Trend in Home Offices:

Mini Museum: Frame your child's artwork to inspire your own little Picasso. The home office seems to be finding its way into almost every house nowadays. However, the smallest room with limited storage is often chosen to provide the many functions we require from this room. With a homeowner’s busy schedule, it is imperative that their home office be able to accommodate a productive, neat and dual function atmosphere.

While parents need a space to work on the computer or make phone calls, their children also need a space for homework and crafts. Parents want to pay bills while monitoring a nearby science project or fold laundry while overseeing their children finger-paint. Without a designated room in the house, these projects are often completed on the kitchen or dining room table, adding clutter and chaos to an already challenged area.

The concept of converting a simple home office into a dual function use for both parents and kids has been adopted by designers who conform to the needs of the entire family and make decisions that are best suited for everyone. The children are empowered with their own bins and a child friendly location within the room to express their creativity while interacting with their parents and strengthening their relationships.

Store It: Shelving units, covered boxes, and see-through boxes are great for storage of your office supplies and your children's art supplies and toys. Adopt the

Trend in Your Home:

 Make room for the kids. Review what you have, what you need, and how you use your space. For example, by storing some photo albums, which are rarely referenced, and some of those picture frames, which have not changed in years, you may be able to create a workspace for your child to do homework or projects. Place seldom used items in labeled containers and store them neatly in an attic, basement or under the bed.

 Layout the workspace since functionality and storage are essential keys for this space. There are many ways to gain extra storage if you take the time to measure the space and design what is right for your family. The closet system in the photo, for instance, was purchased at The Container Store (Natick & Chestnut Hill) and provides lower racks to organize children’s crafts, which gives them an area to call their own. The upper racks often find home for the electronic devices, photo albums and other items, which are better off left out of reach of the kids.

 Lighting and project-friendly table surfaces help the entire space function more easily. Plan for electrical power and/or wiring for computers, cable, etc both within the room as well as closet space. Ideally, installing an outlet inside the closet is helpful so you can place battery and phone chargers away rather than on a working surface.

 Think outside the box! Re-evaluate what you have in storage around the house to help organize before making unnecessary purchases for baskets and bins. Baby food jars, beach pails, toolboxes, and shoeboxes covered in wrapping paper all make fun storage containers.

 Be sure to place items in storage bins, which are low enough and accessible for your children. This allows your child to entertain him/herself which makes either a phone call or working on the computer much more efficient for you. In this space, clear bins filled with stickers, glue, paper, crayons and markers sit next to stacks of recycled paper making it easy for the child to start a masterpiece while Mom is on the phone.

 Flooring should be made of either hardwood or vinyl for easy clean up, or a short-pile carpet, which vacuums well. Even the neatest child could spill paint or glue and you want it to be an easy clean up when that happens. Many home offices are featuring a traditional desk with computer and a separate table for kids to spread out their crafts or homework. It is helpful to have a project table that is easy to clean up and can withstand lots of glue!

 Decorate with colors and pictures that provide inspiration and motivation. For instance, themed walls such as family vacations or framed children’s artwork can elevate your mood on any given day. Determine what inspires you and surround yourself with motivating artwork and colors. For example, if you spend your weekends boating, visit HomeGoods stores for great black and white photos of sailboats to hang over your desk. Or frame your child’s artwork to really boost their self-esteem and motivation.

 Monitor which items you use on a daily basis and make them the most accessible. If you need to quickly pay bills when you have 10 minutes of free time, keep the stamps, your checkbook and unpaid bills organized together on top of your desk. This way if you find yourself with a child who is occupied for a moment, you can quickly get caught up on your own chores.

 Do not be afraid of expressing your personality in your family studio. By adding bright colors in your window treatments and accessories, you can liven your family’s mood on the darkest of winter days.

Even if you don’t have an extra room to call a family studio, you can still create a multifunctional space. Furniture designers now have console tables with under-storage baskets, storage ottomans and built-in cabinetry. The concept of sharing space is also popular with kitchens that are opening up into living spaces, formal dining rooms that are converted into casual entertaining spaces and basements and attics which are becoming playrooms.

So store away your old thought process of “designing for when the kids are older” and begin to incorporate ways to include them into the present.

Samantha C. Greenfield is owner of Greenfield Home Design and When Pigs Paint. She can be reached at (617) 312-3879 or

whenpigspaint@comcast.net for an in-home consultation.