Home office gallery 3

It’s time for a third page of home offices! Don’t miss the Home office gallery and Home office gallery 2 but I’ll be adding new photos on the top of this page so you don’t have to go all the way to the bottom when you check in for the latest. Additions are always announced on Twitter.

You might also like Home working style and Home working style 2.

My home office 3

‘So this is Nicky’s Desk…my home office is in our cellar, damp and musty ? no a comfy, cozy, carpeted & creative space and no windows means.. focus ! The desk is an old family bureau and as well as the ever present mug of tea, most of the objects you see are functional & hold memories, the oldest being my wooden in-tray & the chair I sit on both over 20yrs old, from my first ever full time job (given not pinched!) and the most recent, the little owl (I have a thing for owls!) from my best friend offering valued support in my new venture, “Nicky’s Desk”. I offer advice, info and support to educational, community and voluntary organisations.’

Nicky Young, freelance qualified youthworker, www.nickysdesk.co.uk

‘Perhaps I am reluctant to send some photos of my office in Urchfont, Devizes where I have worked since 1999 because it would shatter the illusions of the perfect ‘designer space’. It looks ‘good’ from outside and the view from the window is uplifting every day of the year.

‘I have not regretted giving up that hour long slog to the centre of Bath to work slavishly for a well known Bath Architectural Practice and relying on networking skills, contacts etc etc have eeked out a reasonable living with much minimised costs, overheads and stress ( although current climate is giving a bit of concern…) so 13 years on and still enjoying the daily challenge!’
Mark Ellerby, low energy architecture

‘I am setting up my own event management business, so most of my work at the moment consists of meetings, emailing, updating the blog and research. I hate mess and wires so I try and keep everything under control. I prefer to work late at night (sometimes till 4am!) and my routine has got a bit messy since I started working from home, but I think you need to work when you work best otherwise it just isn’t productive. I like to keep things colourful (I am obsessed with Paperchase), and I am a bit obsessed with my blackberry and ipad which I keep close to me at all times. My room feels a bit like a hotel room (but personlised), but when you go to hotels you instantly relax, and that’s the atmosphere I wanted to create.’
Abi Saffer, event management, www.ascnetworking.blogspot.com

‘Every day I am grateful that so many smart people are inspired to “think different” and create technology and mediums to make it possible for successful home working. In 2009 I moved from New York to the South West of France determined to start a business that I could do “virtually”. I am now set up in the attic of a renovated barn supporting small companies and entrepreneurs to do the same.  While my day is very busy, I find great comfort in the warmth of my home office and hope this can become reality to many who wish the same.’ 

Sandra Lewis, Virtual Professional Services, www.worldwide101.com

‘My home office is the main room of my studio flat overlooking the sea in Hove. Luckily my bed hides away in a cupboard so I can transform my space from sleeping to living to working. The rug is where I do my daily yoga practice and my meditation. I bought a side table for a desk in 2003 but have recently decamped to working on my lap on the sofa (not so great for my back in the long run I think) but it’s given me a whole new perspective. I’ve become a bit of a fan of co-working spaces be it Central Working in Bloomsbury (very handy for London client meetings) to my favourite local café in Brighton, Redwood, which is always populated by a few fellow Mac users.’

Kate Bacon, helping businesses standout online, marketing coaching, website design, social media marketing & training, www.katebacon.com

‘Im a happy mum-preneur and in 2009 I became a Waveriders Widow. Honestly, its not all bad, days spent on the beach watching and waiting for my wave rider to get out of the water, is a pleasure. I get the opportunity to enjoy many a picnic with my family & friends. I thoroughly enjoy checking out the local boutique shops and trendy beach cafes so much so Im now in the process of blogging and writing a book about my beach life! More than anything, I am lucky enough to have a shed office at the bottom of my garden. The wave rider has his board shaping workshop at the other end and joins me now and again for posh coffee and banter. Work life is a beach! To all the other waverider widows I hope you enjoy and are able to share with me the good times of life on the beach! My blog is simply a platform for me to share all my beach life finds and promote other like-minded resources and websites.’

