f you’re one of the many Americans who want to spend less time commuting, you may be considering converting some space in your home to a home office. The benefits of being able to walk into an area designed to fit your work needs are good for your wallet, the environment and often times your mental health.

There are several areas that should be taken into consideration when planning your home office. Several area businesses have offered their advice on what you should be thinking about from the floor up.

The flooring for your office should suit the type of use, personal taste and area it is located in. An office that would have a chair on casters should have a smooth surface, such as do-it-yourself laminate, vinyl or even carpet with a low pile. Carpeting adds a warm feel to your floor and may even help insulate it slightly. Placing carpet on a basement floor is possible because the carpet allows the floor to breathe, evaporating moisture into the air. A dehumidifier is recommended if the area has a history of being damp. There are some carpets that are made from recycled materials, such as soda bottles, and are considered “green” friendly.

Jim LaFlam, owner of Jim’s Carpets nc. in Lewiston, advises that adding Berber carpet adds fashion appeal. “t doesn’t have to look like an office.” The colors and patterns available are very attractive for home use.

You also want to keep in mind that “you may decide to convert the area back to family use at some point and keep the room as portable as possible” according to Denis Lebel of Sherm Arnold’s Flooring of Lewiston.

Your home office floor should reflect your life style. Children and pets, as well as increased traffic, may call for easy to care for laminate, and if you should decide to make the room into a multi-use family room, the flooring should not look out of place in your home.

Furniture should suit your needs ergonomically, and be comfortable so that you want to spend time in the room. You may want to avoid having your home office look and feel like a regular 9-5 business, because this is your home and you should be able to be your most relaxed while still accomplishing tasks that have been on your mind.

Dan Gobeil of Gobeil’s Furniture Galleries in Gray says, “We start with a floor plan and match the furniture to the use. We want to make it comfortable for the user.” Some of the desk styles, such as a rolltop allow you to simply cover your work components and have a beautiful piece of furniture in the room. Many desks now come with built in access ports, docking stations and power strips that enable you to keep cords out of site. Home offices are not requiring as much storage space as they used to thanks to electronic storage devices.

The lighting that you use in your office should be suitable for reading and writing, with attention paid to the amount of glare that affects your computer screen. Directional lighting can both highlight areas of focus, and help reduce glare by adjusting the angle of light. Properly lighting your area can help reduce eye fatigue and set the mood in any office.

The home office can be a multi-use area or a separate entity designed to receive clients, with all your resources within easy reach. The key to remember is that it’s your space, you are the boss, and you can make it as comfortable as you want. The time spent in the home office can be very rewarding in many aspects of your life, with proper planning, a little elbow work and the right accessories; it can be both practical and attractive.