As you can probably guess, one of the most popular trends for the upcoming year is creating a multi-functional live-work space. More than ever large numbers of people are working from home, and it doesn’t seem to be a trend that’s ending anytime soon. This is putting extra demand on our shared living spaces. Creating a multi-functional live-work space serves everyone in a household and helps keep us organized.

Rooms are serving double (or triple) duty these days.

Hands up if you’ve got kids online-schooling from a kitchen or dining room, and your home office is set up in a spare corner of your living room? (yes and yes)

The key is to make it work for everyone by lessening the chaos, so it always comes down to organization. Think about optimizing the functions of the room without completely overwhelming the space.

Modify any space to make it more functional.

Creating a multi-functional live-work space can be fairly simple. Just follow these guidelines, no matter how many rooms you’re modifying.

• Edit the space – remove clutter and any unnecessary pieces of furniture or decor that can free up an extra corner or two. Less is always more (another trend for 2021!)
• Consider the room – if the primary function of the room is to relax, think how you can arrange the space so you’re not staring at piles of work while trying to have some downtime.
• Group like-functions together – need an extra desk for homework? Use an already-existing table so you don’t have to install an extra desk somewhere else. Just ensure that if it’s your dining room table, your dining room still serves its primary purpose efficiently and effectively.
• Closed storage is key to a tidy workspace (and any space for that matter). Adding a cabinet in a spare corner where you can pack away your work tools will keep things tidy.
• Sofa beds can provide extra seating in an office space when you don’t need a full-time bed set up. It provides extra seating to take a break from your work routine during the day, and makes it easy to accommodate an overnight guest… if we ever get to have those again!
• Keep the colour scheme to a minimum. If you’ve got a lot going on in a particular space, keeping to similar tones or complimentary colours will help keep the room from looking too busy.

Here’s a link to a well organized office space to give you ideas on how to set up a really efficient workspace, whether you have a dedicated office space or not. And I love the images of integrated home offices in this article. (I also love the large soaker tub in the bedroom, unrelated but completely necessary IMO!!).

How have you had to adapt your living space to accommodate the changes we’ve experienced over the last year? How have you incorporated these ideas in creating a multi-functional live-work space? Let us know in the comments below, and thanks for reading!