Technology has finally enabled us to contribute from home what we used to have to drive to the office to accomplish. Not only are businesses popularizing telecommuting, but governments, too. State and Federal offices in major cities across the U.S. are selling off their office buildings to trim budgets and avoid job-cuts. For some, the prospect of working at home in their “jammies” spells bliss, but for those who require structure and a supervised work environment to stay motivated, too much freedom can be bewildering. Some say they miss the degree of social interaction they get working with others in a shared workplace – something you just don’t get by talking to the dog on your coffee break.

Self-motivated, independent types tend to adapt more readily to telecommuting. They’re usually disciplined about setting appropriate boundaries to keep household distractions at bay during work hours, and they embrace the practical advantages of putting reclaimed commuter time and transportation money on their families.

Still, some people are so used to working in the bland, impersonal cubicles provided by their employers that creating an ideal workspace of their own can actually seem overwhelming. Perhaps that’s why home improvement retailers are expanding home decor to include furnishings for the home office to meet the rising demand as more and more workers seek to family-proof home interiors so that barking dogs and screaming kids can be seen, but not over-heard.

Individual tastes vary. One worker’s ideal space might be an easy chair with a laptop balanced on their knees, while a working mom might prefer a desk in a corner of the kitchen so that an occasional stir of the soup is only a momentary distraction. The famous fiction writer, Stephen King, writes at a desk facing the wall, insisting that a blank wall inspires creative thought without the distraction of a scenic window view.

Then there are those rare few who could care less about a room’s decor. To all those people, I say “good for you!” One thing is certain; working from home can be satisfying, if not life-changing for the whole family.