2020 has turned out to be the year of change, whether we wanted it to be or not. It has thrown everything we know as “normal” upside down. One of the biggest changes many have had was a change in work space. Gone were (and for some, still are) the days of traveling to the office.
Now, “traveling to the office” means walking 20 feet from the bedroom then making a hard right next to the bathroom and there you are, your home office space.Even though this seems as if it’s a pretty sweet deal, for the majority of people, their home office decor met the bare minimum requirements.
Random table. Dining room chair. