Want to get out of the house to work, but not too excited about coffeeshops or the typical coworking space? Up for the sharing economy's latest adventure? Try coworking in someone else’s home. Home coworking is a relatively new facet of the rapidly-growing coworking movement. Inspired by pioneers, including Lori Kane, founder of Collective Self in Seattle, people are offering up their kitchen tables and living rooms as work spaces.
Platforms connecting those looking for a place to work with those who have wi-fi and space in their house are now emerging. Following the Couchsurfing and Airbnb models, these platforms enable hosts to offer up their space and remote workers a way to find a space to work in the comfort of home—wherever they may be. Here are three of our favorites.
Chairify brings people together to share space at a kitchen table, in living room, at a desk, or “whatever comes to mind as a free coworking space.” Created by the Seats2meet team, Chairify focuses on bringing people together to create and collaborate. As their site states, “We believe in sharing our abundance in order to create new value and by launching Chairify we help you share your abundance of space so that you can start creating value for yourself and the coworkers you host!”
Need a change from the hustle and bustle of the office, but don’t want to work alone? What about an apartment in Brooklyn or a Victorian in San Francisco? SpareChair enables people to share and find interesting places to work. Through the platform, people list extra space in their creative studios, desks in their offices, and work areas in their homes.
Desktime is a platform that connects people with extra work space, whether in an office, a studio, a creative center, or a home. While the majority of listings are established coworking spaces and hip offices, it also enables you to list your extra home office space and find a place to work that gets you off the beaten path.
Do you know of other apps like these? Please share them in comments.
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Top photo: Eduardo Otubo (CC-BY). Follow @CatJohnson on Twitter
