How to Create a Contemporary and Traditional Home Office

A contemporary home office is one with a modern, upbeat look. It has a pleasant environment in which to work and it suits many businesses. You can choose from many types of furniture built with the sleek lines of the contemporary style that allows plenty of legroom. Smart and functional, contemporary decor has a lighter, brighter look than traditional with the use of glass and steel mixed in with melamine and wood-grain finishes.

Modular computer desks include features of contemporary style but it is also ergonomic and comfortable to work at. Contemporary style features glass-topped tables, however, most computer or work desks maintain a wooden or melamine work surface. While a work surface of glass shows every speck of dust, it creates an illusion of space, wonderful if you are working in a small area.

Consider using a glass-topped table and funky chairs for meeting with your clients. Make sure the chairs are comfortable. A glass-topped table will create light and an airy feeling of space. Pearl gray table legs and a frame will not be intrusive through the glass top.

Contemporary decor in your office will offset the space taken by the computer desk and storage. Light colored wood-grain or even a brightly colored work surface will add to the contemporary style. Funky artwork on the walls will not take up any floor space, but will enhance the modern stylishness of the furniture.

Color is important. You can achieve the right blend of color with filing cabinets or storage areas. Set them together for a smooth, un-cluttered look and think of unusual ways to hold all those small items that tend to be strewn about your workspace. For instance, glass storage jars can hang from underneath a high shelf if you screw the lids to the shelf. Then you can simply unscrew the jars for access.

A traditional style sofa or easy chairs will take up more room; if you go contemporary, you will gain room without sacrificing comfort. Two easy chairs with a glass-topped table for the client's coffee mug or papers is sufficient in the meeting zone of the office.

Use wood or a wood-grain vinyl to keep the flooring streamlined and easy to clean. If you have carpet, make sure the pile is short so that wheeled chairs will roll over it freely. Brightly colored walls can enhance the contemporary design of your modern office.

Great Ideas for Creating a Traditional Style Home Office

A home office styled in the traditional way creates comfort. Many people use this style of decor. If you want to keep your clients focused on the business rather than the furnishings, then go with traditional decor.

Traditional decor uses neutral tones; wall colors of beige, gray or pale blue. These colors are restful and soothing and the light colors offset the heaviness of the dark wood or wood-grained furniture. You can incorporate many beautiful pieces of furniture into the traditionally styled office. The richness of the grain is a subtle statement of quality. Use tall storage to gain the space you may lose in the bulk of the piece. Keep lines simple and flowing, with ornamentation understated rather than obvious.

Your computer desk could be big, old and heavy with lots of room on top and small pockets for storage along the back. Drawers down the sides are a feature of this desk.

While the furniture may be on the heavy side, you can lighten the overall look by adding color accents in the seat padding and decorations. The pictures on the walls should reflect the traditional theme with sailing ships or country scenes. You can do this in sepia or pencil sketches, or subtle coloring. The frames should be rich timber to match the color of the other furniture.

Even traditional offices like to have the efficiency of more modern window treatments; so if glare is a problem in your office, install vertical drapes rather than traditional roller blinds. Wooden Venetian blinds are another option. Curtains -- if you decide on them -- should be understated and can match or tone with the seating.

Lighting for the traditional office consists of normal overhead fixtures along with a desk lamp or two. Brass fittings look great and enhance the traditional look while the shades can be dark green. Potted plants, such as ferns or palms, will add a touch of elegance to your traditional office. A timber framed container to put the pots in continues the traditional theme. Flooring consists of quiet carpet in neutral colors that must have a short pile for those wheeled computer chairs to ride over easily.

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Author (bskcom). Submitted on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 Time: 5:13 AM

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