Monday, April 28, 2014
Working at home has a lot of perks but it also creates a whole new set of problems. Sometimes, it can be difficult for family members to understand that you still need to put in a full day’s work to stay on schedule and you may even need to work overtime once in awhile. The solution to this problem is having your own space away from the rest of the house where you can work in privacy and the garage is the perfect place.
At first glance, it may seem like a lost cause, especially if you use your garage for storage. However, a good interior designer in Miami can help you transform it into a stylish and fully functional office where you can work without interruptions. Think about how nice it would be to have a place where you can feel completely secluded, while still being only a few steps away from your family. It’s the perfect solution and the following design ideas can help you get started.
When you turn your garage into a home office, you’ll need to insulate it. Most garages are not climate controlled like the rest of your home, so you’ll need to install some type of heating and cooling unit to maintain a comfortable temperature. A small unit should work fine but it will run constantly unless you take steps to insulate the room and this is where you could use the help of a good interior designer.
The first thing you need to do is close off the garage door. The best solution is to replace this door with a wall. You can also have a regular door installed and maybe another window in the wall that replaces the garage door. Replacing the door with a wall is necessary because you cannot seal off the garage doors enough to insulate the room and you need to maintain a comfortable work environment.
Depending on the age of your home, you may also need to replace existing windows with energy efficient ones. To complete the design, sheetrock or panel your walls, put in a drop ceiling, choose your flooring and you’re ready to decorate. Talk to your designer and she can help you find the office interior design that suits your needs perfectly, while maintaining functionality and reflecting your personality through the décor.
Normally, your garage will already have several outlets but make sure there are enough of them to power all of your electronics and that they are in the right location. If you’re the type of person who likes to move things around from time to time, have an electrician install extra outlets on every wall so no matter where you move your desk, you have outlets available without having to run a drop cord.
If your wireless connection doesn’t pick up very well in the garage, talk to your cable company about boosting your signal or installing another modem in you new office. You don’t want to deal with getting bumped offline all day while you’re trying to work and don’t forget to have your business phone hooked up.
It’s always best to get a separate office phone with a different number from your house phone just for conducting business. This way, your kids won’t be tying up the line when you need to make a business call and clients won’t be bothering you after work hours when you’re trying to spend time with your family. When you turn your garage into a home office you’ll have the privacy you need while still being close to your family.
When you hire an interior designer for any project, it’s important that you trust them to do their job or you’ll end up with a lot of problems. It can be difficult to let go and give control to someone else but it is necessary in this case. You hired the designer for his expertise, […]
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