Basement Home Office Design Tips

Basement Home Office Design Tips

As more and more of us make the shift to working from home permanently, having a well-designed home office is a must. Rather than sacrifice valuable living space, however, have you ever considered a basement home office? Turning your basement into a home office allows you to make the most out of previously unused space while offering the perfect location to overcome many of the distractions that come with working from home. To help you make the most out of your next basement office project, we’ve put together a list of handy design tips to keep in mind when planning your basement home office.

Add a Separate Entrance and Soundproofing

If you’re one of those many client-facing professionals now making the shift to a full-time work-from-home environment, you’ll definitely want to add a separate entrance to your basement home office. Having an entrance separate from the one you and the rest of your family use not only protects your and your family’s privacy but also looks more professional than leading clients through the rest of your home to get to the meeting place.

Soundproofing your basement home office is especially important when hosting meetings or joining conference calls. The last thing you want is noise from your family room interrupting an important conversation!

Make Full Use of the Space Available to You

Space is a crucial factor when designing a basement home office. You want to be able to do everything you would normally be able to do in a conventional office without feeling cramped. Start by marking off the area you plan to use for your home office with some paper or tape to get a feel of how much free space will be left. Once you have an idea of how much space you have available, pick out efficient and space-saving décor like foldable desks and storage units. Make sure you do this before your basement renovation begins to avoid any surprises down the line.

Use Space-Efficient Storage Units

While it may be tempting to grab any old shelf, cabinet, or bookcase to use as storage space in your new home office, your best bet to maximize your available space is to use space-efficient storage units. Think wall-mounted cabinets and shelves, and always go for more than you think you need. Floating shelves are great space savers and can be installed on practically any surface – keeping your basement home office tidy and clutter-free. Roll-out shelves and pull-out organizers also work great when there’s limited space available.

Make Sure You’re Well Connected

Basement home offices tend to be more demanding in terms of electrical wiring and connectivity than other rooms in your home. Since basements are typically used as storage or utility spaces, your basement may lack the electrical outlets you need for all your office equipment, or they may be in the wrong place. Moreover, you also need to consider internet and cell phone connectivity. How good is your Wi-Fi signal in your basement? What about cell phone reception? Before you start renovating your basement into your dream home office, put some serious thought into where you need your electrical outlets to be, whether you need to run any cables down from your router and whether you need to install a cell signal booster.

Don’t Skimp on the Lighting

Adding adequate lighting to your basement helps create a warm and inviting, yet functional work environment. Proper lighting is essential if you plan on spending long hours in your basement, and you’ll want to add a combination of ambient and task lighting. Ambient lighting is what lights your whole basement, such as ceiling fixates and any daylight that comes in through upper windows. Task lighting is more flexible and can be directed to illuminate your work area specifically, such as a desk lamp or track lighting. Whatever configuration you choose, make sure you have plenty of light to minimize eye strain and fatigue.

Create Your Dream Basement Home Office with Kurmak Builders

From design to completion, Kurmak Builders is Calgary’s premier renovation contractor, specializing in basement renovations and home office conversions. We take pride in taking the stress and guesswork out of all our client projects and delivering world-class service at a fixed price. Call us at 403-277-5525 or GET IN TOUCH with us online to book your free basement home office renovation consultation today.