Tanya Brooks-Dowsett, blogger, www.thewaveriderswidow.wordpress.com/

‘For me, my home office in reality is the entire house. Working as a writer, I like to move around on my laptop and work in the bedroom, kitchen and front room. I like the variety of settings, changing room often breaks a block, but it’s usually because my office is full of bikes, wheels and equipment I’m reviewing. Piles of cardboard boxes don’t make for a great working environment and often getting to my desk is a physical impossibility. My office is also my gym, housing my turbo trainer (bike mounted on a stationary frame) and a beam mounted climbing simulator.’

Nik Cook, Endurance and Adventure Sports Writer, www.nikalascook.com

‘I handmake vintage style Liberty print childrenswear from our home in the Peak District. My husband (adventure sports writer Nik Cook) also works from home. We’re lucky to have 3 floors with 2 decent sized bedrooms at the top – it’s psychologically good to be able to close the door at the end of the day. Mine is bursting with rolls of Liberty print fabrics, a cutting table and sewing desk. His is full of bikes and outdoor kit though he actually tends to work on his laptop downstairs with the dogs. My room does get cluttered in patterns and bolts of cloth but every few weeks I’ll have a big tidy up and restore order. Bliss!’
Lissa Cook, childrenswear designer, www.peakprincess.co.uk

‘I actually design and build about fifty garden offices every year for customers across the UK, so in 2010 I thought I’d treat myself and included myself in our production list. In my garden I have a Smart Quarto garden office with my unique VersaDesk. I love the interior feel of the space especially with the extended, vaulted ceiling. The Quarto is fully insulated, double glazed and of course fully cabled.  I have a beautiful view down our garden and find it very therapeutic watching our chickens gently pottering around the lawn.’
Charlie Dalton, garden office designer and builder, www.smartgardenoffices.co.uk

‘I’ve been an IT homeworker for about 18 months. Within about 3 days of setting up a simple office in the spare room my desk had become covered in clutter. As I look at it now almost all of it doesn’t need to be here (particularly not the swimming goggle?!) But as long as I can get to the keyboard and see the screens the junk doesn’t bother me. I do a clear out when I reach project milestones and certain paperwork isn’t needed anymore. There are a few glorious days when the desk is clear. Then the surfaces are quickly filled, with generous help from the children.’
Paul Graves, software designer, http://cyteen02.wordpress.com/ And see more of Paul’s thoughts in Home offices – the reality

‘In 2006 my family and I downshifted from a busy city life to the middle of nowhere in South West Scotland. I now work from home (a farmhouse on a hill) surrounded by peace and quiet.
As autumn approaches and the weather cools, I love to move my ‘home office’ nearer to the cosy Aga and work from my kitchen table. I love all the hustle and bustle that this time of year brings and being in the hub of the home means I don’t miss out on a single thing.’

Heather Bestel, therapist & business mentor,
www.MumsGotaBusiness.com/blog

‘Our home and garden is both our sanctuary and place of work, twining its way through our lives as we work through the day; chatting with our guests as we cook them their breakfast,caring for our Bed and Breakfast rooms, primping and preening our house into some sort of order before tackling the gardens that our guest so love to stroll around and relax in. A little time to spend on our social pages on the internet to catch up with old and new guests and on “sunset days” to relax with a glass of wine looking out over Mounts Bay and let our home wrap itself around us – such is life in a B&B!’
Christine Taylor, Cornish B&B proprietor, www.ednoveanfarm.co.uk

‘In 2005 I went to IKEA in North London to buy a new desk. As I checked out the options, the words, “Big desk, big ideas,” came to me. So I bought this big desk and love working in my world headquarters. I also take my laptop to local coffee shops to write, and with my Blackberry, I am pretty mobile. I took to heart a quote from my hero, Steven Pressfield, who said in The War of Art, “The professional is on a mission. He will not tolerate disorder. He eliminates chaos from his world in order to banish it from his mind. He wants the carpet vacuumed and the threshold swept, so the Muse may enter and not soil her gown.” I do my best to keep my office clear, clean and tidy so I don’t waste time and energy, and the Muse feels welcome to visit, and she does often, gladly.’
Nick Williams, www.inspired-entrepreneur.com, UK expert on unifying work and love

