Susan Gordanier.....

First, thanks for your input...any and all is appreciated.

I should note that the floor plan we are talking about (our layout, not one that we have already found or previously seen) would have a dining room, kitchen and family room on the first floor in the back from left to right (when facing the house) and a library, entry/stairway and office in the front (left to right). Our idea being the DR/Kitchen/FR combo being the rooms used the most would be in the back for additional privacy. The home office, that might be used for more than just personal/school purposes, in the front to keep people from going through the whole house to get to it. The library then gets the remaining available first floor slot. If we were adding on or converting a back bedroom to an office I might be tempted to do three walls of windows. That, however, doesn't work with the floor plan we have in mind....which isn't necessarily the floor plan we will end up with. Also, after coming from a home with NO storage....(i.e., three closets the width of the door and about as deep)...we want MEGA storage...so at least one wall in the office will have bookcases (preferably built in) to store all the computer software/manuals, and other essentials. Also, I am keeping in mind that as our society ages and more children provide in home care for their parents, accidents that happen, etc...that we could have a need for a wheelchair accessible house. I should note all our bedrooms are planned for the second floor. I want to make the first floor easily accessible via wheelchair (i.e., wider doors, halls, etc.) and make it possible to convert the room into a bedroom/recovery room of sorts with access to a full bath....hopefully only on a temporary basis as needed. There will be one room upstairs "wired" for office equipment as a backup if the first floor office should be needed for other purposes. We are planning on building and I have explained to my husband that it is better to state/ discuss all of the possible wants/needs for a house NOW so we get the best possible house versus trying to add in things later. The hard part is convincing him that because I want a _____ (fill in the blank) doesn't mean it will actually end up in the house, but it is better to discuss it now.

Again, thanks for your input and we welcome any additional thoughts you have.

Eileen Waters vonHatten

Dave Miller....

Thanks for your reply....

You might want to read my reply to Susan Gordanier for some background before reading this...so that I don't have to retype it all and/or bore others with a repeat.

I had not thought of two home offices. I do know if I suggest such a thing I would probably be visually linched by my husband. We each know we need/want separate space for our things in this home....one reason why I keep asking him does he want a four car wide garage or a three car wide and two car deep garage. I also don't want to have to do any additions later on.

Anyway, back to your original question...one office, but I am thinking that somewhat separate work spaces would be HEALTHFUL. Presently, I get quite preturbed when he moves my papers around such I have no idea where they are or when he covers up the one clean spot with his notebook computer making the home computer useless. I must admit I am somewhat at a loss for ideas in the actual layout of a home office, period, let alone for two people to use. We will eventually be adding a copier, scanner, laser printer, pentium/cd rom, computer to go with his notebook, a fax, a bubble jet, a dot matrix printer, desk and other usual office equipment. Because I also want to be able to convert the room (if needed) as a bedroom/recovery room I will need some closet space to go with a couple of windows and bookcases (hopefully, built in). So I figure I am left with, depending on the room size, either lots of tables with equipment on them or hanging something from the ceiling.

Again, thanks for your reply and any additional comments.

PMFJI, but in my experience, two home offices are becoming quite normal -- including the one I am currently building! The best way to break up my marriage would be to share an office with my husband -- and I don't think I am the exception. At the very least, design the one office so there are two very separate work areas with shared equipment.

Good luck!

Barbara Hemphill

<< I had not thought of two home offices.>>

Interesting, it was the FIRST thing I thought of with my fair one. It was fairly easy to arrange a) she got the biggest room with a view b) I have all the noisy equipment in mine c) she doesn't have to suggest I tidy up my place d) I don't have to mistake nail varnish for Tippex solvent e) my office never changes appearance; I know where everything is f) we have different phone lines and recorders g) I get to try all new buggy software upgrades on my machines first.

We haven't tried e-mailing each other yet though I've heard it can lead to heightened creativity.

Dave

>...one office, but I am thinking that somewhat separate work spaces would be

>HEALTHFUL. Presently, I get quite preturbed when he moves my papers around

>such I have no idea where they are or when he covers up the one clean spot with

>his notebook computer making the home computer useless. I must admit I am

>somewhat at a loss for ideas in the actual layout of a home office, period, let alone

>for two people to use. We will eventually be adding a copier, scanner, laser printer,

>pentium/cd rom, computer to go with his notebook, a fax, a bubble jet, a dot matrix

>printer, desk and other usual office equipment....

PMFJI, but my husband/partner and I share a home office that is L-shaped. Meant to be a family room on the lower level of a 3-level split. He has desk & bookshelf area at one end and I am at the other. Common seating, shelves and equipment are scattered around the shared middle. We can both see each other if we want but are far enough apart to have separate phone conversations. Light weight shared equipment, eg., fax, ink jet printer goes on standard or wide bookshelves. Heavier stuff (e.g., laserjet) is on extra desk top space or work tables. Area also has small bathroom and some closet space, now used for office supplies. Windows look out on to small perennial garden and bird feeders.

Pamela DeSmidt

There's a good article in the August '95 edition of Entrepreneur Magazine (See Technology Buyer's Guide Feature, page 34) on multifunctional hardware. The article provides good food for thought (do you really need one?) shopping pointers, and a quick tour of some of the latest models. The prices noted are suggested retail - discount store prices are considerably better. If office space is a real premium, a combination unit could make the difference between having in a roomy, comfortable work area or a cramped, sardine can. Bear in mind that using one machine to do everything is a little like putting all your eggs in one basket - thy're easier to carry, but the basket breaks, you're out of eggs. If your combination unit breaks down, you've just lost your fax, printer, scanner AND copy machine.

Since you're scoping out PC needs for your friend, I'm assuming she doesn't already have a printer.It also sounds like she'll be working as an independent, rather than as a satillite office to a law firm. Many home based professionals can management quite nicely with an inexpensive inkjet printer, but the nature of your friends work may warrant a more expensive laser printer. Suggest you take her on a printer tour (Best Buy, Circuit City, Comp USA) and evaluate printer quality. You might bear in mind one other drawback of inkjets - while the print quality may look great, most inks are water soluable (I learned this the hard way). Documents that get wet are not only water damaged, but may be *unreadable*.

A reasonable compromise might be to get a plain paper copier/fax/printer to cover draft printing, and pick up a good quality, used laserjet for final printing.

On phone management - have your friend contact a phone company Home Office Consultant and explore the full range of services now offered for home office professionals. This service is usually provided at no cost, and a wide range of features are available. Its also much more reliable than a standalone answering system.

Regards

Kathleen Parrish