10 Ways to Create a Family-friendly Home Office
Here’s How to Design a Home Office That Functions for the Whole Family
Between work-from-home life, the kids’ homework time, and the occasional weekend craft project, your peaceful home can quickly turn into a workspace that rivals the chaos of the New York Stock Exchange. Separate work from play with a dedicated home office that functions for the whole family. The LiLi Tile Team shares 10 ways to create a family-friendly home office that works overtime to accommodate everything from conference calls to science fair projects.
10 Tips for Family-friendly Home Office Design
1. Choose a Quiet Spot in the House
So, you’re looking to create a family-friendly home office design. Chances are your current work-from-home setup is spilling into your living areas, making it impossible not to take work home with you. When it comes to work-life balance, an open-concept plan may not be the best choice. Separate your home life from your work life by choosing a dedicated area for your home office. Preferably, your home office should be in a quiet room, closed off and free from distractions.
2. Create Multiple Work Areas
Sharing the home office with everyone in the family means the space has to work overtime. Create multiple work areas so each family member has a designated spot to work. Consider space-saving solutions, such as built-in desks along the perimeter. On the other hand, you could take a more collaborative approach with a large work table set up in the center of the room. Consider everyone’s work tasks, creating spots for computer work, reading, studying, and art projects
3. Designate Screen and No-screen Zones
While video calls, spreadsheets, and research require the computer, other tasks such as reading, crafting, and math homework are better done sans screens. Designate screen and no-screen zones in your home office so you and the kids can have a distraction-free environment for those hands-on tasks. Consider creating a cozy reading nook for the kids to tackle their summer reading lists or a craft corner for science and art projects.
4. Add Plenty of Storage
Clear the clutter and clear your mind. Screens aren’t the only distraction to worry about in your home office. Stacks of papers, misplaced supplies, and general messiness can slow down your workflow and create a chaotic atmosphere. With the whole family utilizing the space, storage must be a top priority. Add storage built-ins and invest in space-saving containers to ensure everything has a place and no one has to search for printer paper and ink cartridges the morning their project is due.
5. Have Fun with Some Color
Work doesn’t have to be a drag, and neither does your home office. Create a welcoming and creative space by having some fun with colors, patterns, and textures. Design a space you’ll love by investing in materials that spark a little joy. We’re all about color here at LiLi because we know just how impactful it is on your design and your mood. After all, you should feel good going into your workday!
6. Bring in a Whiteboard
While the home office design is important, so is the function. Make it a real workspace by bringing in a whiteboard. A whiteboard is a versatile tool to map out deadlines, brainstorm project ideas, and even plan the weekly family chore chart. You can even use a section of the board to create time slots for each family member to use the space, quiet hours, and more.
7. Assemble Mission Control
You can use your home office for so much more than work and school projects. It’s time to assemble mission control and make the space the central hub of family life. Get a large wall calendar to plan the family schedule, keeping track of sports practices, vacations, and visits from the in-laws. Display a chore chart to keep everyone on track through the week. Set up a small area for paying bills, planning grocery lists, and doing anything else it takes to keep the house running smoothly. It’ll be nice to have everyone’s activities mapped out in one place.
8. Select Durable Materials
A family-friendly home office needs to stand up to a lot of traffic and still look good as your video-call background. Choose durable materials that will hold up against science fair volcanoes, art class self portraits, and whatever else your family works on. Consider using quartz for work surfaces, scuff-proof paint, and durable cement tiles for the floor. Did you know that cement tiles are easy to maintain and can even be refinished if they get scratched? Sounds like this design choice deserves some extra credit.
9. Make Room for Arts and Crafts
We all like a nice weekend off, but there’s no reason why your home office has to close up shop. Get even more use out of your space by creating designated zones in the office for weekend activities. Your home office can double as a family craft room, a quiet reading area, or even a space for family game night. Keep your finishes and materials cozy, bright, and fun to encourage use every day of the week.
10. Curate an Inspirational Space
You don’t want the family home office to feel like a dull gray cubicle. Create an inspirational space that energizes and motivates the entire family by selecting finishes in beautiful colors and patterns. Bring the whole family into the design process by bringing them to the paint store to help choose colors and browsing together online to find a bold cement tile that grounds the look. Working together to design the space will make it feel shared and personalized.
Start Creating Your Family-friendly Home Office
Don’t wait until Monday to get to work on your new home office design. You have all the tips and tools to get started on a design that will impress the boss on your next video call but, most importantly, inspire your family through every task ahead.
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