PHILADELPHIA, June 14, 2011 — Forget the home office. Create a home haven to run your home-based business.
"Today's new breed of virtual professional doesn't just want a home office. They need a dynamic, high-function, home-office haven," according to sought-after Philadelphia interior designer Donna Hoffman. "It is becoming my specialty. High performance clients need me to develop home work environments that provide enhanced focus, enhanced creativity and enhanced pleasure."
Today's urban developers have recognized this virtual professional niche and, in response, they are advertising what would have been a second small bedroom or even alcove as the home office. However, Hoffman says they are missing the mark entirely by casting them as lifeless, "work-less" utilitarian spaces that are cold and uninviting.
"It's barely a step up from the office cubicle. Today's high performance virtual executive craves better life balance, which now includes home work environments that are not only high function, but also high octane for enhanced productivity, and high pleasure for enhanced focus, creativity and satisfaction. In other words, a computer, a swivel chair and writing desk just don't cut it," she says.
Here are interior design tips for creating high-output, high-satisfaction home offices that will make work a pleasure.
1) Beauty Counts. "Aesthetic pleasure" is a key driving force that compels our desire to spend time in any environment. Ignore this truism and you will have a nails-on-the-chalkboard-bad experience every time you go to work. When designing home offices for her high power flock, to ensure their optimal focus and pleasure, beyond the functional needs, Hoffman takes great care to load the office design with the precise colors, textures and ambiance the owner craves. "Enhance the aesthetic, and watch productivity and focus rise as well," she explains. One female client wanted a feminine, almost romantic quiet space in which to inspire her "marketing muse" for writing creative copy. Meanwhile, a couple of college professors, wanted their his/hers study to be all about creating high function in a lush, luxurious library feel, where their book collection became art.
2) Function comes first. Yes, in today's savvy home office design the aesthetic needs count big, but as with all design, function must come first. Critical questions must be addressed to cover all functional needs. Determine exactly the tasks that need to be supported and by way of which furnishings. Note precise activity zones, storage access for both long- and short-term storage. Identify clear organizational needs right down to whether the owner is a righty or lefty. Remember to add pleasurable function too. Need a mini-coffee station in the office? A second workstation for the kids to sit at when they bounce in after school and want to do some homework nearby? "One client asked for a chaise in her office rather than the predictable club chair for when she wanted to take a break and stare out the window. Function should be viewed as operational and pleasurable," she said.
3) If possible, have a door to close. Boundaries in a home office are important, as is the ability to walk away from the job. Otherwise, the temptation is to sneak in to check one more thing, and before you know it, you're really working 12-hour days. In darker spaces, Hoffman suggests adding French doors with ruched fabric to create the sense of boundary and window at the same time. For apartment dwellers who are working with alcoves, consider a beautiful screen placed at the threshold when it's quitting time.
Hoffman asserts that following these simple dictums has led to the glowing emails from ecstatic clients who admit to "sneaking into the office after hours just to relax" because the space feels that good. The pleased-with-herself designer adds: "Who'd have ever dreamed that the home office can double as an inner sanctum?" After a pause, she says with a wink, "Actually I did. And I was right."
About Interiors By Donna Hoffman
In-demand Philadelphia interior designer and former QVC show host Donna Hoffman has been featured in Family Circle, Real Simple, Country Accents and cnbc.com. She heads up the Bucks County-based interior design group that specializes in home interiors that have 10+ years of staying power. Marrying smart design to your individual design fingerprint — your "interiority" — leads to the rooms clients love to live in, look at — and never want to leave. What's inside matters most. Additional information can be found at http://www.interiorsbydonnahoffman.com.
Contact:
Donna Hoffman
215-736-8693
Email
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