Turning your loft into a home office
With Covid-19 changing the way a lot of businesses work, there have been many employees who would normally be used to working in an office environment, working remotely. If you have an office set up at home, then the transition may not have been too painful, but if, like many, you’re left stuck at the kitchen table or in a room full of noisy children and a loud TV, it might be time to consider creating your own office space, so that you can be as productive as possible. That is, if the current pandemic has meant that you’ll be working remotely for the long run.
For most of us, our loft space is a place for ‘storage’ and, by storage, we mean junk that you’re probably never going to use and items you’d even forgotten you had. After years of ‘just put it in the loft’, you have probably accumulated a lot more than you care to admit and know that the room above your normal living space is wasted as a glorified cupboard. Perhaps it’s time to consider clearing this out completely and converting it into a loft office? By doing so, not only can you work from home (hopefully) undisturbed, but you can also add value to your property and create additional space for the family.
Before you begin to imagine the peace, quiet and tranquillity of a loft office, you need to know whether or not it’s even suitable to be converted. First of all, is your loft realistically a suitable size to convert to a loft home office? Remember, you’ll need sufficient head and floor space to cope with a desk and chair, as well as foot space and any other furniture you might need in there (if like most houses you have a pitched roof, there will be a lack of head space in certain parts of the room). If it’s big enough, is it structurally safe? Along with this, it is also able to adhere to all heat and sound regulations and can it be insulated sufficiently? All of the above need to be established before you commit to an conversion and if you’re unsure about whether or not you your loft space is suitable, Simply’s free site survey will be able to assess the space and let you know whether or not it is safe to go ahead with the build.
Good to go? Here’s how to make it your own:
Benefits of a loft office conversion
A loft office conversion has several benefits:
- Increased space: Converting a loft into an office provides an additional, separate space for work and productivity.
- Unique office environment: Loft conversions often have high ceilings, plenty of natural light, and a spacious, open feel, providing a unique and creative workspace.
- Cost savings: Loft conversions can be a more cost-effective solution than moving to a larger office or renting additional commercial space.
- Flexibility: Loft conversions can be designed and arranged to meet the specific needs of a business, providing a flexible and adaptable workspace.
- Improved work-life balance: Having a separate office space in the home can improve work-life balance and reduce stress by eliminating the need to commute to work.
- Increased property value: A well-designed loft conversion can add significant value to a property, making it a valuable investment for the future.
- Environmentally friendly: Loft conversions can be designed to be energy-efficient, reducing the carbon footprint of a business and helping to preserve the environment.
Build into the nooks
As mentioned above, most lofts are underneath pitched roofs, meaning there are a lot of awkward corners to contend with. However, these little nooks created by structural supports can actually be used to incorporate things like shelves and bookcases and, when done well, can bring a lot of character to your loft office. If you have a nook big enough, you can potentially even fit your desk inside it. Just make sure these little spots are painted in a light colour so that they don’t become dark and underused.
Multi-task your space
If you have the room, your loft office doesn’t just have to be a complete loft office conversion and instead could become a loft bed office by incorporating an office and a bedroom. Of course, this would only really work with bigger loft conversions but by adding both a bedroom and a study, you are essentially getting two rooms for the price of one and adding an extra bedroom to the specification of your home, which in turn is likely to further help its value. Remember, if you are going to do this, to opt for neutral, calming colours so it’s not only a space for a decent night’s sleep but also somewhere you can concentrate when working remotely.
Use the features
You don’t necessarily need a sizeable space to create a loft home office and if your loft is on the smaller size, it could actually act as a cosy office room. If your beams or structural supports are exposed, why not leave them that way and incorporate your office’s décor around this exposed wood? Think leather wing back chairs and industrial style light fixtures. Remember, this room doesn’t necessarily need to match with the rest of your home as your loft home office will be tucked away.
Don’t forget the windows
This may not be the first thing on your mind when planning your loft’s décor, but it’s important not to underestimate the difference that windows can make. With limited space, Velux windows built into your roof are probably your best option for bringing tonnes of natural light into the room, without using up valuable wall space. As well as making the space appear bigger, plenty of natural light is important to have in a loft home office because it helps with productivity levels and can minimise the chance of headaches and sore eyes from working for long hours under artificial light. Skylights can also light up the landing space below your loft office – their angle means the light can travel downwards and into the rest of the house (if your office isn’t closed off).
Make the most of your space
If your loft office is going to be a fairly big space, rather than just having a huge and rather empty-looking office, why not separate the rooms so that the space benefits from an en-suite or kitchenette, too? We don’t recommend that you section off a separate room if the space isn’t big enough, but if you have quite an airy loft, this could be a good way of making your loft office feel a little more homely. If you’re unsure, why not arrange a free site survey with Simply so that an expert member of our team can take a look and determine exactly what you can do with your space so that you’re maximising its potential. By looking at your plans and ideas for your loft office in more detail, we can not only offer our expert recommendations but also get a better idea of the level of work involved so that we can give you an estimate on costs. Working from home never looked so good! Get in touch with the team today.
