Living room home offices
Living room home offices are a popular choice, with many home workers settling in a corner to work all or part of the time.
Readers’ living room home offices
‘Here’s my corner office after downsizing from 9 rooms to 2. A favorite lamp at left, on top of the CD file that sits on my computer tower. Over the desk, a loved historical print of Cape Porpoise, by my favorite artist.
Before the CD file stands a really appealing, inspiring Hog, a startling contrast to the extensive horse collection sitting just to his left, off-camera.I write about horses and am an equine artist. The branches with tiny lights behind the monitor, the 2 shore birds and the 3 aqua hobnail glass vases in the window, also inspire. Well, this is where I Imagine.
My irreplacable wooden desk with roomy side drawers has become a computer desk. The center drawer, open, holds the keyboard. Beyond the window, a knoll with 3 most interesting pine trees in various stages of dead. At a distance are very old apple trees; all good drawing subjects.’
Pat Wooldridge writer and equine artist, www.WooldridgeEquineArt.com, Maine, USA
‘I have two home office spaces in Hawaii.This is my living room office. But the second one which is in our bedroom is the one my husband says feels so relaxing. That’s what I love about it! What I don’t love? No view of trees or anything Hawaii related unfortunately.
I do different work in each. I work mostly in the living room, but save my fiction work for my bedroom. Not sure why that is. But with all my pictures hanging up and with the bigger screen, it does feel more inspiring.’
Brandi-Ann Uyemura, features writer, copywriter and blogger specializing in small businesses, self-help, psychology and spirituality
In 2012 Guardian columnist The Invisible Woman gave up the salaried life and ‘entered the uncharted waters of freelance life’. An choppy experience many readers are familiar with.
With the Twitter name @The VintageYear she tweets about writing from home in the company of her cats, Titus who drools, and Pushkin who snores.
She tweeted this picture with the caption – The IW’s ‘office’ (subtitled ‘one day I will have a CHAIR’…) Proving that you definitely don’t need a dedicated home office to do a good job.
Read her funny and incisive articles on style for the woman of a certain age who doesn’t want to look like a girl at The Invisible Woman.
‘My workspace is my haven, where I sit and look out onto my garden and my Labrador snores beside me. Being obsessed with beads means being organised and having lots of cupboard space. When I get into my work I end up with pots of beads all over my desk and I have around 10cms of space to work.
I now have a lovely new desk from Ikea and it matches the rest of my furniture. Most importantly my lovely fairy light love heart wreath is a focal point, I just love the warm glow on a bleak day.
I find where I work very peaceful and calm. I feel very lucky to have my own work place at home.’
Jane Akester, jewellery maker/designer, Jana Jewellery
‘My elder daughter chose this corner for me to work in; she had been going through the house like a tornado, clearing out junk and rearranging both it and my life. The view is over Looe Bay and St George’s Island it’s glorious in summer, but I get absolutely freezing in winter so I wrap up like a granny and stuff a hot-water bottle down the back of my trousers. The seascape inspires my right brain (which needs a bit of help), and gives me a better balance and outlook, and it encourages me just to potter about and sit occasionally , as well. The air here is ultra clean and fresh, with loads of negative ions – ace for calming incipient computer rage!’
Caroline, editor and writer, www.magic-words.co.uk
Recently on my blog and Facebook page I’ve been talking about how home workers, including me, like to tidy up before sending in a photo of their home office. I’ve also featured a post from a successful home worker who happily admits his workspace is a hovel! Seb’s office is far from a hovel but shows the reality of a busy home office, taken while snatching a few minutes from a hectic day: ‘The office is a complete and utter mess as you can see, so it’s quite a ‘genuine’ photo – no Photoshop involved 😉 Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get myself in the shot, so I hope it won’t disappoint any readers. Also the photos are slightly grainy as they were taken using my iPhone.’
Seb Powell, Business Development, MessageBase – Telephone Answering for Business
‘Being a work-at-home-mom means sharing a working space with a kid and quite a few Disney characters so it can be really crowded. I usually work during my son’s school hours and after he is off to bed. We have different user accounts in the computer and his is the one with all the great games and the cool wallpaper. Sometimes I translate and he brings his coloring book so that we can work together. Our desk is an old dining table, big enough to host my work and quite a few family friendly activities.’
Diona, translator, http://www.proz.com/translator/2996 and co-founder of www.mammasworkathome.gr
‘When I’m not co-working at a Jelly and need to be in the home office then I often choose the kitchen table or if it’s warm then the balcony is a favourite spot.
I’ve always got several books on the go and tend to surround myself with them for inspiration, motivation and the occasional aid to procrastination 🙂 Staying hydrated is so vital and it’s easy for me with this beautiful Emoto water glass my best friend Clare gave me. It imbibes my water with the essence of love, health and gratitude. Fresh flowers bring a little bit of nature inside.’