‘I built my studio at the top of my house to enable me to design and make my jewellery. It suits me down to the ground as I’m now able to have breakfast with my beautiful daughter, walk her to school, and if I’m disciplined enough I can be at my bench by 9.15. I do have distractions during the day, and as a single mum there are always chores, but having the studio at home allows me to continue working in the evening once Abi is in bed and I can work in comfort in my PJs with a mug of tea!’
Ellie Swinhoe, jewellery designer & maker, www.eleanorchristinejewellery.co.uk

‘I work from home and my job is creating new spaces for other people to work from home…it’s great!
Having run businesses from home, I am a great supporter of this commute-less lifestyle. Sure, there are some downsides that you can easily plan to compensate for, but the advantages are so rewarding. Having a garden view and being able to work outside in the sunshine is a privilege. I consider the greatest benefit is the time that I don’t spend commuting.
Professionally the task of designing a garden room to match our clients specific needs is a very rewarding role. Creating a room that can be an office and a family space frequently makes excellent sense.’
Martin Lawson, designer & supplier of garden offices, www.swiftorg.co.uk

I still get pathetically excited when my site is spotted around the world and somebody far away sends in their picture! Today’s is not only from the USA but also slightly different
‘I’m a trial attorney with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Lynchburg, Virginia, where I prosecute misdemeanor and felony offenses. I still commute to a (government) office building each day, but I do most of my work at the courthouse on my iPad waiting for my cases to be called. Each of my case files are stored electronically, and I use my iPad to call witnesses with Skype, perform legal research, and stay connected via email. As I write in my blog, working with my iPad is truly a walking office of sorts. So, I present my “home office”.’
Robert Dean, www.about.me/redean

‘I recently started a marketing firm specializing in internet marketing and social media marketing for small businesses and real estate professionals. Until my oldest goes to college (said with a prayer), the breakfast nook in our new home is my office “nook”. While I take issue with the lack of space for organizational or inspirational items, etc, the view from my windows is priceless! Just last week I watched a family of deer stroll by. I can also keep an eye on my younger children when they are playing in the backyard. Another plus of my home office? Often my front porch doubles as a conference room.’
Andrea West, owner of marketing firm, www.inawemarketing.com

‘I write travel guides for a living, and despite the fact that I’ve always joked that all I need to do my job is my laptop and an internet connection, I’ve tended to write at my house in Wiltshire. Needing to correct this terrible oversight, I’ve recently rented a traditional house in the Fes medina, Morocco. All the home office essentials are here: laptop (with dongle modem), a pile of books for research, a fan for the summer heat and an iPod dock for those ‘cup of tea and a Radio 4 podcast’ moments. It’s a quiet retreat for writing, but any time I need inspiration the noise and colour of the souqs are right there on my doorstep.’
Paul Clammer, travel writer & guidebook author, www.paulclammer.com

‘I use the spare bedroom and during the day pull out the table and chair so that I sit in the room by the window and not tucked in a corner. I work on my MacBook and have my intray next to me (which is perched on top of a laundry basket!). You can also see my black file which has all my business paperwork- luckily most of what I do is stored on the computer so this is just for bank statements and official paperwork etc In the cupboard behind me is my printer and other bits and pieces I need for my work. At night the file and inbox get put away in the cupboard and the table gets pushed back in the corner with the laptop folded up. That’s it really.’
Francesca Geens, technology consultant for solo-entrepreneurs, www.digitaldragonfly.co.uk

If you’d like a link to your website and to share your home office, whether it be the kitchen table, garage, shed, attic, studio, workshop, spare bedroom, basement, hammock or somewhere else, just email a photo of it to me along with about 100 words on what you like (or maybe dislike) about it. Or maybe you’d like to show us the view from your desk, the objects that inspire you, or some essential piece of equipment.

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Home office gallery 1

Home working style 2