Home Office Basics

With four school-age children, these homeowners had a kitchen that was already chaos—hardly the place for computer stations that could serve as homework cubbies. When Wilmette, Illinois-based architect Healy Rice was hired to redo the house, she found an underused space in a den off the kitchen.

TOH Tip: Layer lighting with recessed cans to provide ambient light, and undercabinet fixtures or desk lamps for task lighting. Dimmers and three-way bulbs let you easily adjust light levels for comfort.