Working from home stopped being a temporary arrangement years ago. If you are fully remote or hybrid, your home is your office for 20 to 40+ hours per week. The space you work in directly affects your productivity, your mental health, and whether you can maintain a boundary between work and personal life.
Most apartments do not provide that separation. A townhouse with a dedicated den does. Here is why.
The Apartment WFH Problem
No Dedicated Office Space
In a typical Edmonton apartment (700-1,100 sq ft), your “office” is:
- A desk in the bedroom corner
- The kitchen table
- A makeshift setup in the living room
None of these provide separation between work and life. When your desk is in your bedroom, you never fully leave work. When your office is the kitchen table, every meal involves clearing your laptop first.
Noise from All Directions
Apartment noise travels through floors, ceilings, and thin walls. Upstairs neighbours walking during your client call. The tenant next door watching TV during your focus time. Hallway conversations during your deep work. You cannot control any of it.
No Room for Equipment
If your work requires dual monitors, a standing desk, reference materials, or specialized equipment, an apartment rarely has the space — or the right electrical and lighting setup — to accommodate a proper workstation.
Video Call Backgrounds
This seems minor until it is not. A bedroom or kitchen in the background of every video call looks unprofessional. A dedicated office space with a clean wall behind you changes how colleagues and clients perceive you.
Why a Townhouse Den Works
A Room with a Door
A den is a separate room, typically on the ground floor of a townhouse. It has a door you can close. That door is the physical boundary between work and home. When you close it at the end of the day, work stays behind it.
This simple separation is the single biggest improvement remote workers report when moving from an apartment to a townhome with a den.
Different Floor from Living Space
In a multi-level townhouse, the den is typically on the ground floor while bedrooms are upstairs and the living area is on the main floor. This vertical separation means:
- Your family or roommates can use the living room without disrupting your work
- You can take calls without worrying about kitchen or TV noise
- When you walk upstairs after work, you physically leave your workspace behind
Space for a Real Setup
A den gives you room for:
- A full desk (not a folding table)
- Dual monitors or an ultrawide
- A proper office chair
- Bookshelves or filing
- Good lighting positioned for video calls
Quiet
Townhouses share fewer walls than apartments, and those walls are side-to-side, not floor-to-ceiling. With your office on the ground floor and neighbours’ living spaces on the main floor, noise interference is minimal.
The Numbers: WFH in an Apartment vs Townhouse
| Factor | Apartment | Townhouse with Den |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated office space | No (desk in bedroom/kitchen) | Yes (separate room with door) |
| Noise control | Poor (walls, floors, ceilings) | Good (fewer shared surfaces) |
| Video call setup | Improvised backgrounds | Clean, professional space |
| Work-life separation | Minimal | Physical floor separation |
| Equipment space | Limited | Full desk and setup |
| Rent (Edmonton, 2026) | $1,400-$2,100 | $1,800-$2,500 |
What to Look for in a WFH-Friendly Rental
If you work from home, evaluate rentals through this lens:
Must-Haves
- Separate room with a door (not an “open concept nook”)
- Sufficient electrical outlets for equipment
- Natural light (important for video calls and mental health)
- Internet access point nearby (for hardwired connection)
Nice-to-Haves
- Room on a different floor from main living area
- Window for natural light and ventilation
- Enough wall space for monitors and shelving
- Proximity to a bathroom (so you do not walk through the main living area during calls)
Cherry Hills: Built-In Home Office
Every Cherry Hills townhome includes a ground-floor den that works as a dedicated home office. It is a separate room on the ground floor, away from the upstairs bedrooms and main-floor living area.
The layout:
- Ground floor: Den (office) + double attached garage + entry
- Main floor: Open-concept kitchen, living room, dining area, balcony
- Upper floor: 3 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms + laundry
This three-level separation is what makes WFH work in a townhome. Your office, your living space, and your sleeping space are each on their own floor.
Details:
- 1,544 sq ft total
- 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms
- Double attached garage
- Pet-friendly
- Starting from $2,125/month
- 1 month free on a 13-month lease
Stop Working from Your Kitchen Table
If you are working from home in an apartment and feeling the walls close in, a townhome with a den changes the equation.
Book a tour at Cherry Hills and see the ground-floor den setup in person. Call (587) 409-9635 or email [email protected].
Ready to See Cherry Hills?
Experience our spacious 3-bedroom townhomes in Edmonton's Orchards neighbourhood.
