With many more people working from home these days, the home office has become an indispensable room in any house. However, not everyone has a ready-made room for an office and often, they have to convert a space in their basement as their office, which isn’t always as easy as it sounds, especially if your basement is unfinished. For example, you might have to get your basement waterproofed by a company like Direct Waterproofing to ensure your office equipment is protected from a potential flood. A commonly adopted approach to tackle issues like dampness and water seepage is known as ‘Cellar Tanking.’ Tanking a cellar technique is quite popular and finds extensive use in the realm of construction and home enhancement. Here are some other tips for creating an office in an unfinished basement that will set you up for success.
Bookcases are Essential
While most offices can benefit from bookcases, an office in an unfinished basement absolutely needs them. Without closets, built-in shelving, and other storage solutions, you’re going to need space to store all your office equipment, supplies, and books or manuals. Bookcases are perfect for this purpose, and you’ll find them in any style you can imagine, which means you can use bookcases to accentuate your style.
Another great aspect to bookcases is that you can always add more as your needs expand. You can’t always do this with closets and built-in shelves. You’d probably end up buying bookcases anyway, so you might as well start off with a couple to ensure you have enough space right from the beginning. Plus, with bookcases, if your aesthetic changes, you can easily switch to another style in the future.
Flooring Options
Most unfinished basements have a concrete floor, which is not only unattractive, but hard and cold as well. If you can’t carpet your entire basement, get a few rugs to put in your office space to make it warmer and more inviting. Even if you’re not going to be seeing customers or clients in your office, you want it to be welcoming to you every morning when you head downstairs to work.
Carpet tiles are another excellent option for basement floors. They are simple to install (just peel and stick), come in multitudes of colors and textures, and can be removed with little effort if you want to change up your flooring down the road. Both rugs and carpet tiles will insulate the floor so that your toes stay toasty even in the winter months.
Lighting Matters
Getting enough light in an unfinished basement is an obstacle that can be difficult to overcome. Natural light is probably not much of an option unless you planned ahead and put in windows that were specifically designed to filter light in from aboveground. Additionally, overhead lighting can be a problem if there are no fixtures available. That means that lamps are your best friends when it comes to lighting up your basement office.
Fortunately, lamps are a breeze to install and can really enhance your office design. Just be sure to go with white light and ensure it’s bright enough for you to see your computer and other equipment without straining your eyes. Choose bulbs with a high Color Rendering Index number to get as close to natural light as possible.
Conclusion
Setting up an office in an unfinished basement can be daunting, but if you think about it as a blank canvas that’s yours to design, you can create a productive space that makes you happy to be in even on Mondays.
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