Which room best for office at home

[OhMyTummyMummy]

Dear busy bees.

I have been working for myself from home for the last year. I am a translator and a copywriter so my job is very cerebral, requires lots of concentration and I end up sitting for hours at my desk (hardly breathing I realise sometimes)I find it quite lonely at times but on the whole, it is working quite well for me as I am a single mom.

We are going to move soon, and the "future house" is about to have extensive renovation work done before we move in, including a loft conversion to add an extra room + ensuite.

My builder needs me to decide now which room I want to have as my office (which also doubles as a spare room with a sofa bed) as he will be rewiring and adding lots of plugs and shelves to avoid the spaghetti junction wire nightmare I have at the moment.

Here's where I need your help: I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the move and all the building work and i simply cant make up my mind where to put the office / spare room.

There are 2 choices. Either up in the new loft conversion, or on the floor underneath in the front bedroom next to my daughter's bedroom (she is 2 and a half). Both will be good size rooms. Both are farily quiet too.

The pluses for the office being in the loft conversion are that I would be "away" from the rest of the house. There is a great view up there over the town and it will be a lovely inspiring room to work in (I work at least 30 hours a week). I also think it will be a bright room but that it wont get direct sunlight - which can be annoying when you work on a screen. And if the office is on the top floor, it means that my bedroom would therefore be next door to my daughter's which is perhaps reassuring for me as she is still tiny. Plus guests would have an ensuite.
The pluses for the office being in the front bedroom are that I would therefore have the lovely loft with the view as my bedroom, and the ensuite which makes me feel I would really have my own space and a little sanctuary at the top of the house. I have visions of me going up there in the evening to chill out and watch some tele while looking out over the twinkling lights of the city (sorry!)

Any thoughts? Thanks for reading this far and indulging me!

I'd go for the loft - it will feel like 'going to the office' up there, and separate enough that your dd won't be in there fiddling (which annoys me no end)

Speaking as a translator myself, I say have the loft as the study. It's your own separate space which you can shut off at the end of the day. If the study is downstairs, it's easier to get distracted on the way up to bed, it's also next to your daughter's bedroom and more inviting for her to come and distract/fiddle!

And you spend more of your waking hours working than anything else, so you may as well enjoy the view. You can't enjoy the view so much when you're asleep!

I would go for the loft with the view too. If you want to hear your DD better when you're working whilst she's asleep then have a "baby" monitor in the study (on a very low volume so you only hear her when/if she cries/calls out.

Take the one that makes you feel nicer, more special, more indulged ....all factors that are in short supply as a single mum of a young 'un working from home (I speak from experience). So, it's nice to have a lovely room with a view but do you long more for a fab bedroom, or a fab study ?

I too work from home and a nice view from my desk makes a huge difference to my day. BUT...an ensuite, especially when the other bathroom is shared with a child/rubber ducks/muddy hands/wee on the floor...you know the stuff ...is a glorious and sustaining privilege.

Haven't exactly helped with the decision, have I ? sorry

Loft rooms can often be very hot in the summer and cold in the winter. This may be a consideration.

You may find your needs change as your daughter gets older. What if you're still there when she starts being noisy in the evening eg listening to music in her room. Or perhaps you're hoping to work outside the home then.

Would it be too expensive to get the wiring done in both rooms so there are enough sockets in both rooms in case you change your mind later? You'd only have to more the shelves which wouldn't require a professional...

to move the shelves

I love working in the loft. I spend less time faffing/being distracted in other rooms of the house than when I worked downstairs.

personally I'd always want to "oversee the exits".

Not sure how much childcare you have.

It would make me uneasy to be up in the house out of the way and daughter playing alone downstairs.

Why not let DD have the loft + bathroom and you have your dominion downstairs (bedroom, office, own bathroom).