visual and emotional level. Are there particular paint colors or wood finishes that speak to you? Spread out all your images and samples and see your vision start coming together.
Step 5 – Research Options
Look at catalogs, online and retail. Take your camera, take your floor plan and get busy. Don’t just limit yourself to office furniture and accessories; oftentimes there are beautiful solutions beyond the traditional workplace offerings. This is also the time you create your budget – by doing your research and creating a budget, you are more able to stick to it when it comes time to make purchases.
Step 6 - Prepare the Room
Schedule an outside contractor or buy the materials you’ll need to do the work and get your office ready. Paint, clean carpets or replace flooring, add extra outlets, get wired, and install window coverings.
Step 7 – Buy & Install
Some of the items you’ll need to purchase may take some time to arrive. We suggest purchasing everything in advance so you can be ready to move when it’s ready. Don’t forget to verify that everything will fit! This includes getting your purchases up the stairs and through doorways.
Robin Daly studied interior design and is a third-generation co-owner of her family business, Daly’s Paint & Decorating. Christian Ursino has more than 25 years experience in all aspects of interior design.
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