Lloyd’s Woodworking · Hudson, Massachusetts
By Lloyd’s Woodworking Inc.
How Do You Design a Custom Home Office Built-In?
DIRECT ANSWER:
A custom home office should be designed around the equipment, work habits and storage needs of the person using it. Monitor dimensions, desk height, cable management, printers, files, lighting, charging, video calls and future technology should be planned before the cabinetry is built.
YOUR OFFICE SHOULD NOT BE DESIGNED AROUND AN EXTENSION CORD.
Working from home changed what many rooms need to do.
A spare bedroom became an office.
A dining room became a conference room.
A corner became a workstation.
Custom built-ins can turn temporary arrangements into intentional workspaces.
START WITH WHAT IS ON YOUR DESK RIGHT NOW
List:
Monitors
Laptop
Keyboard
Mouse
Dock
Speakers
Printer
Scanner
Files
Paper
Reference material
Then decide what should remain visible.
MONITORS DRIVE DIMENSIONS
Know:
Number of screens
Screen size
Stand dimensions
Viewing position
Whether monitors may become larger
Do not design a fixed opening so tightly that the next monitor no longer fits.
CABLE MANAGEMENT IS PART OF THE DESIGN
Plan routes for:
Power
Data
Charging
Monitor cables
Printer cables
Internet equipment
Good cable management is much easier before the cabinetry exists.
WHERE DOES THE PRINTER GO?
Printers are often forgotten because they are unattractive.
Determine:
Dimensions
Paper access
Ventilation
Cord location
Scanner access
Whether it should be visible
WHAT NEEDS TO BE LOCKED?
Some home offices require secure storage for:
Documents
Client information
Financial records
Business materials
Discuss appropriate storage requirements during planning.
VIDEO CALLS CHANGED OFFICE DESIGN
Consider what the camera sees.
The cabinetry behind you may become the background for:
Client meetings
Interviews
Presentations
Team calls
That wall now has another job.
DON'T BUILD FOR TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY ONLY
Technology changes.
Allow reasonable flexibility for:
Larger monitors
New devices
Additional charging
Different equipment
Changing work habits
MAKE IT BELONG TO THE ROOM
An office built-in can still respect:
Original molding
Windows
Doors
Fireplace
Older-home architecture
It does not have to look like corporate office furniture.
Frequently asked questions
CAN A CUSTOM OFFICE HIDE CABLES?
Cable management can be incorporated into the design.
CAN A PRINTER BE HIDDEN IN CABINETRY?
Potentially, provided access, ventilation and operation requirements are considered.
CAN BUILT-INS WORK IN A SMALL OFFICE?
Yes. Small rooms can benefit significantly from storage designed around the available space.
CAN AN OFFICE BUILT-IN MATCH OLD HOUSE TRIM?
Potentially. Existing architectural details can inform the new design.
STOP WORKING AROUND THE ROOM.
MAKE THE ROOM WORK AROUND YOU.
Send Lloyd’s a photo of the space, approximate dimensions and an explanation of what the finished piece needs to do.
START A HOME OFFICE PROJECTCALL 978-562-9007ONE ROOM CAN INVOLVE MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF WOODWORK.
A project may combine:
- Custom cabinetry
- Built-ins
- Architectural millwork
- Furniture
- Trim
- Doors
- Historic woodwork
Rather than treating each component independently, the woodworking can be considered as part of the room as a whole.