Carve Out a Workspace at the Heart of your Home

Let’s face it – the boundaries between home and work have blurred since the onset of the global pandemic. Businesses across the world have shifted gears, inviting work into their homes in an effort to slow the spread.

While the perks of working from home are aplenty, carving out a functional, stimulating, and organized workspace at home has been a challenge for some. While working from home, there might be a constant need to juggle between the demands of a growing family and likewise, a growing career path. Creating a productive and functional work environment right at the center of your home may help you multitask effectively while bringing newfound harmony to daily activities.

While bedrooms and front porches have doubled up as makeshift home offices, the benefits of owning a dedicated work zone are indeed undeniable. For one, setting your workspace in a central space can help you keep an eye on your dependents while giving you the peace of mind you need to focus on your office goals.

Second, aligning your work zone with your home’s hub can ease up your need to keep up with the constant marathon of running your home, raising your family, and putting on a bright, brave face for your recurring morning meeting. Last but not the least, by making way for a workstation in your home’s prime real estate (aka your kitchen), you’ll rest easy knowing your life-saving cup of joe is just within arm’s reach!

Here are a few ideas that can help you create your very own kitchen cubicle so you can be your best self both at work and at home.

Island Life

If you are an up and go kind of a person who loves to travel light and enjoy the island life, your kitchen island (or peninsula) is a perfect space for you to set up (or pack up) portable, hassle-free work devices. Plus, the potential spaciousness of your kitchen island can make sharing your workspace with your house crew a breeze while giving you the flexibility to “desk hop” as you please. With built-in kitchen islands offering the convenience of ample legroom, easy access to electrical outlets, and base cabinet storage space for your office essentials, there’s no better place to get your job done while making sure your folks are taken care of.  

Base Station

If you are a full-on workaholic who loves to set camp in a permanent spot and stay equipped with an armful of work devices and office supplies, consider a dedicated workstation that blends in effortlessly with the rest of your cabinet and countertop layout. Create a solid kitchen office by installing desk height cabinetry that are lower than the standard cabinet height. Craft your own work nook powered by undercabinet lighting, chalkboard painted backsplash walls, and plenty of cabinet space to tuck away those unsightly cords. Or if you are into the casual vibe of counter-height work areas, pick your bar stool of choice and go for a standard height cabinet configuration that allows for plenty of legroom and cozy under-the-counter seating.  

Bells and Whistles

Maximize on cabinetry add-ons and optimize on kitchen space by giving added purpose to   your kitchen drawers and cabinet pullouts. Use pullout shelves to house your computer accessories and roomy drawers to store not-so-often-utilized devices such as printers and scanner machines. Repurpose your tall cabinet pullouts to organize your office files and ensure easy access when unexpected work needs arise.

Walkie-Talkie

If work for you means being on your feet to seal the deal, make room for all the action by using awkward corners and unexploited walls to set up the minimalist office space your work demands. Install corner shelves or foldable, wall-mounted desks to instill functionality and life into dead wall space. Or table the shelves, call dibs on your kitchen’s window seating area, and bask in the glory of natural light all while optimizing the floorspace you need to walk the talk.

The Cloffice

For those fierce workers who need firm boundaries between work and home, small kitchen extensions (storage closets or walk-in pantries) can transform into tiny home offices and help you compartmentalize. Thrive in this private work nook or take a quick step into home life – either way, show them who’s the boss!

Ready to reimagine the possibilities for a suitable workspace in your kitchen area? Check out Fabuwood’s exclusive inspiration gallery and explore kitchen configurations that can help you strike a healthy work-life balance at the very heart of your home.