The Office: Laying out an Oddly Shaped Room

Our Office project is going to be a Furnishing Project. Based on the need-finding we explained in the Setting the Stage post, we only need a furniture solution rather than a structural solution, which would be a Restructure Project. The first part of a Flashbent Furnishing Project is working with the client to choose a layout for the space. Since it's our own project, we are our own clients!

As I mentioned in the previous post, the room we're transforming is very awkwardly shaped. There are lots of doors, the room slants, and there is a built-in window bench. Due to this difficult configuration of space, we decided to mock up a few different layouts in AutoCAD to ensure that real furniture could actually fit in the space. Typically rough sketches would suffice for allowing the client to see the layout opportunities for their space, but precision was key in this case. The layouts had to have:

• a desk (preferably two)
• chairs (preferably two)
• a sleeper couch 

So here we go!

Layout A: This is a basic arrangement, utilizing the right wall for my desk and the couch. The desk is a little too small for the type of school & business work I anticipate doing in the future.

Layout B: This layout features the main desk near the closet, providing a location for a printer, while also being close to the Ethernet port near the main door. The smaller desk in the corner can be used for my computer work, but again is too small for any layout or drafting work.

Layout C: This layout utilizes the right wall for the full desk space, leaving the window seat open as an alternate seating space to the couch. However, it's a tight squeeze between the desk and the wall to the bathroom.

Layout D: In this layout, there are two different sized desks that are arranged more towards the center of the room. It seems a little tight.

Layout E: This last layout places the desks around the edges, leaving access to the window bench. Also like Layout B, having the main desk near the closet is ideal.

Given the need for large desk space for me and the proximity of the main desk to the closet, we decided to go with Layout E.

Up next is the exciting part, determining the style, where we choose the aesthetic for the room.  Do we want Modern? Traditional? Eclectic? Glam? Check back for the next post to find out!

{Rashida}

The Office: Setting the Stage

While our first real project for Flashbent is underway, we also have a little project of our own: converting a bedroom into our home office. We currently have an office, but it's really only a place where my hubby works, plus the space is small and the furniture is too big.

The goal of this project is to:

• Provide a space in which I can do my school work (so I am not doing it on my favorite place... the kitchen table)
• Create a space that is ready to meet with potential clients
• Provide a space for Ben to still do work, as this would be his new office as well

We are treating ourselves like one of our own clients so we can solidify our process, deliverables, and time frame. To use the tech industry's term, we will be "eating our own dog food."

This space is going to have to accomplish a lot:

• It needs to provide computer space and potentially layout space for me and my projects
• It needs to be a space for Ben to work with multiple monitors
• It needs to double as a guest room
• It will also need to serve as a "man cave" of sorts

Given the room's awkward small shape, we have an added challenge of furnishing the room without completely blocking windows, doors, and pathways.

Small bedroom with barely any wall space and a lot of doors.

In the next post, I'll talk about the different layouts I created to meet our goals and design challenges.

Stay tuned,

{Rashida}