So you’re looking to create the perfect work from home space but you aren’t sure where to start. Well look no further! There’s a lot to consider when it comes to home offices as space is often limited, but it still needs to be functional and also fit in with your home decor style. Read on for five important things to consider when planning your home office…
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Decor
How you choose to decorate your home office is incredibly important. You are going to be spending a lot of time in here, so it needs to feel like a positive space for you to be able to focus on work. A lot of this comes down to personal choice, you may feel more motivated by bright colours, or like me you might prefer simple white walls in a working environment. Pinterest is a good place to start with this as you can find lots of ideas and inspiration and start to create your own moodboard.
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Desk
There are many options when it comes to desks. Size is probably the first thing to think about as you may be limited when it comes to space in the room. But you should think about the things your desk needs to hold, such as your computer, stationary, lamp, paperwork etc. Adding desk mats can help protect the surface and provide a more comfortable area for your wrists and hands. You might want to consider a standing desk which allows you to adjust the height depending on whether you want to sit or stand. This allows you to move around and stretch your legs during your working day.
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Chair
Probably the most important consideration for your home office is office chairs. A poor quality chair can make your working day very uncomfortable and can even cause long term back problems. Research is key here and you should ensure your home office chairs are ergonomic, offering lower back support and encouraging correct posture. But remember, your ergonomic desk chair doesn’t have to be ugly! There are so many options available that are pleasing to the eye and will fit in with your home decor.
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Storage
Storage should be considered in the early stages of your home office planning. Of course, the amount of storage space you can have will depend on the size of the room, and on your job. It may be that your job role doesn’t require much physical paperwork so you only need minimal storage space, such as built in drawers in your desk. However, if you have more of a creative job, perhaps a small business making and selling products, then storage space will be crucial. You should look to invest in a good quality storage system that uses your full wall height and width so you really get the most out of your office space.
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Lighting
Lighting is so important and can really impact your working experience. Ideally your home office will have natural light as this is so important for our mental health and wellbeing. But you should consider how much direct sunlight the window gets, as this can make the room very hot and uncomfortable during the summer. This is where you should think about appropriate window dressings to control the light as much as possible. Aside from natural light, you should also add good quality lamps and lighting to help you through the winter months and late working evenings.
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Connectivity
Honestly, it’s easy to focus on the furniture and decor, but your home office won’t function well without a reliable internet connection. Well, that should be pretty obvious, right? Well, if you’re based outside a city, looking into different rural internet options can make all the difference. Thankfully, nowadays there’s a lot of variety in ISPs, and there’s even satellite and fibre networks nowadays (not much of a thing a decade ago in rural areas).
But it’s absolutely worth checking what’s available in your area before setting up your workspace, because nothing ruins productivity faster than buffering during a video call (which is a fast way to kill your reputation, of course).
I hope that this post has been helpful to you if you’re planning your home office space. Good luck with the process!
Thank you for reading.
