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PAGE A8, WHITBY FREE PRESS, Home Improvements, NOMMER 2, 1988 Hlow to make home office space work for you Sonie 25 million. Americans now run businesses out of their homes, and if you are not one of them at thistime, chances are that you or your spouse will be, sooner or later. Work ing at home mieans a corn- pletely new lifestyle, notes the Laminate Council of America, a trade association with more than a passing interest in this trend. Decorative laminate is, after ail, much used in convenional offices everywhere, and it stands to reason that at-home workers, too, can benefit from this material's good, looks and carefree ways. On the plus side, having a home of- fice includes such pleasures as taking the phone off the hook and going jog- ging, even if it is only noon, but on the minus side, there are such embar- rassments as the dog barking uncon- trollably just as some important client calls. According to the Council, the big- gest problein for at-home business owners is the creation of a comfor- table and efficient work space that shuts out pets, kids, and other distrac- tions. The space must also impress a visiting client with its profes- siona lismi. The ideal situation is, of course, a separate room. Look to the garage, basement, or extra bedroom for potential office space, but remember that if you have employees or clients walking in and out, you must have direct access to the outdoors. Passing through the kitchen or bedroom to get to your office just won't do. If a separate room i5 an impossiuii. ty, at least create a definite separation between living and working spaces. A room divider that prov *ides storage as wéll as privacy is a good idea, but using different wall and flooring treat- ment in the two areas will emphasize the separation. Choose carpeting for the living area, for example, and *a bare wood floor for the office space. Or vice versa. Design Choices Whether your home office is a whole room or a cubicle, it makes beautiful sense to put decorative high- pressure laminate to work. Start with the walls, advises the Counicil. Then go on to cover cabinets, shelves, and other storage areas as well. If space is at a premiumi, it is a good idea to use the same larninate design on walls, cabinets and such. It will create unity, thus expanding space visually. Laminate is a natural for desktops and other work surfaces, too. Just remember how efficient it is on the kitchen couniters. Is there a desk top anywhere that could not benef it from that kind of wipe-clean toughness? Practically speaking, only nmatte tinishes should be used on desk tops and other work surfaces, while those high-gloss laminates should be limited to walls and other areas that don 't have to withstand a lot of wear and tear. Bu other than that, the world of laminat. is truly a design buff"s oyster. First, laminate now boasts an in- credible range of color. It goes ail the way [rom pale and dark neutralsto pretty pastels and bright primaries. Then, there is design, ranging [rom wood, slate and leather look.s ail the way to abstract patterns and neat geometrics. What Goes Where? With so much great color and design available, choosing just the right thing could become a problem. But not to worm>'. For here, [rom the Laminate Council, are some helpful hints and ideas. Wood looks are always handsomne choices for offlices, and the ones featured in laminates are particularl>' good-looking. Faithfully reproduccd designs include such famliliar woods as walnut and maple as wei as the fit contingent of today's popufar blond oak and beech grains. The more ex- otic woods like burîs, pecans, and cypress are ail there, too. Dark woods, such as mahogany, cherry and rosewood, create richly traditi.onal spaces. while the pale Woods tend to set a light-hearted, con- temporary mood, And don't forget that most important furniture manufacturers now offer laminate- clad furnishings. and that makes good sense for office situations. Even such traditional itemis as rolltop desks now corne laininate-clad for easy care and long Wear. The leather-looks can add incredi- ble richness to walls and desk tops. The dark browns and russets will strike a traditional note, while the pale neutrals, such as camel and white, look glamorous and modemn. Great luxury.is the inevitable result when the marble designs are put to work. Richly veined and-.beautifully dimensional, these laminate creations are wonderful for work surfaces, table tops, and perhaps even walls if you cherish grandiose surroundings., But solid-colored laminate is fast becoming the high-fashion item for office design, and the Council sug- gests deep, rich tones, such as claret, hemlock, harvest gold, and cordovan, for traditional areas. Ail the pale neutrals can go contemporary, and so can the sassy brights. For large surfaces, it is sater to choose