Home Office

The Prince George's County Board of Education voted Thursday night to strip member Carletta Fellows (District 7) of her county-issued credit card after an internal auditor found more than $700 in unauthorized charges for utility bills. Board Chairman Verjeana M. Jacobs (District 5) said she was alerted last month to the charges, which were made in February and March to Pepco, Washington Gas, Comcast and Verizon Wireless. Fellows, who said during the meeting that she will appeal the action, contends that...

A 73-year-old pediatrician who practiced for decades in one of the District's most impoverished neighborhoods was arrested at his office Wednesday and charged with downloading images of child pornography, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court. The complaint says Robert P. Dickey was viewing a Web site with child pornography when FBI agents burst into his home office, located in a $450,000 red-brick dwelling near Fort Dupont Park in Southeast Washington. Authorities said 20 patients had...

A 73-year-old pediatrician who practiced for decades in one of the District's most impoverished neighborhoods was arrested at his office Wednesday and charged with downloading images of child pornography, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court. The complaint says Robert P. Dickey was viewing a Web site with child pornography when FBI agents burst into his home office, located in a $450,000 red-brick dwelling near Fort Dupont Park in Southeast Washington. Authorities said 20 patients had...

The Prince George's County Board of Education voted Thursday night to strip member Carletta Fellows (District 7) of her county-issued credit card after an internal auditor found more than $700 in unauthorized charges for utility bills. Board Chairman Verjeana M. Jacobs (District 5) said she was alerted last month to the charges, which were made in February and March to Pepco, Washington Gas, Comcast and Verizon Wireless. Fellows, who said during the meeting that she will appeal the action, contends that...

Is a home library a quaint relic of the past, more often encountered in a novel than in real life? Not according to a number of architects in recent interviews. Although their clients read e-books on Kindles and Nooks, they still own substantial numbers of books. When they can afford it, a special place in the house or a bona fide library is not an unusual request. If the budget does not stretch that far, homeowners still want bookcases incorporated into their living spaces. The desirability of a library, however,...

Jo Heinz is president of Dallas interior architecture and design firm Staffelbach. Entrepreneur.com asked Heinz for advice on designing a home office for maximum efficiency. Here's what she had to say: How does designing an effective home office differ from designing a commercial office? And what considerations do you need to keep in mind even before you get started? Working from home is exciting because it offers an opportunity for real comfort and efficiency, but if the office is too casual, or isn't effectively separated from...

THE CHALLENGE Martha Romans wants her Alexandria living room to include a home office. "I'm thinking of the proverbial outfit that goes from a day at the office to a night out, with just a tweak here or there," she said. It should be simple and clean, no cluttered bulletin boards allowed. THE SOLUTION By updating the window treatments and selecting furniture that can pull double duty, designer Sarah Wessel creates a fresh space for work and play. Wessel (202-337-1910)

THE CHALLENGE Priti Brahma, of the District, has wanted to turn her attic into a home office for years but never got around to it. "Now, we're turning 40 and still using our college furniture," she wrote. She's ready to invest in a new work space but is stuck on the room's strange shape and lone window. THE SOLUTION By adding a TV, a wall of filing cabinets and a reading nook, designer Erin Paige Pitts outfits the attic with all the amenities of a luxury office. Add a row of cabinets to...

THE CHALLENGE Regina Haney of Alexandria has started teaching online courses and wants to make over her 10-by-11-foot home office. She tried to design around a drop-leaf desk that belonged to her dad but can't get it to work. THE SOLUTION Rather than force the heirloom, designer Jennifer Schweikert suggests a large dining table and modern cabinets to maximize space. Try moving the desk to "a place of honor" like the foyer, she wrote. Schweikert, of Just My Style (703-321-6155)

"I spend all my days in here. It's functional but doesn't fit with the rest of the house, and I want a more pulled-together look. " Homeowner: Elizabeth Staehle of Laytonsville, on her home office "Home-office pieces should look more 'home' and less 'office.' " Designer: Lori Ludwick of InDesign in Alexandria, 703-582-7281, http://www.indesignllc.net Add British colonial-style furnishings, as the homeowner requested, by...

