Working in a small home office has its definite advantages and disadvantages. We enjoy the compact efficiency of our narrow sleeping patio-turned-home office, everything within an arm's reach. But even with window coverings and open windows, Los Angeles summers are prone to convert our office into an unintentional Easy Bake Oven.
Keeping Our Cool
A viable option is to use blackout window shades, which were considering adding to our existing panel shading for both heat blocking and glare reduction. But this will only relieve only a percentage of our 2nd story rooms overheating issues. So, despite a reluctance to avoid the additional cost of air conditioning, we've been looking around for possible thru-the-window cooling solutions that meets our temperature reduction requirements, while hopefully minimizing the fuglification of our interior space.
Lets be frank. Thru-the-window air conditioners are engineered solutions, with very little aesthetic design included in the selection of models weve seen online and at brick-and-mortar retailers. The best solution weve found is LGs slim 6000BTU LP6000ER model ($299)l; a little over 15 high and a relatively light 55lbs, were seriously considering this unit as our savior from our own personal plane of hell.
But if money wasnt an issue ($2500-$3000), Id be chillin like Dylan (Bob or McKay) with one of these minimalicious ductless air conditioners from LGs Art Cool 2005 line. Not so sure about the Van Gogh panel model (you can change out and customize with any printed 17x17 graphic of your choosing), but the LA180CP is now on my if I win the lottery list.
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I once broke a lease on an apartment because the heat was unbearable. The top-floor unit was west-facing with large picture windows that slid open horizontally; but received 5-6 hours of direct sun. So during LA dog-day months of July-September the inside of the apartment would reach temps as high as 110 degrees. And because of the types of windows used, a powerful, energy-efficient window A/C unit was not an option. My only option was the considerably more expensive and much less powerful "portable" air conditioner. The apartment wouldn't cool down to a more bearable 85 degrees until well past midnight. I ended up moving out with 5 months left on the lease because the heat was just too much; and I'm sure all of my home electronics (and wines) were dying slow, painful deaths... And yeah, I did get stuck paying the the last 5 months rent. C'est la vie.
So, really consider yourself lucky. And spend the 300 bones on the LG unit. You can always store it when it cools down in mid-October.
Oh, and buy an inexpensive fan to help circulate the air.