color conservat ively, warns the Laminate Council. Some strong colors used in excess could prove distracting. Used in small dosages, however, it can be extremely effec- tive. Running a band of strong color across a neutral work surface, wall or row of cabinets is one way to achieve uticommon design interest. Using a range of coordinating colors on cabi- net fronts or display shelves is another. To find ail this wonderful fashion, co 'ntact your local laminate distrib- utor. According to the Laminate Council of America, its memnber com- panies' products are widely distribut- ed throughout the country, so you should have no problem whatsoever findingjust the right laminate fashion for your home office. t EMM EMMA EMM EMM EMM EMM DAM EMM DAM EMM EMM EMM EMM EMM EMM EMM EMM EMM EMA w ~ preserve the good things in Whitby' w w TAX FREEZE w FOR AT LEAST 2 AFFORDABLE w 1 ay rm 1 OSN 3 m w 2 m 1 MEET GERRY EMM - 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Mon.-Sat. w 209 DUNOAS STREET EAST (at Green St) 2 m > Telephone 668-9932 668-6442 668-1709 w PRODUCED EVY THE COMMIflrEE TO ELEOT GERRY EMM MAYOR là m EMM EMMA EMM EMM EMM AEMAM EMM EMM EMM EMM EMM EMMA EMM EMM EMM EMM EMM EMMA EMMA e IINTFR THE COOLER QUALITY THAT ~ COUNTS Fnancng~ *1 le kitciien bas become a center oi family activity in niany Amierican homes. And homeowners, through careful kitchen planning when remnod- eling or building, are enjoying new levels of convenience. More and more homecowners are finding that the *'kitchens of their dreanîs" aren't as costly as thiey may have assumed. Kitchens "custorni7ed" to homeowners' individual lifestyles and decorating prefere *nces do not necessarily hIve Io be "custom kitch- ens.- Today thiere is a wide range of cabinet styles, units and accessory op- tions readily available [romn kitch- en/bath and home center retailers. There are key points to kecp in nîind when planning for a new or And/Or DRUMATIC HUMIDIFIER WITH THE PURCIIASE 0F HEAT1NG & AIR CONDITIONING CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONER And/Or HIGH EFFICIENCY VVIII m nul m Avallablê W--.O.o LiAb f»UHNAW: COVER THREE SERVICE LOCATIONb cashfi siow1p Ip le , 1 increasin Recet u les e YI' an ee:'f"'kx 'erienced credit & C Ilecti eC ger cqÎl Hire an agular or part tirne ba<% H r S rn aRmanager on a ri etc TAMMOUR ýà4uuOIA 1 421m 161 remnodeled kitchen. Greg Wolf, Mierii- lat Industries' director of product planning, rec<imnends the following: * Function. Do you like to plan mneals, review recipes, pay your bills and order-by-phone'in the kitchen? Space saving open-shelf units and roll- top desks can make your kitchen niorc than just an area for food and utensil storage, meal preparation and dining. * Floor Plan. Take soine grid pa- per and, working on a scale of 12' = l, mark out the diniensions of yotir -kitchen, noting window and door lo- cations, and miake cutouts of cuip- board/counter tops, appliances and seating. Analyze your work centers: refrigeration, preparation, dlean-upi and, space pcrmiiiting, mecal serving and planning arcas. Move your cult- outs around unilil you have a plan that gives youi enough open space in whichi to move around and an eff-icie--'t "work trianigie ietwecn trie reiîîgciatur. suîîk and stove. * Style. Af'fordable "Stock"~ cabi- nets come in an eclectic range of to- day's most popular decorating styles: counîry, contemporary, traditional and European. And, cabinets and coor- dinating components,(shelves, ol-top desks) are not Iimited to kitchen in- stallations; the style and finish you choose can be repeated in thé~ bath and other roirns in your home where cabi- net storage and modular shelving sys- temls are appropriate. * Storage. TodJays cabinets and ac- cessories maxinîize space usage with- out cluitering your kitchen. Make your life easier and your kitchen more "cuistomnized" with such readil>' avail- able inner-cabinet storage features ag lazy susans, cutlery/cutting board drawers and utensil dividers. Spice racks and corner tambour-doored ".garages" for small appIianceq, ainong other decorative accessories, make your kitchen work for yeu. Skylights add value Skylights are a relatively simiple way for a conpcîent do-it-yourselfer to add to the value of a home. Many families instaîl skylights 10 improve interior lighting while reducing, energy costs, says APC Corp. Ot Hawthrone, N.J. Especially popular in kitchens, skylights create a spacious. cheerier, more natural aI- mosphere aI modest expense. Strippable wallpaper popular Sirippahle walicoverings can be the ideal wall treatnment for those who are Iired of painting every few years. They not only go up easily. but comne down the sanie way. This makes strippable wallcoverings popular with apartmenî dwellers and do-it-your- -scîfers. says the Wallcovering Infor- miation Bureau. 427~161 Customi kitchens can be affordable ELECTRONIC AIR CLEANER 1