Elizabeth Cairns, Speaker, Facilitator, Healer, Teacher, Coach, www.amovita.co.uk
‘I can’t function without sunlight, so I specifically bought a big desk to fit in my south-facing bay windows. This allows me to enjoy the sun when I’m working from home. I’m also something of a neat-freak, so I keep what little paperwork I generate in drawers, and try to keep the desk free from clutter – one less thing to procrastinate about! My dogs also fit perfectly under the desk and are ideal foot-warmers in the winter.’
Jon Norris, Editor, www.freelanceadvisor.co.uk (which I highly recommend as a wonderful resource for all kinds of information needed by freelancers).
‘Here is both my place of work, and my favourite bit of kit, my MacBook air :)’ says James Layfield, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Central, a ‘welcoming and collaborative place to meet, eat, work and be inspired’ that’s opening in London in April 2011.
James previously ran an airport lounge at JFK in New York, and enjoyed working there, but couldn’t find anything similar when he returned to London. So Central was born, and worry not, those of you who, like me, live outside London – there will be others popping up soon around the country, providing an alternative to your own home office.
James Layfield, Central, www.centralworking.com
‘My home ‘office’ is actually just a table in our living room. I’m a photographer so if I’m not shooting then I’m editing pictures and my laptop is all I need. I surround myself with pretty things while I work so fresh flowers and my vintage camera calendar keep me inspired. I listen to music while editing and thanks to my husband’s insane CD collection there’s plenty to choose from. The best investment I made was a proper office chair. It’s not pretty but it was essential to keep me from my default position of slouching. When we need the table I just put away my laptop and chair. Working with so little ‘stuff’ is very liberating.’
Rosie Bray, photographer, www.rosiebray.com
This is my crochet chair/observatory/green house/vantage point.
This window has many guises but the one which is utilised most frequently is its ‘work station’ role. This is where I can work from home in solitude yet have a connection to the bustling world and the birds in the trees outside. It seems only natural to work here. I feel in touch with my surroundings.
Being able to work with all my surplus equipment packed away underneath my chair clears my head. Even if the entire flat is in a tizzy of creative jumble, this chair gives me the respite I need to focus on creating my organic cotton baby booties (or just have a good nosey outside!)
Emma, maker of baby booties, Booties4Cuties
‘A new (to me) chair fits in with my eclectic style in my own little corner of our home. Filled with wicker baskets, crochet patterns, endless colourful cottons,crochet hooks, and my gorgeous little sewing basket down to my left when I’m sat crocheting. My workspace fills me with inspiration and enjoyment for all that I create here. It is really important to me to work with tools and materials I love in a comfortable surrounding which is exactly what I get to do here every day.’
Sarah, crocheter and Etsy shop owner www.etsy.com/shop/loves2crochetuk
This is the serene home office of Francine Jay, also known as miss minimalist, her blog about living a beautiful life with less stuff. About 18 months ago Francine and her husband sold their house in America, and almost all their possessions, to move to a rented apartment in London. This was the perfect opportunity for a minimalist to find out just how little it’s possible, and pleasurable, to live with. Francine is also the author of The Joy of Less, a Minimalist Living Guide
Francine Jay, blogger and author, www.missminimalist.com
‘I do have a dedicated office, but the beauty of using a laptop is that I can work anywhere, so my ‘office’ travels with me. My office is in the garden on a hot sunny day and it’s also curled up on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate on a cold wet day (like today!). When I’m talking to clients, I always use the dedicated office but I make sure that I keep it calm and uncluttered and I always light a candle. This is one of my favourite photos because it shows my ‘lap’ cat Pablo, making sure that I take regular breaks from typing!’
Bridie Nelson, coach-therapist, www.bridienelson.com
‘Two years ago, the need for an income boost and a nasty bout of empty nesting prompted my husband and I to start a writer’s retreat in our rambling Devon home. We immediately purchased some white paint, some white cotton bedding and several kettles. My carpenter husband crafted some writing desks for the bedrooms and I put an ad in a writing magazine. The result has gone from strength to strength, providing a peaceful nurturing environment for anyone to wants to write, read, paint, walk or just relax. Guests enjoy homecooking, good wine, a huge log fire, and complete freedom to be sociable or solitary.’
Deborah, writer & retreat owner, www.deborahdooleyjournalist.co.uk
‘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
‘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 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
‘Here’s my cozy little home office, which doubles as a shrine to Apple! The iMac stores all of my old work, and I use my beloved MacBook Air everyday. It’s hooked up to the Cloud, where almost all of my current work is stored, so I can pick up wherever I am and on whatever device.
