BY PATTI MARTIN
STAFF WRITER
Carley McMahon is in the midst of yet another home improvement project.
The Holmdel resident is converting a spare bedroom into a multifunctional space: guest room/home office.

“I don’t need a dedicated home-office room,” she says, “and I don’t need a guest-room-only space, either.

So I’m creating a space where I can check e-mails and do some work and have a room for the occasional overnight guest.”

Whether it’s located in a family room or a spare bedroom — or if it exists as part of another room, such as the kitchen or master bedroom — the home office has become an important part of our culture today.

“The home office is here to stay,” says Jackie Hirschhaut, vice president of public relations for the American Home Furnishings Alliance, a trade association of furniture manufacturers and marketers based in High Point, N.C.

Recent studies have found that nearly one-third of American households these days have a home office.

“Consumers don’t have to worry that home office furniture is cold or commercial in its look or that one size fits all,” Hirschhaut says. “The wide variety of home office furniture and accessories available today can reflect your lifestyle and personality, and even complement other rooms in your home.”

Thought and planning

According to a survey conducted by the American Furniture Manufacturers Association (which has recently changed its name to the American Home Furnishings Alliance), nearly 40 percent of respondents said they use their office primarily for entertainment, to surf the Internet, send e-mail or shop, while 30 percent use it for work and 22 percent use it to organize their home and pay bills. In addition, 55 percent of those surveyed spend more than five hours a week in their home office.

Setting up a home office, though, takes some thought — and advance planning.

“You need to find the right spot,” says Norma Pofsky of Collaborative Design Group in Freehold Township, “and to find that right spot you have to ask yourself a series of questions.”

Among the questions: What is the function of the home office — is it to pay bills, shop or bring home work from the office? How much space to I need — do I have a traditional computer or do I have a wireless laptop? Who will be using the space — just me, or will the whole family be using the computer? Is there enough lighting available? Will the space be quiet enough to get work done? Is the work being done for personal use or business? Will you be working in the space some of the time or all of the time?

“It all comes down to function,” Pofsky says. “You have to know what your needs are before you start setting up your work space.”

It’s also important, Pofsky notes, that you know how much space you have to work with.

“Before you go out and buy home office furniture, you need to know what space is available,” she says. “Maybe you don’t need a large desk; maybe an armoire is a better choice.”

At the same time, homeowners also have to consider the “other parts” of the home office equation — fax machines, copiers, printers.

“Where are they going to go, how are they going to be stored,” Pofsky says. “Are you going to have books? Where and how are they going to be stored?

“You need to be practical.”

And while home offices of the past looked just like that — sparse and sterile environments more at home in the workplace than at home — that is no longer the case.

“Home offices offered by manufacturers can meet the needs and specifications of every individual,” Hirschhaut says. “They can be personalized to reflect the needs of families or individuals who use them as well as create an atmosphere that is both functional and fashionable.”

While some people may prefer a more elegant or traditional workstation, others may opt for high-tech colors and sleek designs.

“Just like any other room in your home, your home office should reflect who you are, what you like and what’s comfortable for you,” Hirschhaut says.