How to design a home office
The COVID-19 pandemic has made home owners reconsider revamping their home office space.
“When we think of a home office space before COVID it was just a small desk in a corner,” John Gaitan, founder of Toronto-based interior design firm Minkish Studios said in a recent interview with Smart Homes. “Now, it’s becoming much more elevated space.
Even though home owners have been advancing their home office space, Gaitan shares that his clients have not been requesting “super advanced” tech options. Rather, they are looking for ways to conceal their smart tech.
“My clients are more interested in finding ways to conceal the looks of technology and their space,” Gaitan relates. “They are asking: how can I hide my cords in a smart way? How can I find technology or objects that resemble a decorative object, as opposed to just a regular speaker or a charging pad?”
Noting that aesthetics is top of mind for home owners, Gaitan recommends a ventilated cable management box from Amazon to help his clients hide their cords and cables.
“Essentially, you can take all these cords and conceal them in the box, and be able to tuck them away into the corner, which is just a way to visually clean up your space,” Gaitan explains. “Clients love the idea of being having an open clean approachable space.”
Another item that the clients have been keen on is the LEXON Black Oblio Wireless Phone Charger.
Not only does the speaker sanitize the phone as it’s charging, but it also becomes a beautiful accenting piece.
“[The phone charger] becomes a really beautiful piece that you can layer with books, and you can stack books and have this charger that looks like an object stack on top,” Gaitan says.
Finally, Gaitan has been advising clients to invest in a Smart Sono Speaker, a collaboration piece from IKEA. Home owners are able to place the speaker horizontally or vertically, or mount it on the wall to use as a practical shelf. The bookshelf speaker also helps home owners to use their space optimally, while providing a rich sound that fills the entire room.
Gaitan loves this piece so much that he even has it in his own home.
“When you’re working alone in an office space, and you’re living at home, you want to have something in the background in terms of music,” Gaitan relates. “This is like a lovely piece that would be great for your space.”
When it comes to designing a home office, Gaitan’s number one piece of advice is simple: have fun with it and don’t be afraid to experiment.
“A lot of people now have had to be inventive with setting up the home office space. So usually, some people have them with their living room or they have like their bedroom,” Gaitan concludes. “Have fun with it and take the whole space into consideration so it feels like it’s part of your home, not just an addition.”
