Do people describe your home office as “interesting” or “different” or are just at a loss for words? Your friends and family don’t want to tell you that your home office needs help. Or they’ve tried to tell you but they’re family and their opinion doesn’t count (I’m speaking from experience on this one). At Working Naked we’re straight shooters and if your office is a mess, we want to see it and give you suggestions to fix it. We promise to be kind and to stick to the constructive criticism rule.

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Bill-Paying Office
Analysis:

Dealing with insurance companies isn’t fun or easy and is challenging if you don’t have places to store files and office equipment. This medical billing office has a large desk and a matching credenza with a hutch, a window, and a storage closet to the right of the entry. A built-in bookcase with cabinets below stores photos and collectibles.

What Works:

• The furniture is large but still fits in the space. There are file drawers in the desk and credenza, and storage compartments in the hutch.
• The fabric desk chair is ergonomically correct.
• The built-in bookcase has supplies stored in the cabinets below.
• The office is well lit and the walls are a neutral color, which makes it easy to find art to match and is good for resale.

Prescription For Change:

• Take out the wine holder/table and the wooden chair.
• Replace the wine holder/table with a narrow storage bench with cushion on top.
• Remove the small printer table and move the printer to the bottom shelf of the built-in bookcase.
• Move the decorative items from all of the shelves in the bookcase (except for the top shelf) to the top of the hutch or hang the photos. Use the shelves instead for reference books and supplies stored in decorative boxes.
• Designate the storage compartments in the hutch for specific items to make it easier to find papers and supplies.
• Install shelves in the closet to form an L-shape, rather than deep shelves along the back. It makes it easier to see what’s in the closet and there will still be room to step inside it.

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Doctor’s Office
Analysis:
This physician’s home office doesn’t have to work full time—it’s mostly used at night for dictating charts, entering patient billing and paying bills—but it needs furniture that works. The office has a good-sized desk, a small sofa table that holds a monitor, printer, and phone, and two leather chairs sit in front of the window.

What Works:

• The two leather chairs with a table in between give the physician a good place to read and relax.
• The leather desk chair is ergonomically correct.
• The rug under the desk minimizes an echo and tunnel-like sound in the room.

Prescription For Change:

• Replace the sofa table with a computer cabinet or a credenza with knee space and a pullout keyboard, along with drawers for file storage. This will leave more space for the monitor and printer and extra space to spread out papers.
• Replace the rug with something smaller that has a subtle pattern and warmer colors—anything but navy blue with pink flowers.
• Add bookcases along the wall in front of the desk and to the left of the desk (next to the closet).
• Add a leather holder for magazines. (Physicians always have more magazines than time to read them.)
• Use a desktop tray to temporarily hold mail and other incoming information. Use a separate, small vertical holder for bills to pay.

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PR Pro’s Office
Analysis:
This is a hard-working home office that could use just a few changes. Space is limited but there’s enough room for a desk, file cabinet, bookcase and one chair. Aside from decluttering and keeping only the items that will be used or referred to again, only minimal changes need to be made.

What Works:

• The printer on the cabinet makes the cabinet serve double duty and is a good use of space.
• The file cabinet in the corner keeps it out of the way but within reach.
• Excellent choice of an ergonomically-correct chair instead of a kitchen chair.

Prescription For Change:

• Clear the bookcase of personal items.
• Add another work surface to create a U shape. This would free the desk of papers. Normally I don’t advocate more work surfaces because they tend to fill up, but in this case, it would provide an extra space to work.
• Remove the small, wooden chair against the wall and move the dog pillow there.
• Take out the powder blue chair along the right wall
• Down the road, adding another bookcase would provide more storage for books, photos and a few personal items.

Want to submit your office for this page? Send your office photos to contactworkingnaked@gmail.com