COVID changed the game when it comes to home office spaces in so many different ways. First things first, people have basically moved to home offices because they were prohibited from working at their actual offices, and post-COVID, they have been given a chance to proceed to work at home. However, this all created a need for you to have a special working spot where you will be able to focus and do your job. In case you want to improve your home office or make a new one, we have prepared a shortlist of the main design principles that will make your office a successful oasis.
Take Care of Location and Lights
The location of your home office is key. Home offices most typically come in different sizes and shapes and can be entirely separated, located in a quiet corner, or even put in the kitchen. The essential thing is to select the right place for your home office and to think of what and when you will work there. Also, you should take all of your roles into consideration. If you are a mom, then the kitchen desk area can be a super efficient place and your central command point. On the other hand, if you want to keep things fully professional, then you would like to select a more peaceful place, distant from your daily flow and any kind of distractions coming from your household.
Not to forget to mention that good lighting is one of the most essential elements of every home office, as it significantly impacts your productivity. You should position your desk so it faces the source of light while taking care that it does not affect your screen. In addition, overhead ceiling lights will provide you with great overall lighting, and a pair of open-top floor lamps that are placed at the corners of your room will do the same thing. Also, you should add some desk-top lamps, which will provide you with some extra lighting, and some full spectrum daylight bulbs for an extra boost.
Make Sure It Is Enough Space
One of the things we keep forgetting when it comes to our home offices is space. You need to make sure that you have enough space to work comfortably. Here you can ask yourself a couple of essential questions; first things first, will you be able to move unrestrictedly, stand up, and sit back at your desk? Even though this one criterion does not seem so complicated, at times it is quite easy for you to underestimate how much space you actually need.
Desk and Chair Selection
Choosing the proper furniture for your office is an essential part. When choosing a desk for working from home, you need to select a desk that is wide enough for your computer to be positioned and all the other stuff you find necessary for work. These can be reference materials, notes, or in-trays, but, ideally, your desk should be at least 120cm wide. However, if you are only using your laptop, then you can go with less. Most people prefer 150cm or wider desks and find them to be the most comfortable. These days, height-adjustable desks have become quite a thing because of their modern design and super cool features; however, at times, these are not very practical for the home setting. Hence, choose a desk that is not too high—70 to 75cm is a very acceptable range—and pair it with a very comfortable and adjustable chair so that you are provided with long-lasting support.
Consider Storage and Shelves
Whenever we are creating our home offices, furniture for storage space and acceptable shelving are overlooked. However, these two can significantly impact your productivity and functionality. So, you need to make sure that you include enough shelves, cupboards, or filing cabinets in your storage space. Also, you need to consider your workflow, what the challenges are, where your materials will be put while you are working on them, and where you will put them back once you are finished. Try placing your inbox near your desk or even on your desk, keep all of the materials you are working on within arm’s reach; locate fillings near, and do not forget all of the reference materials such as catalogs, manuals, or reference books. This means that you should also keep your shelving within arm’s reach to keep you more productive and unrestricted.
A Place for Meetings
You should consider all of the options. Will you have customers or clients visiting you during the day? If there is room in your home office for a small meeting area, this is the ideal solution to use all of your space efficiently. On the other hand, if you do not have a lot of free space, then you should design your office for sit-down meetings. This can be as simple as pulling out a couple of comfortable chairs that are easy to move to your desk.
Accessories and Personalization
You should not be sacrificing your style! One of the best things about working from home is your ability to design every single detail of your office and decide how it will feel and look. You need to match your home office with the style and design of your own home and make sure all of the things perfectly comply with one another. On the other hand, you should not underestimate your own inspiration. On the contrary, you need to think of the things that inspire you. This can be anything, a small collection of objects, artworks, words of motivation, or plants. You need to include all of these small personal touches when you are planning your home office. These will brighten your day and make you actually feel at home.
Creating your home office can be quite a challenge, especially if you are new to this project. You should take care of every single detail and make sure it will boost your creativity and help you be more productive. Also, you should not let productivity take a toll on your style. Accessorize your home office so you can actually feel at home.
