While always managing to hold their own in home design, at-home offices and the demand for such space has skyrocketed this past year. What was once considered a mere convenience is now increasingly regarded as a necessity when consumers are factoring in their new home must-haves. The work-from-home trend is one that we do not ever see fading away completely, with some companies even opting to make it a permanent culture change. At-home spaces to get productive work accomplished, whether it be a secluded private study, pocket-office or some hybrid of the two, are here to stay.
The Secluded, Sophisticated Study
When it comes to productivity, sometimes the sheer fact of having designated a specific room for work activities is a mental game changer. The moment you cross the threshold of the doorframe, you are somehow instantly able to leave behind the chaos and distractions of the day, in a way that you just can’t seem to shake when setting up shop at the kitchen island or dining room table. Often located off the foyer in a Drees home, studies provide privacy from other house happenings. Maintain pristine structure or organized chaos in this space, whatever enhances your creativity or clarity.
In a way, the private study is a safe haven from the unpredictable fluctuations of the rest of the home. Busy week? Kids home? Laundry overdue? Last night’s dishes overflowing the sink? These everyday distractions cannot infiltrate the private study that is meant for one thing and one thing only: to foster an environment of uninterrupted, focused, productivity. With its uncanny ability to somehow maintain the status quo, or some sort of equilibrium, despite the well-being of the rest of the home and those in it, the study has become one of the most revered spaces in our homes.
The Subtle, Sleek Pocket Office
Although dreamy, not every scenario demands an entire room solely designated for office work. Some floor plans and family situations lend themselves better to the sleek, subtle, pocket office. Often tucked away off the kitchen, pocket offices are designed to provide a seamless transition from work to play, offering the unique ability to knock-out work-related initiatives while still maintaining a pulse on the rest of the house.
Whether you’re balancing full-time employment from home and parental duties, or simply looking for a place to pay bills on the weekends and keep track of schedules, pocket offices pave the way for seamless productivity, without commanding undivided attention or sacrificing other daily responsibilities.
Accommodating the Dual Set-up
Adaptability is a term we have become all too familiar with in some facet or another over the past year. Even those of us who have had the ability to shift work from the office to home have found it difficult to adjust. Not only are we challenged with producing the same output at the same pace as we did in office, but often times alongside a partner or children who also find themselves homebound and similarly tasked. This reality can present all sorts of additional obstacles for employed couples and/or kids’ virtual school activities, on top of the obvious.
Forward thinking and creativity are key to adapting to this new, unique reality. Whether you’re in the process of building a new home and are committed to designing these spaces into your new build or prepping a co-working space in your existing layout, it is vital that boundaries are drawn, expectations set and the proper environment established to ensure all parties are set-up for success.
DreeSmart Technology
At Drees, we believe that having some sort of designated home office space significantly optimizes work-from-home productivity and related efficiencies. Not only do we plan for some sort of work space in most of our designs, our top-notch DreeSmart innovations ensure the proper technology requirements have been established for flawless execution from home.
To learn more about how you can Drees up your work-from-home situation, visit dreeshomes.com and browse floor plans that support all sorts of work-life balance realities.
