Creating a home office

Blog 01, December 2020

Working from home is not a new thing for many but perhaps this year, more than any, is the first year that this hasn’t been suspected code for sitting on the sofa making your way through another episode of 'Barnwood Builders'….or maybe that was just me!

All joking aside, long gone is the stigma of home working - and quite rightly so. 

From personal experience of office working, I found that most people there can think of nothing better than being able to work from home.  Maybe this is because of the dreary office commute, but I suspect that a lot of this workplace misery comes down to the space itself.  One could call it, the Wernham Hogg of office space design ….… anaemic, dull, musty, and, hopefully, those square carpets tiles are a thing of the past; however most office spaces are still far from pleasant.   

BWMA have found that now the dream of working from home has become a reality for so many, a number of our new clients find that they need to make better use of the space they have.  This is more than buying an off the shelf, large furniture superstore desk and sticking it in the corner of a spare room; or worse still, making do with using the dining room table for 8 months into a pandemic!

Instead it is finally time we take a long hard look at the spare room, out building, under-utilised space in the garden or explore the bespoke space you’ve have always wished for.  As Architects, we often hear concerns of “we might not get back what we will put into it…”  and while there is absolutely merit in this line of thought and it certainly is a part of any decision making process, there is a fine line to walk.  We don’t like to see when people have lived in limbo for years for fear of investing in their home “without getting it back”, we find that ultimately this impacts on their wellbeing, so we often say;

‘It is not about how much you spend, it's about how you spend what you have in the right way.’

Be it for the occasional artists, new start up business owner, or the well established; everyone deserves a creative and well considered space they can call their own, and BWMA would like to share some ideas to help get more people away from their ‘dining table office’.

Small step

From the small contemporary fold out space perfect for the multipurpose spare room, nook under the stair or landing space - it isn’t about how big it is, it's about how you use space in this scenario.  Spending those extra few pennies on something innovative, bespoke, that is tactile with use of good quality materials, will make the space that much more enjoyable.  Rather than your box store chipboard covered desk, opt for a tropical hardwood, such as Iroko, or go with furniture grade birch ply-wood.

These will stand the multi-usage, and develop a character and patina over time that add to their existing charm.  If that isn’t your cup of tea however, they can be sanded back to look as fresh as they did on day one.

BWMA - Studio - Iroko 40mm thick desktop

Good quality materials help make the space pleasant even when a little untidy, as happens in every office.

One step further,

If it’s an entire room in your existing home you’re thinking of, you can go that bit further in making the home office space bespoke to your specific needs.  Again, it’s not about how much you spend, it’s how you spend what you have in the right way.  For example, the pictured office space - part of a wider renovation project carried out by BWMA.  Opted for a large 3m by 0.7m desk, made out of full stave 40mm thick Iroko countertop, with accompanying shelf overhead.  

This is where a large portion of the budget was focused. Why? Because why wouldn’t you!  If this is a space you will be spending a large percentage of your time in, why wouldn’t you splash out on a sturdy yet beautiful piece of solid hardwood that will only get better with time?  

When first purchased, Iroko arrives with brown / yellow and red tones, but with age and exposure to light it deepens in colour to a rich deep red brown, contrasting the white cabinets in both images creating this striking look. In fact, we like Iroko so much here at BWMA, that we have a large desk of our own, and it certainly stands up to everything we have thrown at it thus far.

Iroko desk, white storage units and Scandinavian White wood tongue and groove wall cladding (untreated)

All in,

If you don’t have enough space at home, or you just need ‘out of the house’ and want to renovate / convert the outbuilding or industrial space, go for it!  It doesn’t all have to be done at once, but having a vision or a master plan and working with an Architect to achieve it, is the first step.

Not only could it increase your productivity to be in your own bespoke space, it could well decrease your stress level during this ever changing time.  These are certainly the remarks we have heard from a number of clients who have taken this leap, and here are a few selected images from their projects.

The Firs - Garden studio, Aberdeen

A home studio and flexible garden space.  Starting on site early spring 2021, this will allow our client to enjoy their garden throughout the year and crucially have light and bright space out of the home to work and entertain as they wish.

Early design concept sketch for home studio space, with connection to clients surrounding land

Early design concept sketch for home studio space

Millcroft - Photographers home studio, Aberdeenshire

Intended start on site summer 2021.  Allowing our client, a professional cameraman and photographer, to have a designated studio space outside of their nearby family home.  This will serve as a base for their business when not on the road working.  Crucially the space allows for wider family use with first floor breakout space, kitchenette and day benches for all to use at the same time.

Former Wash house conversion, Aberdeen

Located in Aberdeen’s West End, the conversion of a former wash house to home studio, playroom, garden room and entertaining space to live / work in.  The client looks forward to having their own small escape as part of wider renovation.

Regardless of your budget something can always be done to improve your home working space and improve your work / life balance.  2021 is set to have more BWMA bespoke designed spaces constructed and happy clients enjoying their personalised space for years to come.

All the best, BWMA

P.S… Don’t forget to add your own knick-knacks to the space such as a wall swan………… no swans were harmed in the process, it isn’t a real swan!