To Share Space or Not to Share Space?

I came across an interesting article at the Washington Post Website by Dan Rafter, Working at Home, and Not Alone* He does a case study of some couples who actually Work at Home in the Same House. (Not necessarily the same business).

Some work in the same room, some need to separate the work places. All in all it is a good look at how some couples handle this type of situation.

I Work at Home Alone, my wife is self employed, but has a Hair Salon in a nearby town. I think that if her business was run out of the house, as some in her profession do, I would never get any work done.

Since most of what I do entails researching, concentration and writing, I need a certain amount of privacy to accomplish my work objectives. Whereas her business is more social, women (and men) in a waiting room, getting their hair done, or coming and going. There is always some type of conversation going on.

Personally, I think the separation of our individual businesses works to our mutual advantage.

Since there are so many people that that work at home (4.2 million in the 2000 US Census, and growing), I’m quite sure there are more than a few who are in the same situation of spouses or life partners sharing work spaces in the house.

I am curious, how many of you are in similar situations? How do you handle it?

Reference:
*Working at Home, and Not Alone