It used to be that a home office was a dedicated space with a desktop computer, printer, fax machine, landline, and filing cabinets. But even though more people are working at home nowadays, laptops and Wi-Fi make it easy to work anywhere from the living-room sofa to the master bedroom and even by the pool. According to data compiled by Zillow, the share of listings that make special mention of a home office decreased by 20 percent from the previous year across the United States.
Home builders are compromising with open floor plans that emphasize flexible spaces and workspace nooks, says San Francisco architect Paul Adamson. Modern homes are also built with more wall outlets to allow for nomadic charging; some even come with built-in USB ports, says Jeremy Wacksman, Zillow’s chief marketing officer.