How to Create a Home Office You'll Love Working In

BONUS TOPIC: HOW TO CREATE A HOME OFFICE YOU’LL LOVE WORKING IN 2 — THE RENO SCHOOL HOW TO CREATE A HOME OFFICE YOU’LL LOVE WORKING IN— 3

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION HOW TO CREATE A HOME If you work from home a lot, forget about squeezing your office in a hallway, under the stairs or in a tiny room at the back of the house. You’re going OFFICE YOU’LL LOVE to be clocking a lot of hours in this space, so placing your office in pole position makes a lot of sense. In my Forever Home, my home office is located on the top WORKING IN level of the house, in a large, airy room with the best view. I figured if I was going to spend so much time there, why not? The modern workplace has had a real makeover. More people than ever are working remotely, and the popularity of the home office continues DESK POSITION to grow as people embrace more flexibility in their working arrangements. It’s often convenient and space saving to position an office desk so it faces a windowless wall. While I love working from home, but I definitely don’t

MODULE THREE – BONUS TOPIC this might seem like a sensible plan, it’s not a very inspiring outlook for the person who’ll be spending want to be tucked away in a small room in my a lot of time sitting there; much better to arrange the furniture so your back is against the wall and house that’s officially labelled the study; I want you are facing the room. my home office to be bright and beautiful – a space that makes me want to sit down and open By Lana my laptop. Creating this type of office in my own FRESH AIR, EVERYWHERE! home was a total game changer, and it could be for you, too. Depending on the climate you live in, having fresh air Here are my top tips for creating your ultimate circulating through your office, home office. feeding your nostrils and brain, can be energising. In my home office I have bi-fold doors that provide an awesome cross- breeze. Look around your space. Is there anything you can do to increase airflow? 4 — THE RENO SCHOOL HOW TO CREATE A HOME OFFICE YOU’LL LOVE WORKING IN— 5 MODULE THREE – BONUS TOPIC 6 — THE RENO SCHOOL HOW TO CREATE A HOME OFFICE YOU’LL LOVE WORKING IN— 7

MAKE A STATEMENT BUTLER’S OFFICE, BABY! Let me ask two quick questions. Who’s heard of a butler’s pantry? OK great, now who’s heard of a Work, by definition, isn’t always fun, but butler’s office? Exactly what I thought: loads of heads nodding for the first question, not so many for that doesn’t mean the place where it the second. happens can’t be beautiful. Don’t be afraid to mix business with pleasure – statement pieces can add a lot of unexpected excitement to an office. When I fell in love with this fancy chandelier, I didn’t worry that it wasn’t standard office furniture, SO WHAT THE HECK IS I hung it loud and proud right over my desk. And you know what, it makes me A BUTLER’S OFFICE? happy every time I walk into the room. A butler’s office is a smallish space (mine is about 4 sqm) located next to the kitchen – it’s an LUXE CHAIRS open-plan workspace that is connected to the living Don’t settle for a standard swivel chair that spaces around it. you’d find in Aldi. This is your home, so push the boat out a little and consider spending MODULE THREE – BONUS TOPIC more time and money hunting down a chair that looks and feels great. Having said that, some health gurus claim that sitting is the new smoking and I, for one, think a standing desk is a great option. Butler’s GO OPEN PLAN office It can be hard to separate work and family life so if you’re brave enough and think it might work for you, why not embrace the mix of work and family by creating an open-plan office in a central part of the home? I created a second office (yes, I have two offices) in the heart of the home – directly off the kitchen. I call it the butler’s office. 8 — THE RENO SCHOOL HOW TO CREATE A HOME OFFICE YOU’LL LOVE WORKING IN— 9

WHAT ARE THE MUST-HAVE STILL NOT CONVINCED YOU NEED A BUTLER’S OFFICE? FEATURES OF A BUTLER’S OFFICE? Sure, I hear you. Perhaps creating a kitchen-adjacent office seems like a lot of trouble and expense to go to, especially if you’ve got a perfectly good home office right down the hall. But before you • Seamless cabinetry that looks like write this idea off completely, let me paint you a few scenarios of life without a butler’s office (I’m sure the kitchen cabinets. a couple of these will feel oh so familiar): • Deep shelves behind the cabinetry that can fit a printer and other 1. You won’t be able to find a clear spot on the dining table for dinner thanks to the ‘office-y’ essentials. mountains of papers and letters, not to mention the laptop, power cord, phone • Drawers for pens, pencils, rulers, and multiple battery chargers piled up there. sticky tape – you know, all the stuff you wish was close to the kitchen 2. You’ll end up with RSI from writing all your emails on your phone because but never is. you’ve got things to do in the kitchen and don’t have the time or the space to set up your laptop. • Plenty of power points (internet routers and USB charger ports) in the 3. The quality of your work will drop because you’ve had to retreat to that cupboards and above the desk. uninspiring isolated room you call the study. And even if you do manage to • A built-in desk with one or two cool shut yourself up in the study, you know your kids are going to come looking for chairs. you the second they get hungry, which is all the time. • A half-wall to hide the desk and (let’s be honest) the mess. Make it about 4. OR, you might miss that critical email notification about the Sass & Bide MODULE THREE – BONUS TOPIC 1300 high so you can still see over warehouse sale because you were buttering bread when you could have been the top when seated. doing both!

• Elevate the whole thing on a platform Why compromise when you can have it all? to give it a true ‘control tower’ aspect.

OK, LANA. I’M INTERESTED. NOW WHERE CAN I GET A BUTLER’S OFFICE? WHY WOULD YOU NEED A BUTLER’S OFFICE? Alas this isn’t something you can buy off the rack. Ideally, your kitchen guy should be able to build this for you as part of the kitchen so it all looks seamless. If he doesn’t know where to start, get him Lifestyle! We’re working more than ever as a nation, and in the digital age it’s almost impossible to to call Ronnie at Carrera by Design in Sydney – he built mine. separate work from home life. So rather than fight it, embrace the blurring lines and create a space that satisfies both needs while also helping you stay on top of running a busy household.. Get ready to see the once-coveted butler’s pantry replaced by an open-style butler’s office that allows mum or CAN I USE IT FOR OTHER THINGS? dad to float between serving afternoon tea and closing a mega-deal via email or simply paying some Absolutely! You’ve got a DJ booth at the ready or an extra bar area if you have a party. bills. It’s also a great place for the kids to do their homework, especially if they’re at an age where they need a little help with it or some discreet supervision of their screen time. IS IT REALLY FOR BUTLERS? Heck no 10 — THE RENO SCHOOL HOW TO CREATE A HOME OFFICE YOU’LL LOVE WORKING IN— 1 1

Rate Bonnie’s Study

Have a look at the design of Bonnie’s study and look at all the design elements she included. How does it rate versus the advice I gave at the beginning of this topic? MODULE THREE – BONUS TOPIC THERENOSCHOOL.COM #THERENOSCHOOL