I voted other because all of the things you mentioned are very important to me since I run an online business from home!

Yes as all above it very essential for a office! Not sure which one to pick as I would pick all of them.

Ken

All of the above. I enjoy being distraction free so anything that minimizes outside noise is a big plus.

a must.....computer, router, printer, copier of top quality

All of the above. I also have a separate outside entrance. Always a plus.

Light- although a comfortable work place and storage would compete for second. But my home office is actually my art studio, and natural light is a must.

Everything mentioned here is very important, BUT I find as the most important thing for me to work is plenty of room to work on. If I don't, I get cranky & furious, when things fall, on the floor. I end up buying a 60" desk from Houzz.

bookshelves. lots of 'em!

Add a copier/scanner to that list that prints 11x17".

Reliable Internet Connection!

Everything mentioned is important, however we do not have enough work space area for "work in progress" and "assembling" packages when necessary. An extra space of 3 to 5 feet of counter or desk top space would be ideal.

Abima, I know the feeling!! What you need is furniture that has compartments, shelves or drawers. There are real nice floating shelves. If you have very little room you need to organize your office anything. What is the most important & find a place for it. Try baby steps. One small effort at a time & work a little here & there. Through organization & smart decorating, you will be surprised what you have accomplished. My office is in my living room. Not a whole lot of room, but I managed to fit a hutch & a 60" desk as an extension to the hutch. It takes up the room of a small bathroom. I am now organizing & getting rid of charity & trash & you wouldn't believe how much trash one gal can make. Then, the old rule of thumb is: I find a place for everything & everything will be in its place. Good luck!!

Carol Vevle

I chose comfortable desk and chair because my chair right now is cute but not comfortable and my neck hurts like hell when I sit for long hours. It is also too tall for me and so I can't really reach the ground (I'm short) and support myself adequately. Pain and discomfort are obviously not good for productivity. Very difficult to work in pain and with bad circulation in your legs.

What isn't important? Comfortable desk and chair or I would never be there, good lighting so I can see what I am doing, storage so everything is not in the open to look like a hoarder, a land line for my fax, quiet area - I always have the TV on- kids we could interfere with each other, a door for privacy if necessary, it is not always. Right now I need storage.

All of the above, plus a great internet connection. Live in the country outside a major city, however the internet is not reliable.

Peace, privacy, control, too much to ask for? A big window. A dog.

Everything except the landline phone (although I do have a landline fax). It has to be quiet, and I really need a window. Plenty of room for equipment and lots of storage space. Nice furniture - I prefer built-in furniture. If it looks messy and yucky, I don't want to work.

Everything! Plus the workspace needs to be big enough to spread everything out.

I watched the show "Brain Games" and it had a test between young and old one episode and older people have different needs than younger people.

The older I get the more I require quiet, because my hearing is decreasing, light, because my vision is decreasing and a comfortable chair, because my body gets aches and pains and well-organized storage solutions, because my memory isn't what it used to be.

COLOR!!! I researched wall colors for months before choosing a palette that would make me feel inspired and happy. The 2 wall colors, drapes, upholstery create a magical place I love to be...even when I'm NOT working!

A window for natural light

Coffee and cigarettes.

An actual table as well as a desk

i am a space planner. send me your floor plan & a photo, & i'll do a complementary plan for you, since we're all in business & need a highly functional workplace. first 3 replies get this offer!

I find music and earbuds to be a lifesaver! All the things listed above from the poll AND other readers' comments are important but I believe the very most important thing is user friendliness. If you're happy and comfortable in your work space you can actually work!

I have recently changed out family "computer room/study" into an office as I am going to school for my masters. My office is right off the living-room, but does have a door to quiet some tv noise, Also to the people who have discussed a good chair....ABSOLUTELY!!! I had, yes past tense!, a wonderful 'dining room' table kind of chair. Looked great was comfortable, very stylish. I didn't want the bulky "office" chair, been there, done that. Yeah well, while it was comfortable for a while 56 mo into studying, papers and homework,,,,not so much. I asked a friend who recommend a nice off white one that worked with the scheme of my office.

