Bourne out of the pandemic home offices are here to stay. So how can KBB retailers capitalise on this market?

Part of the Lifespace furniture collection from Crown Imperial is this office space area in White and Aqua from the Furore range.

With the number of people working from home having doubled, up 108.8% to 9.9million by March 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics, the need for a workspace has grown.

For consumers without the space for a dedicated room, the kitchen has now added the role of office to cooking and eating activities.

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According to a survey by Hafele, which questioned more than 2,000 people about how they use the kitchen, they found 10% use the kitchen as a makeshift office.

Managing director of the KBBG Bill Miller comments: “Many consumers are adding a home office into their kitchen; however, our members have also reported that many of their customers are undertaking a complete house renovation. This includes a new kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and a separate home office space.

“This trend is having a positive influence on the market and provides excellent opportunities for the independent KBB retailer.”

Creating office space

Whether home offices are located in the kitchen, bedroom or even additional garden room, managing director of Daval Simon Bodsworth says: “This has led to a new appreciation for organisational storage and flexible furniture solutions that adapt to a multi-purpose living environment that must cater to different needs.”

And manufacturers have worked to create collections that explore beyond the confines of traditional kitchen space with home furniture that includes, home bars, bootility and media rooms.

Commercial director of Crown Imperial Tony McCarthy believes it is also possible to achieve a cohesive style, by creating different levels or by designing a dual work and leisure zone away from the daily hubbub of the kitchen.

He advises: “It is best to avoid sharing storage between zones, the new hub should be a dedicated clutter free workspace with everything relevant at hand.

“It’s also important not to overlook the working environment, so consider desk positioning to make the most of natural light, whilst avoiding screen glare for those daily Zoom calls!”

Maximising sales

To capitalise on home office sales, Simon Bodsworth of Daval comments: “I would play up the benefits of having a dedicated space to work from home.

Daval was briefed to design made-to-measure Mayfair cabinetry to create a bar for a garden room and a home office

“The beauty of having elegant and versatile made-to-measure, made-to-order furniture for the home office space will ensure that the end-users add value and prestige to their property, as well as giving them the opportunity to embrace an aesthetically pleasing, whole-house signature style throughout.”

While Bill Miller of the KBBG encourages retailers to put home offices on display.

He adds: “If showroom space allows, then creating an open plan area featuring both a kitchen and a separate home office is ideal. If space is not available, then adding a home office element to a kitchen display is still an option.”

What is interesting is that the home office trends is only likely to grow and Bill Miller agrees the change is here to stay.

He concludes: “As more of us spend working time at home, investment in creating an effective and pleasant working environment will grow, so the market for home offices will continue to develop positively.