Interior Designer's HOME OFFICE | TOC design Tania Scardellato

As an architectural designer working & meeting customers from a home office, it behooves me to have on-hand hundreds if not thousands of samples; from materials like tile sample-boards, counter-tops, flooring & molding examples, wall coverings, fabrics, different functional lighting technologies, home hardware & electronics, paint chips, media tech catalogs, magazines, inspirational interior design books, decorative items, and so much more.
But this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of a functional, ergonomic & organized office space dedicated to design creativity while satisfying the customer's experience that he is working with a true professional...after all would you trust a designer that boasts organization but spends hours during your consultation rummaging stacks of boxes and leaning towers of doodads for this or that?
Not likely, "Captain obvious!"
The importance of a properly designed home office ( especially when the space is also used as a meeting-place/showroom ) entails the comfort & positive experience of your customer in the following manner:
1. Exclusive office space with its own entrance separate from rest of home.
2. Ergonomic customer seating and ample presentation surfaces.
3. Dedicated customer computer screen(s) detailing CAD drawings & presentation in a show and tell manner.
4. Proper lighting ( LED lighting has come a long way )
5. Practical design touches ( hooks for purses, coats, umbrella stand, refreshments area, guest WIFI, etc...)
One of the greatest benefits of a home office is the freedom to design it with a distinct identity. In other words, we shouldn’t blend the workplace with the rest of our personal space, aka home.
Whether you call your "home office" a blessing or a curse, one thing’s for sure, your mood, productivity and most importantly the perception of your clients will be affected by how it is set up. Just as a cluttered desk is a cluttered mind, a disorganized home office may be the source of unnecessary mind-blocks to new ideas and solutions.