Long story short....Don't ignore comfort for cuteness. Be happy with YOUR space

Good Luck!

I have been self employed for 10 years now. More than half have been spent working out of my very full household. Sound proofing has been the most important factor to a peace/productive work day. If I can hear what is going on it is not simply a noisy co-worker, but something I feel the emotional need to be aware of, even if I tell myself to ignore it.

Natural sunlight keeps me focused all day, especially during cold winter days !

Ferris Zoe - I'll take you up on that offer if its not too late! We have several projects for home office studios now that could use some interior design help in the coming weeks! Our business is manufacturing accessory structures and Home Office buildings are definitely a focus so I have enjoyed the comments noted above by all!

Ferris Zoe Design, I'm not sure if I'm to late for consideration. I have a simple diagram of my vision for the room and a couple of pictures of the space. I would love your input. The space would be for 2 one works from home full time. I also included an inspiration photo.

Incorporating appropriate desk and task lighting is a great way to enhance productivity while working in a home office!

I chose Storage -- in our new-to-us house my DH finally has lateral file cabinet, additional shallow drawer-unit for mailing supplies (like this but the top drawers are even shallower so there are three of them),

desk drawers, and a couple shelves in the bookcase all within a few steps. Of course, a comfy ergonomic chair was also necessary, as well as a computer surface at right angles to the desk, like the one below only in a cherry laminate to match his dad's Art Deco desk.

Here is a mock up -- the dark block is a media shelf, the mottled thing between the drawer units is the shredder:

All of the above and good music to make my day more enjoyable.

All of the above, but especially surface space to lay out my work.

Hi, there, Pascale. I agree with you!! If I don't have enough space to work on, it can really ruin my mood. I brought a 6' desk, from Houzz. Paid $100 less. I have already got compliments on this desk. I really love it.

My office space is half my family room in my lower level. So although there are 4 windows light was important. It took a couple of years to make it usable because I had water issues and asbestos flooring issues. But after those were addressed it's been making it functional as an office and a everyday relaxing space. What's important?

Comfortable chair for my rather long days.

Just got a new one and it makes a big difference in back, leg & boulder discomfort.

Storage, storage, storage. Did I say storage???

I've been adding storage as I find interesting things to use but are decorative and don't read as OFFICE. The built in shelving is great but wasn't sufficient. A storage area for toner cartridges, & paper and work in progress was needed. Desktop storage to corral clutter.

Large monitor.

I use both my laptop monitor and a 24" monitor as my primary work computer. So a laptop stand, wireless keyboard & mouse were needed. The fewer cords the better.

Outlets and the best quality surge protectors I can find.

Wireless laser printer.

Less cord madness is always better, especially since I usually have two laptops running.

Side chairs that are comfy but not bulky or scream OFFICE!!!

Nice desk.

I love my desk but it isn't practical as it is likely older than I am. it was meant for computers. So I have a table for my keyboard and mouse and a note pad. I love the cane fronts on the drawers of this desk so I likely won't give it up or modify it to change a drawer to a keyboard drawer.

Large flat workspace.

I would love to have a table that folds down but would be big enough for me to use view/markup large format drawings (36x48"). I've been thinking of using an IKEA butcher block counter for this but not sure about the stability of the folding legs that would support it.

Recycle bin

One that does not consist of the paper box.

An out of the way spot to tuck my paper shredder.

Must have a space for my pups to sleep next to me While I work.

I would argue all of those components are very important! Except landline phone, in this day and age. Creating a comfortable home office space can be a headache but if you're someone who works from home full time or even hybrid, it's very important to make the effort for your own mental health. Shameless plug for our store that attempts to provide the market with a solution for this very issue.

Studies have shown the effects of your workplace environment on your ability to be productive. If you're in the fortunate position of being able to invest in ensuring your workspace is as conducive to that as possible, it's an investment you should always make. Plus it reinforces the idea of your own success. Self-compounding mental gains for the win!

The one unquestionable benefit of home office work life is the fact you don't have to deal with irritating co-workers! At least not ones that you're not related to... ;-P

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