The Kitchen Computer Space Allows You to Work in The Heart of Your Home!
Work while cooking and supervising homework!
It is becoming increasingly popular to incorporate a
kitchen computer area to work at in the kitchen of the average home.
You can pay the bills while talking on the phone and watching the kids do their homework as well!
First decide what activities you want
to do in the kitchen computer area, and who will be using the space allotted. (Children often access the computer in two's or threes! So you'll need seating space.)
Try not to interfere with the traffic flow in the kitchen.
Also avoid being near heat and water. The work surface may be part of the cabinetry
plan you have for the rest of the kitchen and integrated fully into it, or it may be made of a contrasting
material or color in order to define the area better.
If space is limited, think about making it the same as
the kitchen proper. Then, you can
spill over from the kitchen onto the worktops here, quite seamlessly and naturally.
Design the kitchen-office space under the desk so that you can easily store the
computer tower, providing enough height and depth, and adequate ventilation.
Have a cavity for running cables and leads down through it to the tower, and that there is a power point
close by inside the cabinet. The power cables should be run through hollow plastic channels or wire trenches
for aesthetics, safety and to avoid wires getting tangled up.
Have at least two sets of power points to support your telephone, printer, fax machine, charger etc. above the work surface.
Have wall cabinets rising to an
aesthetically pleasing height. (Look at the height in line with your other wall cabinets and see how it all
looks together). You can use these cabinets for paper, supplies, equipment, office filing systems and any other
office related business.
Alternatively, you could use the wall cabinetry to house the computer tower and printer, fax and power sources,
while using the lower cabinets for paper and filing. It is sensible to decide what will work best in
an ergonomic way for you.
The height of the 'desk' or work surface in your kitchen computer area is really important. Match this to your height and the type of seating
that you will use to work there... especially if you will be sitting for long periods of time.
You would be very wise to add a slide-out drawer under the desk top so that you
can hide the keyboard and mouse when not in use. This helps maintain the integrated, seamless look
that you may be striving for in the kitchen, and it will keep things tidy and clean.
The chair or stool you choose for the desk should be suited to your needs. A good idea is to get a swivel gas-lift chair that
is the right shape and form for desk work.
Lighting is very important. General lighting won't be adequate over a work surface, so install
some sort of task lighting.
This could be under-cabinet recessed halogen 'downlights' above the
work surface, and in front of the person working. Or you could use a small fluorescent bar light, set under the
cabinets. Another option is a pendant lamp hung over the work surface.
Shelving above the middle part of the desk top can be very useful. You can use it to place photographs, to
showcase special items, or use it for books. If not office books, then cookery books.
Once you have planned your kitchen computer area, you can look forward to many happy days being right in the action,
in the heart of your home.
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