The notion of universal design in the home — or how to make interior spaces more user-friendly and accessible — usually comes up in kitchen and bath designs.

But what about accommodations for ease of use in home offices?

It is routine for large businesses to consider ergonomics, lighting and other factors when creating offices to make work spaces more functional.

But not so in home offices. Without the same access to design experts as big business, homebound workers are generally left to their own devices to choose desks, lighting, storage, carpet and chairs.

According to Dick Duncan of the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University, in-home workers tend to pooh-pooh the idea of function in favor of low cost and product appearance.

In addition to applying good ergonomic principles, workers need to take their age and specific physical needs into consideration.

Here are some home office guidelines for at-home workers:

• Chairs: If you spend big bucks on one item, it should be your chair. Swivel models are preferred, with plenty of adjustable features. The arms should move in multiple directions. The back should be supportive and adjust to your posture. Rollers are good; otherwise, it takes leg and arm strength to move a chair. Place the chair on a carpet-saving plastic mat for ease of movement.

• Desks: Duncan recommends a desk with a pull-out computer keyboard that can be raised or lowered to reduce strain. Your wrists should rest comfortably in a supportive bar or pad in front of the keyboard.

Some older workers prefer to stand at tall desks to reduce discomfort from sitting. L-shaped desks allow you to swivel easily to work surfaces. Keep your computer printer within arm’s reach to lessen strain.

• Storage: Minimize bending, stooping and stretching to reach items just out of your reach. The shelves and drawers of storage systems should be 18 to 54 inches off the floor.

• Lighting: Older eyes need more light. Make sure the room has enough ambient lighting to be evenly lit throughout the space. Have plenty of task lighting to illuminate keyboards and work surfaces.

Position desks to take advantage of outside light yet avoid places where strong sunlight might cause squinting or eyestrain.

• Flooring: Install low-nap carpeting or a solid surface floor. Both are easier to move on than plush carpets.

• Telephones: Use headset phones reduce craning your neck to hold clumsy handsets.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 26th, 2007 at 4:14 pm and is filed under Interior Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.