Designing a home office that’s beautiful but also functional is essential.
When you’re designing a home office, it’s important to create a space that makes you feel creative while helping you focus on work. Whether you’re working remotely or running a business from home, having the right work from home setup goes a long way. These 7 tips will show you how to design the perfect home office you’ve always dreamt of!
Find the right location
Finding a dedicated workspace in your home is the first step to take when designing a home office. Depending on your circumstances, that may vary from having the luxury of an entire room, or you may have to settle for a tiny corner off the kitchen.
Either way, don’t fret! There are plenty of ways to create a productive workspace regardless of how much space you have.
A few things to consider when choosing the location for your home office setup:
- Natural light
- A quiet atmosphere where you can be on “do not disturb” for important calls and focused concentration
- A calming ambience (we’ll get more into that in step 7)
- Accessibility to outlets and plugs to help manage your cords (laptop chargers, phone chargers, etc.)
Understand the space you’re working with
Once you’ve scouted out the perfect work from home location, you’ll want to understand exactly how much space you’re working with.
Before visualizing how you want your office to look and what furniture you want, take measurements to get better clarity on layout options. This will help you prioritize what furniture you’ll need when working from home.
Allow ample room between furniture and give yourself space to move around. Even if you’re working with a small area, there are ways to optimize the space to make it efficient when designing an office at home.
Items like floating shelves, wall storage, and multi-functional furniture go a long way when you’re limited with space.
Source the right furniture
Next, you’ll need to find the right furniture. A desk and chair may seem obvious, but when it comes to choosing the right piece, a little more thought goes a long way.
Look for furniture that aligns with your style and the ambience you’re trying to create for the room. In addition to that, make sure that your furniture is:
- Functional: Based on your work style, do you have everything you need? Is a swivel chair better for you? Should you avoid fabrics and upholstered materials in case you spill drinks? Is there enough surface area on your desk for your monitors and laptop?
- The right size: Any area will start to feel suffocating if it’s crammed with furniture too large for the space. Based on your measurements, find the right sized furniture to help make the room more spacious and airy.
- Ergonomic: Sitting at a desk all day long takes a toll on your well-being and health. Finding ergonomically friendly furniture when working remotely will provide a more comfortable and sustainable work environment.
Create symmetry when designing a home office
With any room or area, creating symmetry can make a room feel more balanced and pleasing to the eye.
Align your furniture so that there is a focal point in the center of the room. If you have an entire room for your office, this may mean putting your desk in the middle of the room. If you have a smaller area to work with, follow a similar principal. Align your desk and chair to be centered, so that all additional pieces of furniture surround the desk.
Tip: A common home office design is to have the desk facing a window (office with a view). On the contrary, according to office feng shui principles, your desk should always be facing the door, even if that means your back is to a window. According to Open Spaces Feng Shui, “when your desk faces a window your personal Chi energy and dedicated attention flow right outside instead of into your work.” This design layout is called the Command Position, putting you in a spot to take better control of your work and life.
Incorporate your well-being
When you’re spending over 40 hours a week in your remote workspace, designing your home office setup for your well-being is important.
Furniture should be ergonomically friendly, but there are other elements for creating a healthy space as well:
- Have plants on your desk or in your surrounding area: Not only will this bring a little zen into your workspace, but your productivity increases significantly when surrounded by plants and greenery (who knew!?)
- Add a standing desk or convertible platform: sitting all day isn’t good for your back, posture, or health. Standing and working is a good way to break up the monotonous Zoom fatigue
- Get a larger monitor: Staring at a small screen for weeks on end can affect your vision and posture if you’re slouched looking downwards. A larger monitor can be at eye level helping to straighten your back and put less stress on your eyes
Invest in storage and organization items
To keep your home office clutter free, invest in storage items for an organized workspace.
Papers, files, wires, and pens can accumulate quickly, so create a system to organize your stationary, important documents, and things you use everyday for easy access.
Large Home Office Ideas for Organization:
- Cabinet Units
- Bookshelves
- End tables with drawers
Small Home Office Ideas for Organization:
- Floating shelves
- Baskets
- Desk organizers
Personalize your home office
Finally, your last step is to personalize your office and make it yours. Your work from home setup should be designed to create a calming, creative and inspirational space. Amp up the home office decor and find personalized home office accessories for your space.
How to add personalization when designing a home office:
- Paint the walls a calm and joyful color
- Get lamps for darker days or if you don’t get a lot of natural light
- Put inspirational or funny quotes on the walls
- Add a personalized name plate
- Place framed photos of loved ones on your desk
Designing a home office is a personal and creative process
Your work from home setup should feel functional and personal to you. Designing a beautiful office space as you work from home will help you clear your mind and be more productive. Plus, who doesn’t love a home workspace to call their own?!
Read more: 5 Important Things You Must Consider Before Designing Any Room
