The downturn in the economy has made more homeowners rethink spare bedrooms, dens, dining rooms and walk-in closets. Looking for freelance work for another source of income or to starting a new business, more people are rethinking home offices.

Being efficient and productive takes an office that is professionally organized and equipped – and doesn’t have to be “taken down” at night to set the table for dinner.

Each person’s style of working is a personal decision. But certain basics help almost everyone; here are ways to get started:

Choose the location

Find the best place to work. Linda Bettencourt, a home stager and designer in San Francisco, recommends keeping work away from spaces, like a bedroom, where you want to relax. “Nothing is worse than seeing your waiting inbox before breakfast or when you are ready to retire for the night,” Bettencourt says.

But also keep away from your family’s traffic flow so that you aren’t in their way and vice versa. Choose a room with good lighting and easy access to power sources and the Internet. If you’re working in a room that serves a double purpose such as a dining room, San Diego-based designer Christine Brun suggests an ornamental screen or fabric hung from the ceiling to block a section from view.

Find a desk

There are lots of theories about what type of desk works best. Eileen Koff, an organization specialist with To the Next Level, based in Stony Brook, N.Y., suggests an L-shaped desk. The design allows for one to be devoted to work and the other for nonwork. Bettencourt suggests a large desk that’s at least 60 inches wide and 24 to 30 inches deep. The point is to allow different tasks – done, working on and to-do – to be separated.

Whatever desk is selected, experts say not to forget other essentials like a laptop, phone with a separate business number, printer, fax machine, scanner, shredder, file drawers, task and overhead lighting and an ergonomic chair. Also, consider investing in a wireless router.

For furnishings, Brun suggests looking at consignment shops and modestly priced stores such as IKEA and Room & Board.

Protect your space

This can get tricky, especially when two adults work from home. But separating the physical spaces and respecting each other’s work habits helps. Lisa Denvir and husband Steve work for the same company, It Ain’t Rocket Science Advertising Inc., from their home in Toronto. They maintain separate offices – hers on the second floor, his in the basement. “Trying to share things – computers and phone lines – is a false economy, so we have our own because we have different schedules and styles,” Lisa says.

If you’re in closer quarters, try for separate computers, phone lines, side tables and a big table to accommodate both of you.

Keep work time sacred

Because you’re at home, you’re at risk for more distractions than you’d find at the office. Have a frank discussion with family about not interrupting unless it’s an emergency. Then, define what constitutes an emergency. Lisa Denvir’s friends and family know to call her at lunch or after work. Business writer and recruiter Bree Gurin has “educated” her friends and family “to understand that my work time and space is sacred and is not to be violated just as would be the case in a conventional office setting.”