The Star recently published a great article by Vicky Sanderson. With so many of us setting up home offices, even if we’re not working from home, it’s important that it’s both functional and aesthetically pleasing!

Survey the 1.8 million Canadians who work from home, and they’ll cite as perks the ability to avoid rush-hour traffic, spend less on an office wardrobe and — in many cases — stay home with a sick child without causing an international business crisis. On the downside, the home office is too often treated like the cottage: furnished with whatever is no longer good enough for other rooms in the house.

As more and more people work remotely, the second-class, second-hand status of home office design and decor is changing, says Thien Ta Trung, owner (along with his sister My) of Domison (www.domison.com) a furniture designer and manufacturer that launched an office or “contract” line last fall.

“You don’t need a scientific study to tell you that the environment you’re in affects the way you work. That’s why corporations spend money, time and effort into creating the right atmosphere. They know it affects performance,” says Ta Trung.

The four pillars of office furniture are a desk and chair, storage and — ideally — at least one side chair, either for clients, occasional collaborators, or a reading/thinking spot.

Click here for the full article