Bad Honnef, Germany  - An office at home is no longer unusual and is often used for everything from freelance work, telecommuting to more personal pursuits.

"Some people use these home offices for private correspondence, for online banking, tax returns or just to surf the internet," says Ursula Gieismann of VDM, the German Association for Office Furniture.

Regardless of its purpose, the home office should be planned and carefully furnished.