How to Create a Home Office in Your Kitchen

Many people work from home and require a home office, but not everyone has an extra room to designate solely as an office. Having a separate room for a home office is a plus, but it isn't really necessary for success. If you don't have an extra room in your home to designate as your workspace, an area in the kitchen can be the next best thing to a private room - if your kitchen is large enough to accommodate home office necessities. The following information will help you design and setup an office in your kitchen.

Finding Space

Larger kitchens quite often have an unused area or an area that could be reworked to accommodate a kitchen office. Even smaller kitchens can be used to your advantage when you need to create a kitchen office. If you have space for a small desk, or if you can spare a small area of counter space, you can create a kitchen office that will take care of your needs. With a little extra hardware and creativity you can make a kitchen office that is every bit as good or better than an enclosed office in a private room.

I had a kitchen office in my last home, and I took advantage of unutilized space and a corner seat at the breakfast bar. I turned a portion of my kitchen into an office that I used to write hundreds of articles, and although this area of my home was somewhat busy, it was a better choice than the living room or family room where the television was constantly blaring. The little corner I chose to create my workspace met my needs, and my kitchen office didn't look out of place or the least bit messy. Because it was located in a small corner of my kitchen, I was better at keeping it organized and uncluttered.

Helpful Hardware

It's easy to create a computer center in the kitchen with mounting hardware. A single-axis mount will enable you to hang your computer monitor on a wall or under an upper cabinet. This type of mount rotates 180 degrees, and will allow you to view it from practically any angle. With glides and a pullout desktop just large enough to accommodate a keyboard, you can easily tuck it away beneath a cabinet or countertop. Checkout Rockler.com for more great ideas to fit your lifestyle as well as all of your cabinetry and hardware needs.

Wire Solutions

Are you concerned with having a number of cords and wires running across a countertop? With grommets and specialized covers to hide and protect wires, they'll remain tangle-free and contained. You'll be amazed by the accessory options available to those wanting to create an organized office area. Before I began searching for hardware and accessories for my kitchen office, I had no idea these products existed.

Lighting Options

Sufficient lighting is important in any work area, and lighting a kitchen office can be a challenge. If your available space doesn't have extra room to accommodate a standard desk lamp, consider task lighting that mounts under cabinetry. Consider installing Xenon lighting instead of ordinary cabinet-mounted fixtures. These types of bulbs last far longer than incandescent bulbs, the color is more natural and easier on the eyes, and the bulbs create less heat in a room that is typically warmer than other areas of the home.