When Dorothy first clicked the heels of her ruby-red slippers and wistfully uttered, "There's no place like home," little did anyone realize her sentiment would become the mantra of millions of Americans who would abandon sterile corporate environs to set up workspaces at home. What makes a home office work? We interviewed a local architect, an interior designer and a real estate agent to discover how they created personalized yet practical workspaces.

CREATIVE SPACE
Interior designer Jo Ann A. Parker left noise and clutter behind for an inspirational home office.

As a successful designer and owner of Interiors by Decorating Den since 1994, Jo Ann A. Parker recently left an office in Lakewood Ranch where the walls were so thin she could hear the mortgage broker in the next office do deals around the world in four languages. "I just couldn't concentrate," she says.

Parker moved her business to her home in Palm Aire's Golf Pointe, converting her expansive master bedroom and its adjoining suite into an office for her and an assistant.

Separating personal and business life:

"The hardest thing for me is shutting down, so I located the office at one end of the house," says Parker. "I completely shut down at noon on Friday and all weekend. I don't even think about work. I have a solid door that blocks the view of the office and a separate phone line so I don't hear the phone ring. When I finish working at the end of the day, I simply close the doors and disconnect."

The Look:

"My house is rowdy with lots of color and animal prints, but my work space is clean and neutral. I don't want a lot of things hitting me when I design," she says. Parker used an antique white executive desk, credenza and hutch with cherry work surfaces to give the office a Country French feeling.

Storage:

"I'm a neat freak and my last office had an industrial look with shelves on the wall to hold samples. Now I use a closet for the storage of thousands of samples. There's no clutter," Parker says. "I need open space and tranquility to be creative."

Desk:

"It has to be large so I can keep my drawing materials on it," she notes. Other must-have desk accessories: her calculator and her big black-and-white Humane Society cat, Miss Belle. "She's almost always on my desk," says Parker. "Everyone loves her."

Computer:

"I don't have a computer," Parker says. "It would slow me down. My office manager Pat Lozier has a computer on her desk."

Importance of the outdoors:

"While I'm working I can gaze at the lake behind the house, which gives me a sense of serenity that allows me to think and function," she says.

Best part of a home office:

For Parker, it's the "peaceful environment, private bathroom," "ice tea with ice any time of day," and a beautiful view.

BY DESIGN
Architect Rick Fawley's functional, flexible space.

Rick Fawley and his partner Mike Bryant of Fawley Bryant Architects have designed government, commercial and residential projects in Sarasota and Manatee counties since 1994 and have an office on Manatee Avenue. Fawley also has an office in Durango, Colo., where he designs everything from fire stations to $5-million spec homes and a 200-unit townhome complex. But Fawley works at home every day as well, even at 2 a.m. when the muse strikes him; and the transformed master bedroom suite in his 57-year-old ranch-style home on Riverview Boulevard in Bradenton functions as an office and as sleeping quarters for his nine grandchildren when they visit.

Separating personal and business life:

Fawley's five kids are grown so he doesn't have a lot of noise or distraction at home. He works best in inspirational spurts and never needs to barricade himself in the office. French doors are enough of a barrier, and he keeps them open when his wife is in the kitchen so they can carry on a conversation. He keeps his air conditioning fan on auto to provide white noise or occasionally listens to instrumental music on satellite radio to block out the TV. He uses two different cell phones in the office-one for his Colorado office and one for his Bradenton office-so his home number is free from business calls.

The Look:

"The office has to be one of the nicest rooms in the house so you want to be there. It can't feel like a dungeon," he says. Fawley blended modern and traditional furnishings and painted the room a pale, serene green. The office receives plenty of natural light from four windows and faces the street so Fawley feels connected to neighborhood life.