Finding Space

The perfect spot for your PC depends on how active your household is, how the PC will be used and who will be the primary user. PC locations can be separated into two categories: dedicated and non-dedicated. Dedicated spaces allow you to work in a quiet area that is physically separated from the rest of the house. Non-dedicated spaces allow you to still be part of the general activities of the household, such as a corner of the den or family room. If your PC is used primarily for casual activities, a non-dedicated spot would be perfect. On the other hand if your PC is used for desktop publishing or complex spreadsheet manipulation, you'll need a dedicated space.

A spare bedroom makes a great dedicated space since it already has heating, cooling, power outlets and probably a phone connection in the room. If you're lacking a spare bedroom, look around your home for 'stolen spaces'. These spaces include under stairway closets, utility rooms, walk-in closets or even closed-in porches. A three-by-five foot closet is big enough to contain a counter to hold your monitor and keyboard and a few creatively placed shelves to you enough storage space for a printer, paper and other supplies. Other folks faced with a small home but a large backyard look outside for dedicated spaces by building a small cottage-office in the backyard.

If your computer will be used for casual activities such as game playing or surfing the Internet, a non-dedicated space might be the perfect location for your PC. Don't rule any area out, a corner of the den, living room or even a spacious stairway landing could be utilized as a PC area. A variety of attractive workstations are available to hold all your computer components, and some manufacturers are producing armoires with an old world flair that compliment any home décor. If you don't want your PC to intrude into existing rooms, perhaps an unused closet backs up to your den or living room that you could convert by simply removing a wall and building in counter and shelf space and concealing it with a tambour door. You'll be surprised how many possibilities are available in most homes with a little imagination.

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