LIVING | AT HOME
Home Sweet Office
Organizational trends to make working from home a breeze New caption for home office story new new new new new new new new.
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orking from home is more common than ever, and thanks to this new trend, the home office has become one of the most important rooms in the home. Jay Jones, owner of Liberty Hill-based Specialty Millworks, said there’s been a lot of changes in home office trends over the last year and a half, primarily because more people than ever are working from home due to the pandemic. He said nearly half of his workload is dedicated solely to home office design and remodeling. “Most people already had an office in their home, but everybody didn’t have full use of it before,” he said. “They didn’t care to use it fully because they were still going to work. Now we’re dedicating space and planning designs down to the inch of what the usable space could be. People are putting a lot more money into their offices now than before.”
TRENDS
One of the biggest home office trends is to create a large amount of storage space, Jones said. “Everybody wants more storage,” he said. “But they also want a nice clean look. We aren’t doing as many accent shelves anymore, like something people can set
COURTESY PHOTO
STORY BY RACHEL MADISON
A variety of storage options is a top trend in home office design.
a piece of blown glass or other décor on. People want storage they can really use.” Jones said lots of built-in cabinets as well as file drawers have become very popular, and many people will even ask for more storage options as he is designing their office. “People want an abundance of drawers,” he said. “We will do a small piece, and then they realize they want to add even more storage.” When it comes to materials, Jones said wire grommets and wood tops are popular for home office desks, as are archways. “People don’t just want arches in doorways,” he said. “We are doing arches on cabinets now, too. Everybody wants that rounded and raised look, because I think some of the old-world décor style is trying to come back. Modern styles are still in, but more people are creating some of that old world style.” Another trend Jones has seen is office “peninsulas,” where two people can sit down to work at their computers at the same time.
“If a husband and wife both work from home, they can use this set up to work in the same space,” he said. “The one I recently did was 4 feet wide and protruded from the wall about 5.5 feet.” Other trends Jones said he is seeing include lighting sensors, so when someone walks into or out of the office, the lights automatically turn on and off, as well as under counter lighting or accent lighting to add to the cozy feel of the room. “You can do a whole lot of remodeling to your office, and everything can still look dark, but it’s really simple and easy to add electric while you’re spending money, so add the lighting where you can,” he said. “You can also add USBs strategically around your office where they are accessible, because every office needs them these days.”
ORGANIZATION
Ashlie Cobb, owner of Liberty Hill-based organization company Unstuck Living, said organization CONTINUED ON PAGE 60 L I B E RT Y H I L L L I V I N G | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1
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