Sometimes it’s not what you do—it’s where you work. Home is generally considered a place to relax and it can be hard to get into the business mindset when you’re working from there, but, a well-designed and personalized home office can do wonders for your productivity. The most important thing is to tailor your home office to you.
A few questions you will want to ask yourself before investing your time and money into said space should be:
- What are you going to use it for and how often?
- Will you mostly be working from a desk or will you also need a layout type of area and storage? If so, how much and what kind of storage?
- Do you need to consider comfort that’s needed for sitting around for longer stretches of time or if your home office is just your part-time job, could you could get away with a smaller, more compact space that may not even be a room in itself.
- Will it be just you or will there be other workers sharing the space? If so, you might consider a larger space such as converting a garage or lower level of your house.
- Do you need access to the outside for employees or deliveries?
- Will the space need to double as a guestroom?
Here’s some things to consider when creating your home office:
Space You Want vs Space You Need
Are you spending hours in your home office? Do you have clients coming to visit or often have long conference calls? Then consider a more private office, one where you can shut the door away from the distractions of your home. Others with smaller overall home space might have to make do with what they have. An empty closet or spare corner an easily converted into an office when you fully make use of the space. The most important thing is that you’re able to get done what you need to get done. Your home office needs to function like a typical office.
Importance of a Good Desk and Chair
What’s the use of a chair if you never want to sit in it? Do splurge on a good chair you can sit in for hours without worrying about comfort.
I personally swear by my Haworth Very Chair ! If I could I would never get up from it.
It’s the same when it comes to a desk. Does it have enough storage? Will it fit your space? Does it fit your style? Don’t pick a desk and chair just because it looks good. You want something that is both good looking and comfortable and fits your needs.
Storage
Whether you have piles of paperwork or buckets of crafts, storage is essential for any office. Desk drawers and filing cabinets are basic musts but also consider areas such as under the desk and on the walls as well. Shelves and other vertical storage units are great ways to maximize your space without giving up walking room. There are smaller ways to reduce clutter around the desk as well. Simple things such as pen and paperclip holders can easily make a desk look tidy. Similarly, collecting together wires and bunching them neatly out sight will do wonders for how your desk area looks…think of it as best wire management practices.
Colors
Your home office is YOUR office not corporate headquarters. If others are going to be frequenting your space (such as clients), keep it professional but at the same time … keep it you. Change up wall colors to make the space inviting but also to be productive and appropriate for what you are doing. Add some decorations such as framed pictures, wall decorations, plants, or interesting shelving.
Finally, lets not forget about lighting your newly designed space. If you can’t pick a space with natural light, make sure to add plenty of desk lamps and other light fixtures to adequately light your office space. Pay attention to lamp color and avoid a dingy feel to your designing efforts.
There are so many options available ……from custom furniture to selecting ready made ……..there is simply no excuse not to create the perfect home office that will perpetually inspire your best work.
For help with your home office and any of your other your design needs, call to schedule a consultation at 856.269.0707 or email at [email protected].
