Home Office Ideas

I’m thinking about having a wall unit and desk custom built for my home office instead of settling for something not quite right from a local furniture store. The office is basically square with french doors and two windows on the right side (as you look in from the doors) leaving two walls open. I’ll have my desk facing out the windows to avoid glare on my screen and I’d like to run the wall unit/bookshelves across the back wall, leaving the wall behind me open for framed photos, etc.

I’m thinking about something like this (click for a larger image):

Home Office Diagram

A = Top View
B = Front View
C = Front View (with whiteboard visible)

It’s a basic three section bookshelf system with the desk extending from the middle section. Here are some of the details:

  • The left hand unit has a white-board that splits in the middle and hides along either side of the shelving and can be pulled out and closed over the shelving when needed (figure C).
  • The shelves below the desk level on either side are hidden by doors.
  • The area in the middle section above the desk is open as a place to put framed artwork/photos.
  • The area below the desk in the middle section is open shelving.
  • Guide tracks for cables need to be run throughout the system, mostly hidden but still accessible.
  • The lower section and perhaps the upper section of the right side is deeper than the left to allow for a printer/fax/etc. that is deeper than normal shelving.
  • Little 20 watt halogen lights are placed along the top shining up at the ceiling.
  • The middle section and perhaps the top of the left and right sections also have lighting installed.
  • There needs to be a keyboard tray or something to keep the keyboard at the proper height.
  • Some type of area to hold a standard sized desktop machine (under the desk in the middle section?) where it still gets good air circulation but can dampen the sound.

What are some other things I should be trying to include? What are things you like about your workspace? What are things you wish you had? Bring on the ideas. 🙂

UPDATE: I’ve decided I should have a drawer for hanging files on the lower level of the left side unit (behind the doors).