Chuck Newton

Lighting Up Your Home Office

It is getting to be that time of year again.  It is getting darker earlier and for a longer period of time.  And, this makes me think of the lighting in most law offices, especially home law offices.

When establishing my home office, this was a major thing for me.  I did not care as much about the amount of space, but when scoping out my new home a couple years ago I was well aware that I wanted my space to be by a big window.

Now, I know there are a lot of people who swear that they cannot work by a window because it causes them to daydream or some such thing.  I have an attorney I work with who keeps all of his blinds closed while he is working.  To me, it makes an office seem almost tomb like.  I do not want that. It is depressing.  I am older now and I am well past my younger days of reading in the dark.  I do not want a big window in my office so as to gaze outside, although I like doing that.  It is fun watching the humming birds outside my office window.  Although, my desk is turned with my back to my window so that I am not always distracted.

I want the window for the natural light that flows in during the days.  It really sets the mood.  It keeps me happy, I do not have to burn electricity on lights most of the days, and I suffer, I think, from a little bit of a funk when I do not have natural light.  I am not a vampire, after all.  Natural light just make me feel better, more up, more motivated.  It is also easier to read with natural light, especially when you get a little older.

When I bought my home the room that is now my office had one of those combination ceiling fan and light.  I had enough experience when renovating to know that this type of home lighting does not work well for office work.  It his yellow, casts a lot of shadows and of course flickers when the fan operates.  I replaced the fan with one that does not have a light attached to it, and I installed four pot lights or recessed lights in the ceiling that put out a lot of white light.  You do not want diffused lighting in your home office.  That is a lot for a small room, but it offers me the clear lighting I need, without the buzz and ugly nature of fluorescence lighting.  And, it does not distract from the home-like nature of my house.  I short, I am not adding something that is not attractive, is business like, and will make it harder to market and sell my home in the future, should I decide to sell.

If it is ambiance you need, given the room, you could certainly add a dimmer switch to your new recessed lighting.

Because the room is brightened by either natural light or the nice white light fixtures, I do not find that I need task lighting. 

I hear a lot of complaints from people about their home offices.  I think a lot of it is due to the lighting issues.  My point is that with just a little planning and a little money you can adjust the lighting in a way that serves your professional purpose, while not destroying the homey-nature of your house.

I tend to think if your lighting combination is well thought out, and you can work in a clean, bright space, that is also attractive, you will not find as many problems with your workspace.  Natural lighting, and bright white lights when natural light is not available makes a home office a comfortable and enjoyable place to work.

(Pictured is one of the two desk in my home office.  The one showing the window).

Home Office In A Steamer Trunk

I know some people have space issues with home offices, but I have always said there are creative alternatives.  In that regard, here is one creative alternative I found on Unplggd.

Not a lot of you may remember travel trunks.  Frankly, it is beyond my years as well, but I have seen a number of them over the years in my junk shop hopping.  But in the age of steam boats this was the way to pack for long trips.  The $3995 Mayfair Steamer Secretary Trunk is available from Restoration Hardware. It is a reproduction of a secretary trunk designed by Timothy Oulton of London is made from hand distressed leather and with over 3,000 hand-hammered brass nailheads, with enough storage and desk space to accommodate for an iMac or laptop.

Is it what you have been looking for?  A reminder of the distant past from which to run your futuristic virtual law practice?

A Simple Container Home Or Office

We have discussed here before, but sometimes you just need examples.  If you are in need of additional space for your home or an office, or for living space so you have a place in your home for an office, or even a small off-site location to operate your law practice, you might consider a simple structure built mainly from shipping containers.  It can afford you a cheap, comfortable and reliable place to work.

The one, as shown on Jetson Green, is out of Bangkok, Thailand, but it could just as well be Houston, Texas.  It is a one-bedroom, one bathroom home built using two, 20-foot containers with cutouts for windows and doors.  But, it could just as well be a small office, just big enough for a waiting and reception area, a private office and bathroom.  You can add some size cheaply by simply adding additional containers.  You can find used shipping containers for a couple or three thousand dollars each.  You might need a little expert help depending on your skill set and sense of adventure, but as you can see below this structure if very basic.

This building features a roof layer that's raised above the home.   It offers shade to the building and allows for passive ventilation to keep the inside of the structure cool.  It also looks good.

It is undoubted something you should consider.

 

Office Sheds Offer Architectural Experimentation

I get mail every week from attorneys who have qualms about practicing from home.  The desire is there, but the concern centers around family and other obligations, a lack of space, or just the need to have the home office physically away from the rest of the household.

Now, combine this with the visual need of some lawyers for an exciting and dynamic office space.  After all, we are a visual people and we want to feel comfortable in a real office environment sometimes.

I have written about shed work or back yard offices before.  I will undoubtedly do so again because I see it as a real solution to the visual, artistic, separate space, office environment difficulties some lawyers have with the home office and the carpet commute.

So, I was happy to read on Treehugger that these so-called "garden sheds" allow for a great deal of architectural experimentation.  As stated in the article, the small size and costs of these additions allows most people (in our case, lawyers) to do something different and to have some fun in the process.  To build, in effect, something we really want in an office.  Something that gives us a degree of separation.  Something that is ours to own and admire.

Here are some examples:

Could You Office In A Milk Crate?

There is always a lot of discussion about two things related to workspace.  One, I need additional space at home or a quiet separate place at home, or close to home, to practice.  Two, I am worried about the costs of construction of even a small office space.  Well, I like creative ideas and have shared them from time to time, and I like this one.

In this regard, please find the space built from shipping containers on the bottom and ordinary milk crates on the top as presented on the BBC. 

