“We have much greater productivity, freedom, less waste of time and less environmental pollution,” explains Jorg Ostrowski. “From a security perspective, it gives eyes to the neighbourhood and builds community, reducing vandalism and burglary.”

Jorg’s private home office also serves as guest bedroom, family room and music room. While his wife Helen’s home office is their garage converted into reception, display and conference areas. “Forget about desktops,” he says. “We converted all over to notebooks which are ergonomic, more secure, energy conservers, space saving and flexible.” Like the Ostrowskis, most of their Calgary subconsultants and contractors, from engineers to accountants, are all home-based.

Ostrowski and his colleagues are not alone. More and more Calgary homeowners are not only working in but living and thriving with their home offices. Many new Calgary homes already have home offices while older homes are being retrofitted. “In my view, people are so conscious of their lifestyle now,” says Calgary interior designer Jerilyn Wright. “(The home office) is about lifestyle, it’s about energy, it’s about everything…The new reality of the home office is it’s ergonomic, connected and fluid.”

Before home offices were typically limited downstairs to dark, damp basements, says Wright. Now in smaller homes, she observes her Calgary clients create their home office spaces in multifunctional rooms. While in larger homes, homeowners often choose dedicated home offices. Increasingly, she says they’re converting their separate formal dining rooms into their home office.

She says home office clients are facing newer issues such as security systems which will secure their work and increased insurance. As for home office budgets, Wright says they can range from $2,000 for simple IKEA-like setups to higher-end $5,000-10,000-plus for expensive, custom millwork.

“We are seeing Calgary homeowners wanting spaces designed custom to meet their lifestyle,” says Tamara Livingstone, interior designer, Sticks and Stones Design Group. These custom pieces, she says, can be built-ins to maximize space for the individual user. Some examples might be shelving built to fit specific binder or book sizes, cabinets installed at heights convenient for the homeowner, and space planning that ergonomically enhances the way the user works in the space.

Livingstone says consumers should keep in mind that offices are no longer dull and sterile places. Cabinets and furniture can be built to any décor style needed. “A homeowner doesn’t to limit themselves to basic gray filing cabinets when now beautiful wooden panels that match other furniture are now available,” she says. Most people don’t enjoy clutter, she says, and there are so many products out there that are simple to use to hide large messes.

Wireless and satellite
Calgary residential interior designer Kevin Gray sees two leading trends in Calgary home offices: wireless technology and satellite offices. “Wireless technology is changing how people think of the home office," says Gray, of Sizeland Evans Interior Design. “No longer are you bound to one room, but you can pick up your laptop and do your work anywhere around the house.” The wireless technology means a room doesn’t have to be dedicated to the ‘office’. At the most, you need a small desk in the corner of the den, he says, for example, as the docking/recharging stations and paperwork storage.

“On the flipside, more people are setting up ‘satellite offices’ at home to be able to work remotely from their main place of work,” says Gray. “In some cases, their employers are putting some budget towards the space, usually in the way of furniture and equipment.” More firms recognize the need, he says, to accommodate the increasing variety of employee situations in the changing workplace, benefiting employees and employers.

Calgary homeowners have many home office options open to them, from flat-pack office furniture to completely custom (freestanding or built-in)furnishings.
Compared to five years ago, the variety and quality of home office products available to Calgarians have increased, suggests Gray. “In part, that’s due to new suppliers, or existing suppliers carrying more brands, and the consumer becoming more aware of design trends.” NL

For more infomation, visit:
ASH-Autonomous & Sustainable Housing
www.ecobuildings.net

Jerilyn Wright
www.jwadesign.com

Sticks and Stones Design Group
www.sticksandstones.ca

Sizeland Evans Interior Design
www.sizelandevans.com

Furnishing your office

You can shop around Calgary furniture and office supply stores like IKEA and Staples Business Depot and adopt almost any desk, table, chairs and cabinet as your own office furniture.  “There are so many places to get these kinds of items these days, “says Kevin Gray of Sizeland Evans Interior Design. “I don’t really bother about ‘trends’ when it comes to furniture.  The introduction of wireless networking and flat screen monitors means in some instances people do not necessarily need as much desk space for computer work these days.”

A wise choice might be investing in custom-made furniture or choosing home office furniture from recommended Calgary office furniture dealers. While some companies primarily focus on corporate office furniture workstations, their products can cross-over into the residential market depending on the options and styles you choose, advises Gray.

For modular systems furniture, experts recommend:
RGO Office Products http://www.rgo.ab.ca
RGO is probably the easiest set-up for the home office buyer, says Gray. The store is excellent for its Steelcase products. Their “lightly used” furniture offers consumers an alternative to buying at full retail cost but still decent quality products for their home office.
403-569-4400,  #100, 229-33rd Street NE.

Element Integrated Workplace solution http://www.elementiws.com
Element carries modular and regular office furniture.  Experts like their range of lines such as DIRTT Environmental Solutions; Knoll; Izzy Design; Spaceco; Cape; KP Manufacturing; Keilhauer; Neinkamper; Markant; Standard Desk; Kimball and National.
403-243-0984,   140, 4411-6th Street SE

For freestanding desks, they suggest:
Domicile Interiors
While not a mainstream retailer, Gray says they can get you any kind of desk you want, from many different suppliers, or even custom-made.  The range of furniture suppliers feature anything from old-fashioned ‘bankers’ style desk to a very contemporary leather-top desk, and many varieties in between.
403-262-9780, 715-11 Avenue SW

Pottery Barn http://www.potterybarn.ca
Experts favour their small range of interesting desks, stylish corner units, nice desk lighting options, which are priced well for their look.
403-259-2100, Chinook Centre, 6455 Macleod Trail SW