Whether you need space to work from home, have somewhere to organise and work on important documents, or need a place for your kids to do school work, a dedicated home office is the only answer. After all, it’s the only real way to separate work from relaxation and give you somewhere to concentrate. But, what are the things you should consider when creating your home office in order to get the most out of it?
Lighting
To be able to work effectively and healthily you need proper lighting. Ideally, as much natural light as possible, supplemented with indoor lights where necessary. Do you have a space that’s flooded with lots of natural light or could be renovated to let more light in through larger windows and skylights?
When adding your new home office space, it’s important to consider where your light will come from and how easy it will be to keep the area lit throughout the day and evening.
Surroundings
Distractions around the home are all too easy to come by, especially when you’re trying to be productive. Who doesn’t love to procrastinate right? The surrounding area of your home office will play a big part in how efficient you can be, so it’s another key consideration.
If you know that certain areas of your home are regularly busy throughout the day, it’s a good idea to avoid those and move your working space to a quieter room with less going on and less to take you away from your work!
Comfort
If you’re uncomfortable at your desk, not only will it make it harder to focus but it can actually negatively impact your physical health over time. You need to make sure that your space is perfect for setting you up in the right position to be working for long periods of time.
Is your desk at the right height for your arms and body, does it allow you to position your screen high enough to protect your posture, and do you want a standing or sitting desk?
Aesthetic Design
The visual design of your home office matters more than you might think. As mentioned in our previous blog post, aesthetic design around the home actually impacts your mood and mental wellbeing! Whether it’s layouts or colours, you should design a home office that puts you in the right frame of mind to get stuff done.
Did you know that certain colours like orange and yellow inspire creativity, whereas colours such as blue, red and purple inspire more productivity?
Seating
We’ve all been there – a bad chair can totally throw you off your game. Do you ever remember those hard plastic chairs with no lumbar support at school? Ugh! Setting up the right seating for your home office is absolutely key to maintaining concentration as well as back health.
Consider the height of your desk and find a chair that places you in the best position, is comfy to sit in for a long time, and provides you with sufficient back and arm support to prevent you from feeling achy.
Space For What You Need
A cramped working space is no good – it slows you down, frustrates you, and forces unnecessary mistakes! When creating your home office you should consider what it is you’ll be doing and how much space it’s going to take up. Will there be lots of paperwork and stationery, or can you make do with just a laptop and mouse?
Different jobs will take up different amounts of space, so make sure you’ve always got a sufficient desk surface to cope with the demand of your work and avoid creating frustrating stacks!
Integration With Your Home
What do you envision for your new space? You may find that you want your design to flow with the rest of your home and maintain a cohesive look, or you may want your office space to stand out and set a different mood to your relaxation areas.
Whichever it is, decide early on so that this can be kept in mind throughout the project – it’ll form a fundamental element of the overall design, layout, and features!
Storage Solutions
You’ll probably need some form of storage for your work-related things. Even if it’s just for the odd bit of paperwork and pens, having an integrated storage section will really help you to organise properly and keep your home neat.
Decide how much it is that you’ll likely be needing to store, whether it needs to be easily in reach at all times or tucked out of the way, and how you’d like your storage to look. When considering bespoke home office options, there is virtually an endless choice of storage integrations!
Home offices are by far the best way to maximise your productivity and separate your work time from your down time. In order to get the most out of your new space, it’s important to consider everything mentioned above – this list will provide you with the perfect bespoke home working space that will help you to enjoy being more productive at home!
If you have a home office project in mind, feel free to reach out to us for a bespoke hidden home office solution!