Whether you work from home full-time, head into the office twice a week, or just want a designated place to catch up on personal tasks and life admin, design a home office that fits your needs and provides a much-needed productivity boost.
How our environment makes us feel is intrinsically linked to how well we perform. In a dark and cluttered space, you may feel distracted or like the day is dragging on. However, if your home office has an optimal design, your work day will fly by.
By maximising your space’s natural light, choosing ergonomic furniture, finding proper storage solutions, and personalising your space, you can enjoy your work in an aesthetic and functional home office. Read our tips on how to achieve a stylish, work-suitable space.
Maximise Natural Light
Sunlight is one of the most important features of a home office. Embracing natural light can significantly enhance your mood, reduce fatigue, increase productivity, and provide an overall sense of well-being. However, if the sunlight becomes too intense, causing you to squint your eyes or wipe the sweat off your brow, you may find it challenging to appreciate its benefits.
Luckily, there are solutions! Curtain sheer window treatments filter light gently throughout the room without the intense midday glare bouncing off your monitor screen, or the heat that goes with those golden rays becoming too concentrated and uncomfortable.
You can also try repositioning your desk to see if you’re more comfortable in another part of the room. Shifting your desk perpendicular to the window will keep you out of direct sunlight while still enjoying a well-lit home office. But sitting directly opposite a window can make those with light sensitivity issues more prone to screen-induced glare and headaches.
Prioritise Ergonomics
Experts agree that an ergonomic workspace will improve how you feel on and off the clock. Ergonomic office features can decrease our chances of developing musculoskeletal disorders and vision problems that impact our productivity levels and our health.
Choosing a desk chair that provides adequate back support to protect your spine is essential. This, along with keeping your computer monitor at eye level, will help prevent neck and back pain, ensuring safety and comfort in your workspace. You can even purchase a standing desk, which will allow you to adjust your monitor to its most ergonomic position whether you’re seated or standing.
Incorporate Storage Solutions
At some point, you’ve probably organised your desk in the workplace to feel a bit more professional, prepared, and centred for your day. Why not do the same for your home office?
Pesky papers, loose pens, and stray notebooks can create unwelcome clutter in a home office. Keeping your space clean and organised will clear your mind of these unnecessary distractions. Office organisation in a workplace or at home may seem unexciting, but watching your space come together can be pretty satisfying. To achieve this, you’ll need to find the right storage solutions.
When choosing furniture and storage for your home office, consider your budget and the available space. Office supply and homeware stores can look like compact, affordable desks with built-in drawers, to chic DIY overhead shelving, to high-end lavish storage ottomans. Make sure you have enough storage options to organise your office supplies rather than haphazardly stuffing items into a single container.
A clear space will give you the serenity to approach your Mondays (and other weekdays) with less stress, knowing there’s a place for everything and everything is in its place.
Personalise Your Space
With all the above tips, it’s essential to choose interior fittings that suit your taste when designing your home office. Love the space you’re in, and you’ll be more likely to enjoy your time working there.
Your furniture is an obvious choice for personalising your office. Ergonomic desks and chairs come in all shapes, sizes, colours and materials, so protecting your health doesn’t mean sacrificing style. And gone are the days when we relied on plain manila folders and grey filing cabinets for office organisation! You can find beautiful rattan boxes, brightly coloured binders, and upcycled Kilner jars to keep your office supplies in check while showcasing your personality.
Apply the same ideas you use to decorate your recreational living spaces to your home office. Pop some family photos on a shelf, a few plants on your desk, and a unique area rug. Further enhance the ambience of your room by engaging the senses with a relaxing scented candle, mood lighting for the dark winter afternoons, and textured decorations or artwork scattered around to stimulate your brain in the moments when you’re seeking a little inspiration.
You deserve a home office that is as stylish as it is functional. To get started, consider adding curtain sheer window treatments to gently filter sunlight, enhance your mood and boost your productivity. Invest in ergonomic office equipment to protect your body from pain and improve your health. Organise your office by finding suitable storage solutions, but be sure to add some personality in your furniture and decorations to ensure you enjoy your workspace.
With these tips, your home office will become a relaxing place to get your tasks done, in an environment tailored to your preferences.
