Working from home can be a difficult thing to manage and time has to be set aside specifically for work with a designated area where you know you can effectively shut things out for time that you want to spend on it.

I once tried working from home myself and it takes half a day to clear the table enough to just get paperwork or a laptop out. A dining table and chair piled with toys is no substitute for office furniture. If you are lucky enough to juggle this event with your babies sleeping or the children suitably entertained, the chances of actually getting the work done while that pile of ironing in the corner is staring at you is very hard.

The trick is to set aside an entire area that you can give over to an office, complete with office furniture. This way, you can leave your equipment set up, put a lock on the door to keep prying fingers out and make it clear that while you are in there, any distractions will be met with capital punishment. At least then, when the kids are settled, or you've bribed your mum to come over and take charge of them, you will be able to get on with your work.

You won't be distracted by a full on view of the ironing or washing up and you won't be sidetracked by personal calls if you turn the home phone off. The dining table with the breakfast cereal encrusted on it will not be a problem for you if you have your own home office furniture.

Of course, you do need to be careful where you buy this office furniture from. Despite popular opinion of a certain Swedish chain of furniture stores, their flat-pack systems are actually quite sturdy if put together properly and should see you through several good years. There are others, and you will know who they are, that are best avoided. To be leaning on your office furniture during that all important call back to your boss to assure him you are working harder than ever will not be greeted well if you fall in a noisy heap on top of scrap MDF.

Of course, not everyone has the means to set aside an entire room for an office. But there are alternatives. You remember that old unit that your gran used to have in her kitchen? The one that had multi directional doors that would flip down, fold out and slide providing different departments for so many things?

Office furniture manufacturers have now devised the multi functional office cupboard. It flips open to reveal a small desk area with space for files and folders and even a photo of the kids.

At the end of your scheduled working time, the whole unit is simply closed. How easy is that? Of course the same principle applies to other chores, not just official work. Put the ironing basket in the cupboard under the stairs and shove the toys under the kids beds, turn around, shut the door and hey presto, all gone!