For many people, the home is a place for relaxing with loved ones, making nice food, and kicking back after a long day’s work. Yet an increasing percentage of the population now works from home. In the USA, 5% of workers did so from home, which represents more than 8 million people. Globally, around 70% work from home at least once a week.
Working from home has many benefits, not least of which is the opportunity to design your own office space exactly to your liking. You can make it comfortable and productive, and a place that you want to work from. Follow these tips to get started.
Consider the Purpose
Your office should be suitable for the purposes that you need it for, so before you even start the design it’s good practice to ask yourself a few important questions:
What work will you be doing in the office space?
What equipment do you need?
How much time will you spend working there, and at what hours?
Will your clients see the office, either in person or during a conference call, or is this a space that only you will enter?
How much space do you have in the house to dedicate to your work?
By asking yourself these basic questions, you can start to visualize your office a bit more, both in terms of its functionality and its layout. Everyone will have slightly different answers to these questions, and therefore your office will be unique to your own vision.
Utilize the Space
Ideally, your office should be separate from the rest of your house and home life, so that it can serve its purpose of encouraging maximum productivity. It should have an “off-limits” feel, or at least a degree of privacy.
The easiest way to accomplish this is to use a dedicated room, but if you can’t do this due to a lack of space then you can create the feeling of separation with a curtain or drape to section off a corner of a quiet room. Soundproofing the walls can help to keep the noise out.
Be mindful of how much space you have and work with it. Begin with your desk, as this is the most important, and probably the largest object for the space. Position it in a way that will capture the most natural light throughout the day. A window with a nice view will provide light and air, but you can also use a combination of general and task lighting. Position your desk, chair and other essential equipment. Install your shelves for storage, and remember to keep it simple.
Make sure your office is comfortable, yet still professional and not too casual. Decent ergonomic equipment goes a long way, especially for those who cannot move around much during work hours. Online poker players often spend long hours playing tournaments, and even longer hours learning about the game, which requires both time and effort. Like many office workers, they require the most ergonomic chair and mouse possible, and preferably an en-suite or nearby bathroom to run to during the 5 minute breaks. Foot rests, keyboard pads and laptop stands can all improve comfort levels.
Take A Minimalistic Approach
Of course, you are free to cram as much stuff into your office space as you desire, but it’s really not recommended to clutter the space! Doing so can cause distractions, and reduces productivity, and that is the opposite of what you want your office to achieve. A minimalist approach is usually the best way to go.
This is true of the overall design, but especially relevant when it comes to your desk. Your desk is the place in which the creative magic happens and the productivity flows out of your veins. Keep it free from clutter, yet make sure everything you need is within easy reach. The objects in your space should provide convenience, with absolutely nothing extra that isn’t needed.
You can use shelving and drawers to de-clutter, and use simple solutions such as a cup for stationary. Remove that massive TV too! It’s only going to cause trouble when your favourite program comes on in the middle of a project.
Loves home. I am here to provide how to make your home a much better place. 🙂 Blogging about HomeDecor, Home Improvements and more.
