Product Description

Including hundreds of examples of home offices for all types of business, this text provides answers to specific questions for specific circumstances. It covers barrier-free storage; needs of the studio apartment; child-proofing; and growing your business.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1697664 in Books
• Published on: 1999
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 329 pages

From Amazon.com
The life of the telecommuter or at-home self-employed worker appeals to many--47 million Americans already work out of their homes, according to Marilyn Zelinsky, and 8,000 new home offices are started each week. Yet surprisingly little attention is paid to the environment in which the work gets done. Most of us don't have a home office all set up and ready to sit down in the day after we quit our office jobs, so we end up using the dining-room table or a desk stuffed into a corner of the bedroom. Zelinsky's message is that it is important to have the right kind of space to work in--space that will feel comfortable, meet our specific needs (such as project space, or an area suitable for client meetings), maximize productivity, and keep us from falling prey to eyestrain, back pain, or carpal tunnel syndrome.

"I'll warn you now that this is not a book about pretty pictures. It's a book depicting the real world of what it's like to work in a home office." The largest section of the book is devoted to office planning--not for beauty, but for health and productivity, including finding the right furniture. Zelinsky doesn't do things by halves: design professionals and ergonomic specialists are consulted, along with their customers, who provide some hindsight on the process of setting up an office. All furniture price levels are discussed, from snap-together plastic units to Ikea computer desks to the high-end "computer armoires" that keep everything together and look like expensive antiques when the doors are closed. Zelinsky is a strong proponent of ergonomic furniture, correct work-surface placement, and healthy work habits. She even devotes a chapter to feng shui. True to her promise, there are numerous first-person stories of real-life home-office problems and solutions: working with several employees in small New York City apartments; dealing with poor telecommunications services in rural areas; setting up an office to accommodate a severe physical disability; fitting a retail business and showroom into your home. Whatever your circumstances are, this is a must-read before you take that home-office plunge. --Barrie Trinkle

Ingram
Highlighted by scores of floor plans, sketches, and before-and-after photos, this problem-solver for do-it-yourselfers and consulting architects and designers includes hundreds of home-office examples and includes everything from creating storage out of limited space to installing the necessary level of technology. 220 illustrations.

From the Back Cover
Do you work out of your home? Create a workspace that fits how you work and live. Why settle for inadequate work space--or hire an expensive interior decorator? Author and home office design consultant Marilyn Zelinsky provides practical and often ingenious ways to make the most of the space you have. This no-nonsense guide over-flows with occupation-specific examples of home offices, detailed floor plans, before-and-after photos, storage secrets, and much more. Praise for Practical Home Office Solutions: Practical Home Office Solutions deals with so much more than setting up a home office. An inspiration for anyone who needs help defining what they need.--Catherine Greenman, Home Office Computing Magazine. Finally, a book that speaks directly to the reality-based at-home worker who is buried under too much paperwork with too small a space!--Lisa Roberts, author of How to Raise A Family & A Career Under One Roof: A Parent's Guide to Home Business. Marily Zelinsky answers every question you've ever had--and them some.--Lorraine Shea, Country Accents Magazine. Humorous, human, and inspiring! A must-read for anyone, from the independent entrepreneur to the weekend novelist.--Kristen Richards, Interiors Magazine.

Customer Reviews

Real-world advice
Most books in this category showcase grand offices filled with beautiful expensive furniture and look like they've never been used. Zelinksy, on the other hand, writes about the challenges that real people face when trying to create a home office in a basement, attic, closet or a cramped corner of a bedroom. I especially liked how the book included loads of advice on how to kid-proof (or spouse-proof) your office, work in a really rural town, work with an assistant in your home, buy an ergonomic chair, find enough storage, and outfit an office on a really tight budget. Definitely worth the price.

A great tool for the home office revolution!
We are witnessing the next revolution in the workplace - the transition of work from the office to the home. Zelinsky's book offers practical advise that can help ease the transition of a new telecommuter, or improve the productivity of a seasoned home office worker.

Beyond simply advising on furniture and technology solutions, Practical Home Office Solutions addresses the psychological issues that telecommuters and home-based entrepreneurs deal with on a daily basis.

I would highly recommend for anyone who spends some part of their day working from the home.

Most practical book about home offices.
I am now planning to work at home so I wanted to read the books on the home office to see where to start. I liked the title, because it includes the word "practical" which is exactly what I was looking for. The book has a no-nonsense approach to planning a home office. I especially appreciated all the comments from regular folk who work at home, all the problems they had and the solutions they found. The book covers how to work at home, how to overcome isolation, how to find inexpensive furniture--I looked up a furniture liquidator in my town as the author suggested, and will buy my desk and chair from there at half the price I expected to pay elsewhere! I didn't even know these stores existed so I'm grateful for the book's advice.