Ask the Expert

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Home Office Illustration
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Home Office Illustration

I have a small room I'd like to convert into a home office. What tips do you have?

"When it comes to the color of this space, I would stay with something that goes along with the rest of the colors in the home and choose more neutrals and maybe a sky blue as an accent color," says Victoria Smeltzer, an assistant designer at The Design Center with Sandy Sutton in Hot Springs.

When it comes to choosing the color, it's a vital choice as various hues have real, if subconscious, psychological effects.

White, the most popular color for home offices, offers a simple, sleek, timeless and clean look and enables a wider variety of choices for furnishing and accessorizing the space, while blue is believed to be one of the more productive colors, producing feelings of stability. Green is thought to encourage more creative, outside-the-box thinking.

Some colors may not be conducive to productivity. Red is an intense color that may hamper analytical thinking, while brown is believed to instill a relaxed, laid-back mood.

As for lighting, it's good to strive for a mixture of sources, Smeltzer says.

"I personally prefer natural lighting and I think most people do too," she says. She suggests simple window treatments, such as blinds, shutters or window shades that, when open, can let in natural light.

When it comes to artificial light, she advocates good recessed lighting as well as some small-task lighting.

A floor lamp in the corner of the room is a welcome addition, Smeltzer says.

She recommends furnishing the room with a desk with an ample desktop and some built-in drawer space. Add a comfortable office chair and some file drawers.

She suggests having a bookcase but not filling it completely.

"Don't pack it completely full of stuff. You want the space to feel light and you want it to flow freely and not feel cluttered so it won't interfere with the work flow and your thought process," Smeltzer says.

She says it's a good idea to add a small accent or coffee table and a convertible piece of furniture such as a chair and a half that folds out into a bed, especially if the room will do double-duty as a guest bedroom.

"I would keep the furnishings minimal," she advises. "And the accessories as well." Try to limit them to a desk or wall calendar and a white board or a bulletin board with just a handful of decorative items.

"As a designer, I like the idea of having a bulletin board with pushpins in my work space where I can put up inspirational images to help my creative thought process."

The key is to keep it practical and simple and create a place where work can flow uninterrupted.

Do you have a decorating or remodeling question? Send your question to Linda S. Haymes, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or email:

[email protected]

HomeStyle on 06/18/2016

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