When you design your home office, you should take into account three factors: your work style, workspace, and the equipment you will need.

Fortunately, as the number of home office workers increase, furniture manufacturers have introduced a wide array of furniture to meet various work styles.

There are some interesting new options for those who like to move around as they work.

Work surfaces are becoming increasingly flexible. Lots of manufacturers now offer work surfaces with smooth mechanisms, either automatic or hand-controlled, that allow adjustment from 25" to 49" in height so that you can alternate between sitting and standing positions.

Consider, while your work style might benefit from adjustable work surfaces, you should first determine whether your workspace would accommodate such flexibility. Hence, before designing your workspace, you should first collect all the relevant data you will need to make intelligent decisions.

For a start, carefully measure the space you have for your work area. Bear in mind to measure very carefully if you plan on installing a wall-to-wall system since every inch will be critical to fitting your space. It is compulsory to measure where your windows are including the height from the floor to the sill. And, don't forget to measure you doors and closets.

Also be useful to note where your electrical outlets are positioned. Should you have salient baseboards, crown molding, or heating ducts, it is also important to measure these features.

Proper workspace design must also address your unique equipment needs.

- How big is your monitor?
- Do you have a horizontal or vertical CPU?
- What are the sizes of your key electronic equipment such as your printer, scanner, fax machine, speakers, or telephone?
- A good home office designer will need this information to plan a workspace that truly meets your needs.