Home office style

Organizing a home office and giving it style don't have to be mutually exclusive. Many home office owners already are doing this successfully -- bringing in splashes of wall color or sleek (yet ergonomically correct) furnishings, and turning to designers rather than discounters for office style.

For those with designer tastes without the expense account, can they still get function and style on a budget? "Absolutely," said local designer Ernesto Garcia, the guest design host of Channel 2's "Good Day Oregon."

"I don't think budget and good taste are mutually exclusive," he said. "The most important thing in a workspace is functionality; it needs to function well for the people in it."

The key is to know what you're after. "Consider your work style, workspace and the equipment you will need," Garcia said.

Step 1: Determine your equipment needs. The book "Home Office Life," written by national office expert Lisa Kanarek, recommends looking for features like built-in electrical outlets and cord tamers, rollout keyboard trays and dust-free compartments for your computer hard drive, printer or scanner.

Most office chairs are designed with ergonomics in mind -- but don't just take the office supply store or designer's word for it. Try each chair until you find one that fits your frame, is mobile (for reaching files and supplies) and fits the décor of your office.

As far as ergonomics, many of the new pre-made workstations are manufactured to be ergonomically correct. Otherwise, there are articulating keyboards that adjust for height and angle. To ease strain on neck and eyes, install an inclined work surface to use when poring over papers.

"A higher-quality chair is worth the money you spend," Kanarek writes, "as chairs take a beating and cheap ones just don't hold up for long."

Garcia recommends placing noisy equipment away from work areas that need quiet. Group equipment you use most frequently closest to you. Place computer, printer and scanner at desk level so that you can roll your chair from one end to another for easy accessibility. Also, "file cabinets, books, manuals, and storage materials must be within your reach," Garcia said. Since equipment requires electrical sockets, be sure there are ample outlets to prevent overloading.

Consider your interaction with equipment and range of motion required for each job, he said. An example is the height of your chair while working at your computer keyboard. If the chair is in an inappropriate position to the keyboard, motion problems can result from long periods of repetitive work.

Step 2: Determine your work style. Kanarek breaks work styles into five major categories. Once you've pinpointed your style, it will be a lot easier to purchase and place equipment to that it saves on backbreaking tasks.

The Bouncing Ball -- A bouncing ball wants to accomplish everything, yet has trouble doing one thing at a time. To get more focused, set up your office to feature as little distractions as possible. Try situating your main workstation in a corner, for instance, with your back to the room. Keep the walls free from schedules, task lists, anything that suggests that other projects need your immediate attention. Instead, hang a soothing photo or painting in your line of sight, or -- if you don't think it will distract you -- place your desk in front of a window.

The Collector -- Is your office stacked with out-of-date magazines, newspapers and mail that you didn't quite find the time to open? The best home office setup for controlling the tendency to keep anything and everything is one that won't allow you to do so. Opt for a setup with the bare minimum of surfaces on which to put things. Drawers can pose another problem for collections. Limit the number of drawers in your office to four. Establish a system for going through papers once a week. Organize periodicals into boxes clearly labeled with the name of the publication and the year, and store them somewhere they won't get in the way

The Perfectionist -- Are you obsessed with every last detail, to the point that you are continually missing deadlines? Are you spending so much time on projects that your family has forgotten what you look like and your clients are wondering why you billed for 30 hours on a project that should have only taken 15? Keep reminders around your office to help you stay on top of your priorities without losing track of them. Photos of your loved ones above your desk will remind you that there comes time to close up shop and go home, even if you home is upstairs. A whiteboard with each of your projects listed -- along with the deadline and a budget for how much time (and money) should be spent on it -- will help you stay on top of your work, rather then buried beneath it.

The Lookout -- The lookout follows the out-of-site, out-of-mind philosophy and fears putting anything away. Select a desk with a minimal amount of drawers -- you can keep the office supplies you se daily or weekly on top of your desk in a desktop organizer -- and enough room to spread out your papers. A U-shaped workstation setup is ideal. Add a hutch to your desk to store supplies, reference materials, etc. Invest in wicker baskets or metal or plastic bins to hold each project. Clearly labeled, these can be pulled out and left on the desk when you're working and stowed (still in sight) on open bookshelves when you're not. Convert one wall into a giant bulletin board by adding corkboard. Use the board to hold anything from postcards to schedules.

The Procrastinator -- A procrastinator puts off making a decision for fear of making the wrong one, or puts off beginning a project until they have every last bit of relevant information. If this is you, locate your office as far away from the main "hubbub" as possible, and make it a point to start work at a set time every day. Have an in-box close at hand, and don't start on the next item until the first item is completely decided upon or finished.

Step 3: Determine your design style. "A beautifully designed office is not necessarily a function one," writes Kanarek in "Home Office Life."

The reverse doesn't have to be true: With the right furniture and accessory choices, a function office also can be beautifully designed.

Pay attention to the color palate that soothes you. Think about offices that appealed to you. For home office outfitters looking to cut costs, think again. New studies show a 105 percent return on the sale of a house with a beautiful home office.

"The home office should be monochromatic with soft tones that are relaxing and non-distracting," Garcia said. He urges that you use warm and dark woods to add comfort to your workspace. If you use material on your office furniture, use solids with minimum patterns. Artwork should be uncomplicated, geometric, and organized."

Final advice? "Have a good ergonomic chair," Garcia said. "Add greenery to your workspace. Place a small refrigerator under a counter so that you do not have to break from productive cycles if you are hungry or thirsty. Add acoustic treatments or upholster doors to reduce noise. An armoire can hide a coat hanger, television, stereo or a small bar. The more comfortable your workspace, the more you will want to be in it."

CAPTION 1: It's a clean and understated and uncluttered working space. A Lake Oswego home office for a high-tech executive, designed to conceal all of the electronic equipment. "He didn't want to be distracted," said interior designer Ernesto Garcia. "He wanted a serene environment where he could concentrate on his work."

CAPTION 2: In this downtown Portland flat, open weave draperies bring in light without glare. An anecdote for over-stimulation, this workspace is bare and uncluttered without a lot of detail. "There's nothing gratuitous about it," said interior design Ernesto Garcia. The striped pattern on the lounge chair picks up the open-weave pattern of the drapery, "so there is nothing busy in the pattern."