It's just a day away. Tomorrow is the day for sequestration. And if you still aren't sure what sequestration is, one of the better features explaining the across-the-board spending cuts comes from Niraj Chokshi of the National Journal. So what is it, you might (or should) ask? Chokshi: "The idea was simple: Schedule automatic cuts for the future that were so harmful to everybody that Congress would be compelled to implement better, smarter cuts before they hit. " Why do so many people hate it?

THE CHALLENGE Martha Romans wants her Alexandria living room to include a home office. "I'm thinking of the proverbial outfit that goes from a day at the office to a night out, with just a tweak here or there," she said. It should be simple and clean, no cluttered bulletin boards allowed. THE SOLUTION By updating the window treatments and selecting furniture that can pull double duty, designer Sarah Wessel creates a fresh space for work and play. Wessel (202-337-1910)

If you're working on your 2012 tax return, you probably aren't in the mood to consider changes that await you next year. Nonetheless, the Internal Revenue Service wants to hear from you now about something it's going to implement this year that could affect the return you file in 2014. The agency recently announced a streamlined option for claiming a home office deduction . You have a chance to comment on this new option, and your suggestions could help improve...

If you're one of the millions of homeowners and renters who work or run a business from the place you live, here's some good news on taxes: The Internal Revenue Service wants to make it easier for you to file for deductions on the business-related use of your home. Rather than the complicated 43-line form you now have to fill out to claim a write-off — the instructions alone take up four pages of text and involve computations ranging from depreciation to utility bill expense allocations —...

LAS VEGAS — When Ford wants to try out a new transmission part, an engineer sends a digital blueprint of the component to a computer, and what happens next once seemed like the stuff of science fiction. Inside a device about the size of a microwave oven, a plastic, three-dimensional version of the component begins to take shape before your eyes . After scanning the design blueprint, the gadget fuses together a paper-thin layer of plastic powder. It repeats, putting another layer on top, and then...

Is a home library a quaint relic of the past, more often encountered in a novel than in real life? Not according to a number of architects in recent interviews. Although their clients read e-books on Kindles and Nooks, they still own substantial numbers of books. When they can afford it, a special place in the house or a bona fide library is not an unusual request. If the budget does not stretch that far, homeowners still want bookcases incorporated into their living spaces. The desirability of a...

LAS VEGAS — When Ford wants to try out a new transmission part, an engineer sends a digital blueprint of the component to a computer, and what happens next once seemed like the stuff of science fiction. Inside a device about the size of a microwave oven, a plastic, three-dimensional version of the component begins to take shape before your eyes . After scanning the design blueprint, the gadget fuses together a paper-thin layer of plastic powder. It repeats, putting another layer on top, and then thousands more,...

If you're one of the millions of homeowners and renters who work or run a business from the place you live, here's some good news on taxes: The Internal Revenue Service wants to make it easier for you to file for deductions on the business-related use of your home. Rather than the complicated 43-line form you now have to fill out to claim a write-off — the instructions alone take up four pages of text and involve computations ranging from depreciation to utility bill expense allocations — the...

THE CHALLENGE Regina Haney of Alexandria has started teaching online courses and wants to make over her 10-by-11-foot home office. She tried to design around a drop-leaf desk that belonged to her dad but can't get it to work. THE SOLUTION Rather than force the heirloom, designer Jennifer Schweikert suggests a large dining table and modern cabinets to maximize space. Try moving the desk to "a place of honor" like the foyer, she wrote. Schweikert, of Just My Style (703-321-6155)

THE CHALLENGE Susanne Graham-Yooll of Derwood wants to turn her awkward hall into an office. Slanted ceilings and window nooks make decorating tricky, but she needs room for a scanner, computer and a few of her home-builder husband's rolled-up house plans. Bonus points if there's a homework spot for 11-year-old Vanessa. THE SOLUTION By mixing steel, leather and reclaimed wood, designer J. Allen creates an industrial yet warm family office. Allen, of Perceptions Interiors ...