Creating a Home Office

While we know that we need to turn work off more than we do, the reality is that we often have to get work done at home—be it personal or professional work. It’s important to create an environment that makes the time you put in at home fruitful and enjoyable, not frustrating. What better way than to create a space you love that doesn’t have to conform to traditional office environment rules.

To get tips, we interviewed Courtney Heaton of Courtney Heaton Design. Her mission is to inspire and enrich her clients’ lives by creating artful, timeless, and fulfilling personal spaces. She gave us great tips to help you get the most from your home office.

Q: When designing a home office, how do you balance form (design, aesthetics) with function (making it work for a client to be productive)?

A: When creating a home office, it is very important to balance form and function. I feel that a pretty workspace helps us to be more productive. I am a big fan of built in cabinetry in a home office—it is a great way to keep all of your important files and paperwork neatly tucked away and organized, and it is designed especially for your needs. I also love an oversized bulletin board for easy access to important documents and inspiration (i.e., Kids' School Schedule, a Thank you note from a happy client, a fabric I have been dying to use).

Q: Should a home office be all about work, or should it be a balance of personal and professional?

A: A home office should be all about work with personal use to a minimum in order to stay focused. If it needs to be dual purpose (for example an extra spot for guests to sleep on occasion), I suggest a pull out sofa instead of a bed. This way it doesn't feel like you are working in someone’s bedroom.

Q: What’s one question you ask your clients to get a sense of what’s important to reflect them and their personality in their office?

A: I think it is important to make each of my client’s homes unique to them. I always ask what their interest and passions are (e.g., fashion, travel, family, pets), and find a way to integrate this into their space. It makes each space very personal.

Q: What’s an item you love to add to home offices that makes them special?

A: I love adding accessories that make a client’s home office feel special and personal to them—for instance, a small antique bowl from their grandmother that is tucked away becomes a bowl for paperclips, or a wooden box that their dad made becomes a receipt container. I love going through a client’s things that are not used—maybe in a closet or garage just being stored—and make good use out of them. Anything from a child’s old bulletin board that we recover and use in the office, or a child’s painting that is gathering dust in a closet gets framed and we hang it in the office to be enjoyed. These items serve as reminders of what is important to the client and as inspiration in their work.

Q: Are there paint colors that seem to work best for offices?

A: I like to paint an office in calming colors in order to focus on the task at hand and not be too distracted, but there are 2 bright colors that I'm loving right now in small doses for a home office—bright yellow and peony.

Q: What are the best finishing touches?

A: For the finishing touches, I love to add a seating area, lamps, a good candle, artwork, flowers, photos of family and friends, inspirational quotes, and a way to play music. I believe it is very important to make the office a place you enjoy—so bring in anything that makes you happy!