When creating a home office, there really is no rule as to where you should place it. If you have an extra room to make into an office, then by all means, use it as such. However, for some of us, space is a precious commodity in our home. Therefore, you may wonder whether you should have a home office at all. The answer is... you can put whatever you choose in your home. The hard part, is making it look appropriate and well placed.
I've walked into many homes where there is a computer and desk in the living room or the kitchen. But, people tend to stick to the tried and true desk and desk chair with wheels. Trust me, this does not look cute! The picture you see here is my living room's office space. As you can see, I placed a vintage chair as my office desk chair. It's very comfortable, believe it or not, and I'm not sacrificing my vintage decor. Artwork and the pieces you place around your desk are just as important. If you keep your vintage look in mind, you can make the viewer completely miss the hideous computer. By placing a large piece of artwork behind the desk and above the monitor (as I've done here), you draw the eye of the viewer upward and not straight towards the computer. The chair has the same effect. Because it's unique in its form, it draws the eye downward. Notice also the fact that the chair is an old windsor chair with columns on its back. It does not have a solid back. If you have a small space to work with, open backs work best when choosing a chair. The reason being, that it forces the eye to look through it, thus making the space appear larger than it really is.
Hint: Unique chairs such as this one can be found at local vintage shops and boutiques. They can run anywhere from $25-$400, depending on where you look. The $400 ones are usually new chairs that have been made to look old. Personally, I like the real thing. I paid $35 for this chair at Blue Moon Trading Co. in South Tampa. Another option, if you are the frugal type, is to look through your local thrift store and pick out any chair for its "bones" and not it's finished look. This way you can sand it down and paint it the color your would like for your home decor. Between the paint, sand paper and chair, it will probably cost you somewhere around $20 and it will be a unique piece that you made! I hope this helps you solve your "office" problem!
Happy Decorating!
Mina
