Get to work: Weigh all options when selecting office furnishings

DEAR DESIGNER: My husband and I would like to turn our guest room into a home office. I like the look of built-in cabinetry but can’t decide if ready-made or custom will be best for us. I saw a home office on your Web site and wonder if it is custom-built or standard office furniture configured to look like built-in. Will you give me some insight on office furniture versus built-in so that I can make an informed decision? — Karin.

DEAR KARIN: The office shown on my Web site and on this page is made up of modular furniture. Modular furniture features various pieces that can be rearranged, combined and interchanged easily. Modular furniture comes in a wide range of design styles and finishes.

The featured office belongs to my husband and me. When we purchased our home, we turned the existing game room into a dual office in order to save the extra bedrooms for guests. For various reasons, the modular furniture was the best choice for us, but that doesn’t mean it is the best choice for everyone.

The cost of both modular furniture and custom-built office furniture can vary depending on the quality and materials used. A room of modular office furniture the size of ours (approximately 15 feet by 16 feet) can run anywhere from $5,000 to $30,000-plus. Our furniture was in the middle of that range and cost $13,457 retail. The costs vary, but are similar when purchasing custom built, depending on the details requested.

So, why wouldn’t everyone want custom if the price is the same? Versatility. If you are planning to sell your home in a few years and you want to take your furniture with you, use ready-made modular furniture.

Using our office as an example, if we take our furniture with us, we can reconfigure the pieces to give us two complete separate offices. We may or may not be able to use all the pieces, but our furniture is an investment we do not have to leave with the house.

With all this versatility, why wouldn’t everyone want to use modular? Because modular furniture has limitations as to what sizes are available and the uses they provide. No matter how creative you are with coordinating the various pieces, the size of the furniture will rarely have a perfect fit on your existing wall.

In our office, we were lucky to narrow the imperfection down to a 3-inch gap on the back wall, neatly hidden from view behind the hutch of my desk. And, if you have specific needs in your office that deviate from the norm, you may not find the specific pieces you want in ready-made furniture. Custom-built will solve these problems best.

So, what are some of the downsides to custom-built? Generally, you can’t take them with you, and if you did, chances are they won’t fit in your new home. Another thing to keep in mind about custom-built, is the more you want the pieces to look like furniture instead of cabinets, the more it will cost.

Remarkably, the time it takes to get modular versus custom cabinets is very similar.

To order modular cabinets, you will need to measure your room, draft out the available pieces on a scaled drawing to be sure you select all the correct pieces, order and then wait for delivery. Much of the modular office furniture on the market today is imported and can take anywhere from several weeks to several months to receive.

To order custom cabinets, you will need to draft out and specify what details you want in your office furniture, wait for the cabinet builder or furniture builder to build, apply the finish and install your order. This process can also take months, depending on details and how busy your furniture builder is at the time.

As an added note about changing a guest room into an office, be sure to add adequate light in your work areas. This will alleviate eyestrain and reduce tiredness.

And finally, decorate your finished office to please the person using it. Studies show that a comfortable and attractive work environment improves the spirit.

Cindy Payne is a certified interior designer with more than 25 years of experience, as well as a licensed contractor. E-mail questions to her at deardesigner@projectdesigninteriors.com or send them to her at Project Design Interiors, 2620 S. Maryland Parkway, Suite 189, Las Vegas, NV 89109. She can be reached online at www.projectdesigninteriors.com.