Setting Up a Low Emissions Home Office

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A home office can be as elaborate or as simple as you want. Whether you use a quiet corner of a living room or an entire room dedicated to your home office, there are a few basics you should consider when setting up your home office. Although you can use nearly any flat surface for a desk, a comfortable and supportive chair is necessary. Sitting in a chair that is too low or too high, does not have adequate back support or is wobbly may not seem like a problem initially, but over time your body will compensate, and you will develop sore, stiff muscles.

Another consideration is the location of your electric outlets. If you are setting up a computer in your home office, you will want easy access to electric outlets. Although you can plug your printers, monitors, and other office equipment into a power strip, you will want the cords to run straight up the desk. You do not want to step across cords to walk across the room or go from one corner of your desk to the other. Fortunately, with a little thought you should be able to orient your furniture so that the cords are between the wall and your desk.

Easy on the Eyes
One of the more important considerations when setting up a home office is the type of lighting that you will use. To determine the best placement of lighting, as well as the best type to use, think of how the room will be used. An overhead light or lights are always a good idea. In addition, you may want to add task lighting in several areas.

If you will work and write at a computer, you will probably want a desk lamp beside your monitor. This will enable you to make notes and write without straining your eyes or having to move to another part of the room. If you plan on doing some reading in your home office, you may want to set up a comfortable chair and lamp away from the computer.

LED lighting, with its clear, bright light makes a great choice for home office lighting situations. LED lighting makes tasks such as reading and writing easier by throwing a strong light just where you need it. Many of these lamps can also be dimmed as needed for when the natural lighting in the room changes from day to night. To brighten an entire area, consider replacing overhead MR16 halogen lights with LED replacements like Leflectors. These lights brighten up all types of rooms, even those with little natural light, at a fraction of the price as regular halogen lamps and give off clearer, crisper illumination. 

Easy on the Pocketbook
When you are setting up your home office, you should consider using different types of LED lighting. LED home lighting is a great advancement over traditional incandescent lights. Where a traditional incandescent bulb will light a room but burn out relatively quickly, a LED light works differently.

LED light fixtures burns clear and strong for a much longer time than an incandescent bulb. Instead of burning out suddenly and without warning, these lights will gradually loose strength. You will notice over time that the bulb will grow dimmer. This gives you plenty of time to replace your lights. LED home lighting is very cost effective, not to mention convenient. The increased life of a LED bulb over that of an incandescent means less time spent changing bulbs, and less money spent on replacements. In addition, LED lighting is more energy efficient than traditional lighting choices which equates to lower energy bills every month.

A Back-up Plan
Many people keep a small emergency kit in their home offices. The home office is a great place to keep emergency items, as they are less likely to disappear than those items kept in a kitchen drawer. Extra batteries, an LED lenser, some candles and matches, and you are prepared for an unexpected power outage. Keep these items consolidated in one desk drawer, and you will know exactly where they are, even in the dark.

With proper lighting, a well laid out floor plan and proper equipment, your home office can be a space that is comfortable and useful. 

~Ben Anton, 2008
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