by Neal Zimmerman

When I first started working from home in 1994, I began in what I now call a "first-step home workplace." I commandeered a den on the first floor of our house and moved in office furniture and computer equipment I already owned, shuffling them around to achieve the best fit given the existing conditions of the room.

I considered this to be a temporary move. At the time, working out of the house was still regarded by many (including me) as something less than serious.

But a strange thing happened when I got home — I discovered that I was netting more income in less time with less aggravation. This caught my attention. Not surprisingly, literally millions of other people were on the road to a similar discovery.

Leaving the Office

Tiresome and expensive commutes from home to work, environmental concerns, and new-age electronic tools have prodded and encouraged many of us to reinvent how, as well as where we work.

We are finding home workplaces to be financially and spiritually successful ventures, leading to a different and better personal lifestyle. Many people love working at home, because in addition to saving time and money, they get a huge bonus of personal freedom, which can be invested in relaxation or the achievement of personal goals. They can also spend more time with their children and spouses or provide care for elderly parents.

This article is excerpted from At Work at Home: Design Ideas for Your Home Workplace by Neal Zimmerman, with permission of the publisher, The Taunton Press.   >>>

Double French doors provide light and spacious entry to a studio, once a toolshed, remodeled by Keith Roberts. Photo: Randy O'Rourke This beautifully crafted one-room art studio was once a simple toolshed with no veranda. Photo: Randy O'Rourke   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.