Behind it is one of the original ‘Think Different’ Apple posters – here, picturing opera singer Maria Callas (I also have Bob Dylan, Miles Davis and Jim Henson). I picked up that Anglepoise lamp for an absolute bargain. It gives a nice warm light, and reminds me of a Pixar short, which is another inspirational company. I love working here.’
San Sharma, community manager at mobile app WorkSnug and business support company Enterprise Nation
‘I swoosh a cape for my superheroes from a neat corner workspace. It’s compact but I focus better if my desk is well-ordered. Hardware consists of a super-pretty, super-fast iMac, iPhone4, printer and external HD – next on my list is an iPad2 so I can be more of a nomad. A great storage initiative has been the picture rails – they lift all of the clutter off my desk while keeping it close to hand. The rails hold a purplicious pin board [handy for essential numbers I need in daily sight]; a bunch of notebooks – from Moleskine to Muji – all with squared pages; and a stack of Helvetindex cards which have a subtle dot grid for capturing quick notes and ideas – love these. As a brand-geek, you might also spot splashes of purple and turquoise all over the place, and of course the odd pic of a superhero! After all, where would I be without them?’
Alyssa Aldersley, sidekick to superheroes.
‘I work in my little cottage on a solid pine table with a concealed drawer where I keep fresh notebooks, favourite pens, chocolate and keys. On my desk my must haves are my MacBook Air, radio (for R4), iPod and old desk lamp – I like to work in a spotlight for focus.
I’m only a few steps away from the kitchen, the kettle and snacks and, more importantly, available to open the garden door for a lazy cat.
I clear my desk every evening to enjoy the pleasure of starting each day with an invitingly empty space. Between times, it’s another story.’
Janet Marshall freelance writer & organiser of Forward Ladies in Lincolnshire.
‘I decluttered before photographing my home-working desk in Berlin, honestly! Normally I can’t see the desk under a sea of paper, often topped by a large cat. My dog is never far away. This workspace is the organised chaos of an expat mum. Beautiful, strange objects from friends and family surround me. Many items were collected during our five years spent living in Tokyo. The window looks over the garden so binoculars are at hand for bird-watching while procrastinating. Peace is rare thanks to an open-plan house, but that means am always in the midst of family life. This is not always conducive to work, so mostly I write late at night.’
Carole Hallett Mobbs, founder of expatchild.com, international relocation advice for parents
‘My various home-based jobs are almost comically diverse, ranging from music journalist to museum curator; from community coordinator to outsourced office organiser; from letterpress operator to event director. I wanted a space that I could feel at home in (in more ways than one!), and yet one which reflected the historic / contemporary dichotomy of my busy life. Remodelling the kitchen gave us the opportunity to transform the former dining room of our Victorian house. I particularly adore the quirkiness of having state of the art IT equipment sat on a lovely old desk, and the beautiful old letterpress type stored in equally beautiful wooden trays.’
Phil McMullen, multi-talented home worker
‘My home office is located in our living room so I needed to combine the practical and functional without taking over the room. I chose a bureau style desk to allow our living space not to be taken over by my home office. I selected two tall bookcases to allow me to store all my books and files but I have complimented these with personal accessories, again to make the area feel more like a living room. My home office is my central hub. I write my two blogs here, work on my business start up and also just enjoy working in the space. Having a bureau style desk allows me to put my office “away” and spend time with the family.’
Andrea Morgan, blogger, tryingtobalancethemadness.wordpress.com
‘I wake up startled it’s Monday! but alas there’s no need to rush I’m not late for work I’m already there. I mosy on out of the bedroom still in my boxers no suit required and I enter the kitchen but it’s not really the kitchen not at this moment it’s the office, the boardroom, the creative zone, my workspace, where I manage and make decisions. To my left there is my multipurpose dining table. Today it’ll be where I intend to create the best piece of architectural design yet and tonight it’ll be where I try to impress a new date with some candlelit home cooking but before I forget myself it’s also where I make and drink my morning coffee. My work day’s just begun.’
Simon Cooper, Designer & Visualiser
‘Office pets are rightly an important feature in home offices. My home office pet is a lemon grass. That’s right, the plant you put in your curry. My desk is in front of a window at the front of the house so I felt a bit exposed to the never ending parade of builders in my road. I needed a solution and my lemon grass was officially adopted as my office pet. He/she/it sits on my desk and it’s light green leaves provide a visual screen while keeping all the wonderful sunlight streaming into the room. The leaves curve over at a metre high and descend downwards with beautiful grace. The scent is delightful and refreshing, its presence uplifting, and when it gets too big, I make a curry.’ 😉
Rosie Slosek, practical life-business accounting help for one man bands in the UK, www.onemanbandaccounting.co.uk
