I've been looking at a lot of new homes lately. One trend I've noticed in the executive level homes are home offices. That's offices, plural. In the last ten years the home office or study has been an important feature in new and existing homes. These days buyers like them so much, they'll take two, or three in some of the executive level products. Studys in floor plans now are in more than one place. As more professionals prefer to spend less time commuting, working from home can be just as much of a job perk as an office with a view. His and her options are like status symbols. Just like his and her baths or his and her closets have been very popular, now we have his and her home offices incorporated into floor plans.
A friend of mine joked with me as we walked through a model and saw the desk space off the kitchen saying to me, "oh, yeah hon, that's where we're supposed to clip our coupons". It was a joke but I realized that I really did like having a place to keep my coupons and papers that end up accumulating in the kitchen. I went so far as to put an extra counter in my kitchen complete with drawers and extra cabinets, converting an old useless console, for that exact purpose. I dreamed up the project after viewing several new model homes with built in desks in the kitchen. The old console would not fit the new 52" HDMI we wanted, so modifying the console was necessary. We rewired the opposite wall and put the new TV across the room to face the kitchen. Now I get to watch The Barefoot Contessa while I make dinner.
Currently for kitchen consoles, buyers are given the option to build out the extra counter space as a butler's pantry but many are choosing the built in desk option.
Kid's studys are also features that are available. Second and third bedrooms surround a common room in an open plan which can flex in its use as kids mature. For young kids flex rooms are labeled "playroom", and as they grow it is used as a game/media room or study. Plans like these allow for parents and kids to have their own space and not fight over what to watch on TV.
Home offices that are enclosed don't necessarily have to be used for work. They can be used as flex space for computers, workout space, retreat for extra privacy or just for owners to stash their extra stuff. Regardless of their final function, the home office is a desirable option in todays home.
The floor plan in this example is Plan 171 fromHighland Homes and was listed at $389,900 in the Crystal Falls subdivision in Leander, Texas as of March 2010.
- (*) Mark desks and/or office spaces
- (*) Mark optional desk area
A friend of mine joked with me as we walked through a model and saw the desk space off the kitchen saying to me, "oh, yeah hon, that's where we're supposed to clip our coupons". It was a joke but I realized that I really did like having a place to keep my coupons and papers that end up accumulating in the kitchen. I went so far as to put an extra counter in my kitchen complete with drawers and extra cabinets, converting an old useless console, for that exact purpose. I dreamed up the project after viewing several new model homes with built in desks in the kitchen. The old console would not fit the new 52" HDMI we wanted, so modifying the console was necessary. We rewired the opposite wall and put the new TV across the room to face the kitchen. Now I get to watch The Barefoot Contessa while I make dinner.
Currently for kitchen consoles, buyers are given the option to build out the extra counter space as a butler's pantry but many are choosing the built in desk option.
- My Old Console - Front View
- Before Conversion - Back View A of Console
- Before Conversion - Back View B of Console
- After Conversion - Back View C of Console
- After Conversion - Back View D of Console
Kid's studys are also features that are available. Second and third bedrooms surround a common room in an open plan which can flex in its use as kids mature. For young kids flex rooms are labeled "playroom", and as they grow it is used as a game/media room or study. Plans like these allow for parents and kids to have their own space and not fight over what to watch on TV.
Home offices that are enclosed don't necessarily have to be used for work. They can be used as flex space for computers, workout space, retreat for extra privacy or just for owners to stash their extra stuff. Regardless of their final function, the home office is a desirable option in todays home.
The floor plan in this example is Plan 171 fromHighland Homes and was listed at $389,900 in the Crystal Falls subdivision in Leander, Texas as of March 2010.
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