4 Ways to Stage an Office Space in Your Naperville Home

The number of people who want to work from home or remotely has grown significantly in the last few years, making an office space inside the property an important room to highlight in a home for sale.

In a recent report from FlexJobs, there are now 3.9 million Americans or 2.9% of the total US workforce who work from home at least half the time. That means they need a place to set-up their laptops, make phone calls, store important paperwork — even hold small meetings.

An office space requires a place to not only work but to inspire and motivate creativity. This room should also be multi-functional and display furniture that would fit in with the style of the property, rather than a corporate setting.

Here at Chicagoland Home Staging, we know it’s important to clearly define a design style inside this room, especially if it’s the first or second room buyers may see upon walking into the property. This room needs to connect with a Naperville homebuyer by showcasing its square footage and functional potential that creates productivity.

Many of the office spaces in the Naperville area are separate from the open floor plan, creating a prime location to work and withstand distractions. Here is a room off the main living area that we turned into an office space to highlight its spacious floor plan and light airy feel.

Prior to staging the property with furniture the room was painted a light grey to enhance the architectural features in the room including the dark walnut wood floors, window moldings, and vaulted ceiling.

We staged this room with a CEO in mind — the stately set-up allows for the desk to be the statement piece. Here are four ways to define these popular spaces:

Furniture Essentials

Choose a secretary desk to place on the focal wall in the room to set the scene. Rather, than using an office chair we went with an aviator style egg swivel chair that demands authority behind the desk. Plan to use furniture with a purpose. No one wants to see stacks of paperwork all over their house or office equipment for that matter. We often pair wingback chairs or club chairs inside this room to provide an alternative to working behind a desk all day. This also shows a home buyer the spacious work area they could have by making an offer. You can also use shelving to highlight vertical space and provide a spot to house books, accessories, office equipment and supplies (as shown below.)  Notice we also used different furniture shapes in each area to share a more visually appealing story.

A Pop of Color

We often start with a rug that anchors all of the furniture together to define the area, but this major accessory also determines the pop of the color we will choose for the room. The room, pictured above showcases a dark blue that is also repeated in the throw pillows to help unify the space. Add the accent color to the room at least three times to create a cohesive look.

Lighting 

An office requires proper lighting and you should highlight a combination of overhead lights and task lighting. Dim lights can result in lower productivity, fatigue and even lack of focus. While harsh lighting can cause eye strain and headaches. During an open house turn on all the lights inside this room and open curtains to let natural light in. Having at least three light sources strategically placed around the room will provide ample light come nightfall — when burning the midnight oil.

Accessories to Use

Using accessories in this space is what subconsciously makes home offices look more like a den than a corporate office. These are just some of the items that can help make a “house” feel like “home” when it comes time to stage the property. Think about displaying items you’d usually find in offices:

Wall Art – Try to display a unique piece on your wall, like a map or city, but make sure to keep the buyers in mind. You can play around using photographs, canvas artwork, mirrors, ironwork or tapestries on your wall to make a statement.

Throw pillows – A throw pillow can accentuate a color highlighted in another accessory, so choose one with a pattern or texture to set on an accent chair or conversation area.

Books – When displaying books, less is more. Pack away most of your books, especially paperbacks, along with any book covers from hardbound spines. This way your books will provide a cleaner appearance on a surface or shelf.

Clocks – An important accessory inside an office is a clock to keep you on task or let you know when it’s quitting time. Look for an interesting clock that can be displayed on your desk or shelf.

Plant Life –  Nothing transforms office spaces quite like a plant. Plant life invigorates the work environment and adds an organic touch from Mother Nature.

Sculptures – This accessory can be found in metal, wood or even ceramic to help define the story you’re trying to show off in a room. Consider adding a globe, magnify glass, hour glass or sculptured book ends to add personality to the space.

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Need help staging your Naperville home office? Contact us today! We’d be more than happy to assist you with your home staging needs.

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