As rapidly as technology changes, home office furniture redefines itself to accommodate tech equipment and gear. Workstations morph. Storage options increase. Work surfaces expand to handle the load of printers, scanners and computers. Furniture configurations that worked just two years ago are now likely to be insufficient to manage the explosion of technology.

“Today there is a piece of furniture designed for every item of high-tech equipment,” says Mike Short, design director for Sauder Woodworking. “Whether the hold-up has been space, styling or budget concerns, it’s easy to find a unit, or combination of units, that solves the problem.”

Techline, for instance, completely overhauled its cabinetry system to make it a more flexible storage solution. Cabinets can now be stacked to create a wide range of hutch or wall-hung options.

Sligh Furniture offers computer armoires that do double duty by housing a standard computer CPU and monitor as well as a notebook computer. “It’s an upgrade we added to support the growing popularity of notebook technology,” says Jeff Pulver, manager of product development at Sligh.

Manufacturers offer independent computer and printer stands on wheels for mobility around a home office. Mobile file carts that roll beneath work surfaces come in all sizes for file storage.

Along with filing papers, home office workers also face storing a mass of multi-media. Consider those odd-shaped storage needs before buying furniture, advises Jack Kelley, a design consultant with Sligh Furniture. “Don’t forget to measure your stack of CDs, Zip and floppy disks.” Then add about 50 percent more storage space for future needs.