The overnight shift from office working to home studies is unlikely to prove temporary; a report from Workplace Insight identifies that 77% of workers want to continue to work from home in the long run, a 132% increase of those who did so before the global health pandemic.
Rachel Hall, Head of the Interior Design team at Octagon Developments, comments: “Where once, the first question a prospective buyer would ask was, ‘is there an en-suite or two?’ and ‘how many ovens and fridges are there in the kitchen?’, it is no surprise today that the assurance of a decent home workspace ticks the top of the wish list. Home offices are here to stay, as more people have realised that home working can be both productive and cost effective.”
Credit to: The Lightning Judge
Pioneers in the luxury property market for over 40 years, Octagon Developments are no strangers to home studies, having long made them a staple feature in their super-mansions for high-flying British and international clients, for whom global connections and flexible hours of operation are non-negotiable.
Rachel Hall comments, “At Octagon, we can designate an entire room or space for the home office, and indeed are already experiencing demand for two offices, as both partners in a household need their own workstation, as do younger family members studying for exams and degrees. Power points, storage and lighting are all factored into the build – a wonderful house warming present for anyone lucky enough to be buying an Octagon home.”
Whilst not everyone has a room they can dedicate as an office space, there are lots of practical ways you can divide a space to create a productive work area.
Rachel continues, “One of my best pieces of advice is not to use a space for work that has to be packed away or is dominating another living space at the end of the day. If at all possible, find somewhere where the laptop/printer/storage system can stay permanently, not the dressing table in the bedroom, or a corner of the kitchen table. These temporary workstations are never really out of sight or mind, and I firmly believe the only way the home office can really work is if a door, blind or screen can close it off when work is finished.”
Not just impacting Octagon’s interior design service, the high-end housebuilder are also adapting their architectural designs on future projects to facilitate dedicated home workspaces.
Joe Taylor, Designer at Octagon, comments, “At Broadoaks Park, our flagship multi-phase community in West Byfleet, we are reviewing floorplans of future family homes in order to accommodate home office space. Whilst other fads in the luxury market come and go, like indoor water features and super-sized, multi-storey basements, all the evidence suggests that home offices are here to stay. It’s just one way we’re building a community that’s really geared for the 21st century, where residents can enjoy their homes just as much for raising a family as for working from 9 to 5.”
Octagon Developments are currently marketing a range of new developments with extraordinary home offices. At Hampton Place, a six-bedroom family home on the Wentworth Estate in Surrey, an expansive study is fitted with floor-to-ceiling shelving and a beautiful bespoke desk. Meanwhile at Bishops Row, an elegant terrace of 4 and 5 bedroom townhouses in Fulham, each home features a home office overlooking the front patio.
For more information, contact Octagon on 020 8481 7500 or visit octagon.co.uk
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