More of us than ever before are working from home, whether full-time or just a few days a week. Having a dedicated home office space that is both functional and inspiring can make all the difference in productivity and job satisfaction. Read on for seven tips to create a home office that supports your needs.
1. Choose Furniture That Fits Your Space and Your Work Style
One of the most important factors in creating a functional home office is choosing the right furniture. Investing in custom office furniture designed for your unique space can maximise comfort and efficiency.
Consider a custom office desk or other bespoke office furniture tailored exactly to the layout and dimensions of your room. This allows you to make the most of every inch of space. Bespoke office desks and other custom pieces can be built to fit into corners, under windows, or other hard-to-furnish spots. You can also select the ideal height, depth, storage options, and other features to support your work style.
For a truly personalised solution, look into having bespoke furniture office custom-made just for you. While this is a bigger investment, one-of-a-kind bespoke office furniture can provide the perfect fit and functionality. You can mix and match standard office furniture with custom-built pieces for the ideal balance of affordability and customisation.
2. Invest in a Comfortable Chair
If your home office has just one piece of high-quality furniture, make it your desk chair. You’ll likely spend more time sitting in your office chair than anything else, so don’t cut corners here. Look for adjustable features like seat height, armrests, and back support. Test chairs in person when possible, as comfort is subjective. Chairs with breathable, supportive upholstery materials and lumbar support promote good posture and less strain over many sedentary hours.
3. Prioritise Storage and Organisation
Clutter is the enemy of productivity. Ensure your home office has plenty of storage space, so everything has a designated spot. This may mean investing in storage furniture like a filing cabinet, bookshelf, and desk with drawers or cabinets. Or get creative and add storage hooks, over-the-door organisers, floating wall shelves, concealed containers, and other discreet storage solutions. Take time to arrange cords, papers, supplies, and electronics in an orderly way. Organisation helps you find what you need quickly and keeps distractions at bay.
4. Consider Lighting for Both Tasks and Ambience
Proper office lighting reduces eyestrain, helps concentration, and boosts mood. Ideally, combine overall ambient lighting with task lighting aimed directly at your workstation. Overhead pot lights and table or floor lamps all provide flexible options. Position task lighting near monitors and work surfaces to illuminate detailed tasks without shadows or glare. Dimmer switches allow brightness to be adjusted to suit changing needs. Natural light also benefits focus and energy, so position your desk near a window if possible.
5. Minimise Auditory Distractions
Whether it’s noisy neighbours, a busy household, traffic sounds, or other ambient noise, auditory distractions can severely impact focus and productivity. Minimise external noise by choosing a quiet, private room, away from common living spaces. Soundproofing measures like curtains, rugs, and acoustic wall panels help reduce outside noise intrusion. Soothing background sounds like white noise machines can mask sporadic noises. Noise-cancelling headphones are ideal when trying to concentrate amid unavoidable background noise.
6. Ensure There is Adequate Tech and Connectivity
Today’s home offices run on technology. Outfit your space with fast, reliable internet and all the tech tools you need to effectively complete tasks: computer/laptop, scanner/printer, external monitors, video conferencing equipment, etc. Good connectivity includes sufficient plug sockets; invest in a surge protector. For remote meetings, check that your Wi-Fi signal reliably covers your office, or use an ethernet cable for faster speeds.
7. Personalise Your Space with Greenery
Incorporating plants into your home office can make your indoor workspace feel fresher, brighten your mood, and even improve focus and creativity. Having a live element can make the space more inspiring versus stark walls alone. Place low-maintenance greens like succulents, snake plants, or pothos around your office. Consider floor plants, tall bamboo in a corner, ferns hanging in front of a window, a desktop plant, or a mounted wall planter for minimal care greenery. As a bonus, many houseplants help purify indoor air!
Creating a highly functional home office tailored exactly to how and where you work best is one of the smartest investments you can make as a remote employee. Follow the tips above to design a motivating, distraction-free, and comfortable workspace that supports efficiency and creativity in all you do.
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