German artists Wolfgang Winter and Berthold Hörbelt, who have bee built what is place in Castleford.

Sure you might have to put in some plastic or clear barrier on the inside, but most of this stuff can be purchased at the home improvement store.

 

Is Your Office Floor Not Worth The Money You Put Into It?

One of the biggest problems I see with home offices is the flooring.  Too much carpeting.  Task chairs, desks and the like can do a great deal of damage to the carpeting.  I prefer hard surfaces.  In my home office I have a slate floor, but then I replaced all of the floors in my home with slate to provide continuity and easy care.  Also, I have allergies as do some of my children.  Carpeting is generally not good in the care and treatment of allergies.

Well, here is a fun thought if you want a new hard surface in your home office, you do not want to spend a lot of money (but possibly a lot of time), you want to preserve your floor's value, you are looking for good earth tones, you are looking to stay green by repurposing materials, and you would like a conversation piece.

PENNIES.  No not the store, but the coin.  Put in a copper floor.

As posted by Lloyd Alter at Treehugger, the Standard hotel in New York City used 50,000 pennies as flooring in its new cafe.  What do you mean 50,000 pennies?  Well, that is $500.00.  It looks good and interesting as well.

Check out the story and photos on Treehugger by clicking here.

Cardboard Office

When you look around at offices and space, have you ever noticed that only advertising executives and high tech people get to have all of the design and architecture fun?  What is it with lawyers that we seem to gravitate toward maybe competent but otherwise sterile design.

In this regard, here is something interesting.  Paul Coudamy designed a workspace for Beast (an advertising agency) on a limited timetable of a month and on a limited budget made almost entirely from cardboard.

What About A1940s Texas Grain Silo For A Home Office?

Sure this is a wonderful example of adaptive reuse.  It would also make a wonderful home office.  In 2007, Gruene Homestead Inn purchased the 1940s grain silo and remodeled the interior and exterior.  The Silo includes one bedroom and one bathroom in a loft-type setup for the rental price of $175/$210 a night. Regardless of of the fact this is used as a motel room, my point is that you can find office space -- and especially home office space, just about anywhere.

Thinking Inside The Box

Thinking outside of the box?  I must admit I do not think I have ever appreciated the term.  To me it is kind of a throw away term or saying.  Much like hearing another person on a design show mispronounce the word Voilà!  Most discard the 'v' sound.  Others ignore the 'w' sound.  It is just much overused like a teenager constantly interspersing every sentence with the word "like".  Besides, it derives from the French meaning "there".  So, just use the word "there".  Likewise, "thinking outside of the box" is a throw away term, well over used, and like Voilà! it is really just used to get someone's attention.  What does it mean anyway?  Nothing much.

Besides, whether creative or unimaginative, inspired or untalented, cool or square, do not we all really think inside the box?

We as a people are use to boxes of sorts.  We essentially work in boxes, we live in boxes, we drive in boxes, we move with boxes, we even post on blogs that resemble one dimensional boxes.  We stick are computer components in boxes.  Our churches are boxes. We attend law schools, which are boxes. We carry stuff in briefcases that are essentially boxes.  We cook in pots and pans, which are really just boxes.  So, we are essentially boxed in, are we not?  More importantly we are boxed in by choice, because it is better to think inside the box and not out.

We have a better chance rearranging and thinking through problems that we can see, feel and understand the parameters.  Everything outside of our boxes are too big, too complex, too diverse, too distant, around which we just cannot get our heads.  So, really, thinking outside of the box does not offer anybody a guarantee of inspiration.  It is simply easier (or should I say possible) to be creative inside the box of details and constraints.  It is easier to figure out how to improve the box than it is figure out how to rearrange open, infinite, empty space.

Ernie Schenck, the author of the book The Houdini Solution writes, "the biggest secret of productive creative people is that they embrace obstacles, they don’t run from them. In their minds every setback is an opportunity, every limitation is a chance. Where others see a wall, they see a doorway".

It is okay to consider escaping from a box, but trying to think outside the box most often results in chaotic brainstorming.  In the Third Wave Practice of Law we propose escaping from particular types of boxes.  But, where do you go to find refuge?  Other boxes!  We can leave a practice area for another, but that is leaving one box for another.  Or, it is leaving one box and creating a new box in which to reside.  We can move our law practices home, but that is leaving the big box downtown and moving into the box that is your house.

What we are talking about is building a structure that encourage idea development.  But, this occurs inside of a box -- maybe a different box, but a box nonetheless.

In terms of the Third Wave, we are more concerned with changing boxes and then reorganizing boxes to operate more efficiently, cheaply and with a greater degree of satisfaction.

In writing this post, I found this video interview with Keven Coyne.  It is pretty interesting.

Rick Wagoner's Home Vs. My Home

Okay, the GOP is upset because, although they thought Rick Wagoner should step down when Bush was proposing to bailout GM, President Obama told Rick Wagoner he should resign.  They wanted President Bush to tell him to go, but President Obama actually told him.  I can see why the GOP leadership is upset with Obama.  Poor Rick will only get $20 million to leave a failing company ahead of what will probably be a controlled bankruptcy filing.  It is hardly enough for him to keep up his home.

Below is a picture of his home.

It is obviously a lot better than my home, but then I never help destroy an entire sector of the economy by my shear incompetence.  Therefore, I do not get a $20 million severance package, and I have to live with less.

Below is a picture of my meager home.

I do not have the perfectly manicured lawns that Mr. Wagoner has, but then I do have a nice relaxing backyard as you can see.

Do not be jealous of me, Mr. Wagoner.