Planning to work from home? Need a place for the kids to do homework?
The options are plentiful for those who want a home office, whether it is for a full-time career, a part-time venture, or a few nights a week of surfing the Internet.
The home office, while once considered an afterthought by many home builders, has become a mainstay in new housing. Most builders have at least one floor plan that includes a home office — or a den that easily can be converted into space for a computer, fax machine and an array of telephone lines.
For those who want to use office equipment at home, it is best to plan out the space while the house is being built. This makes it more economical when adding telephone lines, dedicated computer lines, cabinetry, shelving, and extra lighting.
As technology, work habits and family dynamics have evolved, builders have started carving out home offices in a variety of shapes, sizes, and locations.
Many homeowners use wireless technology, small laptops and cellular telephones instead of the bulky equipment used years ago. This means that a home office can be tucked into almost any part of the house.
“I think people like having all that den or study space, but it’s changing and we’re going to see computers done in all sorts of places around the home,” said Gail Payonk, director of marketing for Wiseman-Hughes, a Wheaton-based builder, with houses priced from $200,000 to $450,000.
One example is a home office “niche” or “alcove,” a space that is smaller than a typical den or bedroom, but large enough for basic computing tasks. This might be an 8-by-8-foot area tucked away near the second floor landing, in a corner of the kitchen or in the laundry room.
“Home offices can be as small as a desk niche in the corner of the kitchen to as large as a 12-by-15-foot room,” said Peggy Taheri, vice president of sales and marketing for Smykal Associates, a builder based in Wheaton.
Smykal Associates, which sells houses priced from $250,000 to $350,000, has one floor plan with a 10-by-7-foot home office niche at the top of the second floor landing. Buyers have the option of adding cabinetry, shelving, a desk, overhead lighting, electrical outlets and other features.
“It’s a very large landing, but it’s a space all unto itself,” Taheri said. “It’s a convenient place to pay bills and it’s not in anyone’s bedroom space or in the kitchen.”
Wiseman-Hughes has a similar design, with a 9-by-7-foot alcove on the second floor.
“It’s great for kids to have a place to do their homework,” Payonk said.
Other home buyers prefer to have their computing area in the kitchen, as it allows them to take care of office-type tasks while still keeping an eye on the main living areas of the home. The computer also can serve as a recipe command center for the avid cook.
Smykal Associates has one floor plan with a sitting area off of the kitchen that can be turned into an office niche.
“It’s nice if you have small kids and want them to study there and not be in the family room,” Taheri said.
Those who want a true working home office often look for a den or study that can be outfitted for the latest technology.
“Several years ago, the home office was an afterthought and was almost tucked into an oversized closet,” said Steve Fennell, president of Tradition Homes, which is building Woodlands at Valley Lakes in Round Lake, where homes are priced from $260,000. “Today people are saying they don’t want a home office that they only use once a month for paying bills.”
Instead, they want a space that is at least 12 feet by 12 feet, which is an average size for a bedroom. They also want enough wiring and storage to make the space efficient.
By having a home office on the first floor, a person can be closer to the main activity in the house. Also, that space is closer to the front door, a feature that adds privacy when clients visit.
Those who long for more privacy might convert a bedroom into an office instead.
As the size and shape of the home office has evolved, so has the profile of the typical computer user. Many homes now have more than one computer and they are being used by people in a wide range of age groups. While some empty-nesters might not be interested in computers, for example, others are as high-tech as their kids.
“I can think of one example where we have three generations living in one house and the older generation has their own computer, the husband and wife each has one and their two kids, who live at home part-time, each have one,” Fennell said.
All the more reason to carve out all those computer niches around the house.
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Allison E. Beatty is a Chicago-area freelance writer. If you have questions or information to share regarding new home buyers’ product and design choices, write to Choices c/o Chicago Tribune, New Homes section, 435 N. Michigan Ave., 4th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611. Or, e-mail: allison@renovatorsplace.com.
