Kitchen Design
6 Elements of an Effective Kitchen Office
Create a successful mini workspace with these features in mind
With kitchens being the hub of the home today, they often need a spot for keeping the household organized. Ideally, a mini office includes a desk for sorting mail, charging devices, stashing cookbooks, planning menus, keeping track of schedules and paying bills. A kitchen mini office also can be used for working at home when needed. Here are six key features of a successful kitchen workspace.
The far corner of the room is a good place for a kitchen desk and work area.
You can also locate your mini office just beyond the main kitchen work area, such as in a nook, a bay window or an adjoining room.
This wall-mounted desk is part of the kitchen but is tucked just beyond the cabinetry and work zones. The desk is a stone top and a floating drawer held up by steel brackets.
You also can incorporate a secretary desk into your cabinetry. The work surface folds up to hide the mess.
If you place the desk at a height that will work with your counter stools or kitchen chairs, you can just pull one over when it’s time to work.
2. Has Places for Corralling and Charging Electronics
Phones, tablets, laptops and their charging devices can quickly take over our kitchen outlets and countertops. But cooking and delicate electronic equipment are a terrible mix. Install electrical outlets and USB ports in your kitchen office workspace to keep electronics out of the food prep area.
Phones, tablets, laptops and their charging devices can quickly take over our kitchen outlets and countertops. But cooking and delicate electronic equipment are a terrible mix. Install electrical outlets and USB ports in your kitchen office workspace to keep electronics out of the food prep area.
If your kitchen desk serves as your sole home office space, you won’t want printers, scanners and fax machines creating visual clutter. Built-in cabinetry or an appliance garage can keep these things handy yet hidden.
3. Includes Ample Storage
If you do a lot of paperwork at your kitchen desk, you’ll need good spots to tuck it away. File cabinets can be customized to fit seamlessly with your kitchen cabinets. If you tend to keep your papers in piles, you can use baskets and shelves inside cabinets to keep things organized.
Find out if you’re a piler or a filer
If you do a lot of paperwork at your kitchen desk, you’ll need good spots to tuck it away. File cabinets can be customized to fit seamlessly with your kitchen cabinets. If you tend to keep your papers in piles, you can use baskets and shelves inside cabinets to keep things organized.
Find out if you’re a piler or a filer
4. Provides an Organizational Pit Stop
If your kitchen desk area serves as your home’s command center, you’ll need to keep track of invitations, bills, business cards, appointments and more. A corkboard is a great place to pin up papers until you have time to pay the bill, add the event to the calendar or create that new contact entry.
If your kitchen desk area serves as your home’s command center, you’ll need to keep track of invitations, bills, business cards, appointments and more. A corkboard is a great place to pin up papers until you have time to pay the bill, add the event to the calendar or create that new contact entry.
The kitchen desk seen here and in the previous photo shows one way to incorporate a corkboard and dry-erase boards for notes and communication.
5. Includes Shelves for Cookbooks
Kitchen desk areas are a great place for looking at recipes and planning menus. So it’s helpful to keep cookbooks nearby. A kitchen designer can size up a cookbook collection and plan shelves accordingly.
Kitchen desk areas are a great place for looking at recipes and planning menus. So it’s helpful to keep cookbooks nearby. A kitchen designer can size up a cookbook collection and plan shelves accordingly.
6. Is Well-Lighted
Don’t count on your kitchen’s overhead lights for proper reading light. Undercabinet lighting can keep the desktop clear and illuminate the area.
Don’t count on your kitchen’s overhead lights for proper reading light. Undercabinet lighting can keep the desktop clear and illuminate the area.
If you have the space, a task lamp or table lamp can add a layer of light to your kitchen. This is the light to leave on during movie night, so you can get a snack without having to flip on the overhead lights in your kitchen.
Tell us: Do you have any tips for setting up a kitchen office space? Please add to this list by sharing them in the Comments.
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More on Houzz
Browse more stories about home offices
Find a general contractor
Shop for home products
Whether your kitchen layout is designed around a work triangle or work zones, you’ll need the kitchen office to be both close and out of the way.
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