Many people find they need to carve out a space within their home to serve as an office. This is true for professionals who bring work home on weekends and need a quiet retreat, entrepreneurs running their business from their home, and busy families needing a designated place to coordinate their personal accounts and calendars. Most homeowners do not have enough room to create a library and office that is entirely separate from the other areas of the house. However, it is possible to create an organized office space that can quickly and easily transition into a welcoming and tranquil space for guests. Consider the following.
One of the most obvious solutions for an office space that must also function as a guest room is a murphy bed. These beds fold into or against a wall and leave the area feeling more open when not in use. Unfortunately, these can be expensive to have custom built and difficult to locate in styles that fit well with other design aspects. Two other options exist that are often overlooked are the daybed or sleeper sofa.
Daybeds can easily be styled to provide seating that is similar in feel and comfort to that of a traditional sofa. There are a variety of styles and finishes that make it easy to find an option that fits within the overall theme of the room. There are even options that have built in bookcases which can further compliment an office setting. It has the added benefit of being easily accessible for guests. The only drawback for using a daybed is that it does still look like a bed (perhaps unless you get very sneaky and jazz it up with a lot of pillows). A daybed in an office space can encourage relaxation instead of productivity, which could be problematic if the main function of the room is as an office.
Placing a sleeper sofa into a guest room is an excellent option for rooms that are primarily used as workspace. It makes the space feel much more like a professional area and virtually eliminates the obvious secondary nature of the area as a bedroom. Yet when guests visit your home, it is simple to pull out the bed and create a comfortable sleeping environment. It should be noted that there are far more sizes and styles of sleeper sofas available than in the past, which makes it even easier to choose one that matches the decor and size of the room.
A stunning desk and coordinating bookcases are great places to start minimizing the visual clutter that can accumulate in an office. Making these the focal point of the room will allow you to utilize storage solutions such as baskets, boxes, drawers, and cabinets to remove the necessities of a home office from view when it is transformed into a guest room. They will also provide a feeling of productivity when the room is in use as an office. The purpose of furniture is to create the desired atmosphere while providing comfort and functionality, and in some cases flexibility. The desk that is utilized during work hours can quickly be transformed into a vanity with a large tabletop mirror and a decorative basket of travel toiletries for guests.
If you have ever dreamed of finding a place to work from home, you are not alone. A large number of people share that dream and those who have made the transition to work from home tend to love their careers far more than those who hold more traditional roles. If you have considered creating a home office but have put it off due to lack of room it is tie to reconsider. It is possible to have a home office easily function as a welcoming guest room with a little creativity and attention to detail. P.S., if you need furniture for your guest room/home office, we offer hundreds of products from popular brands such as Ashley and AICO.
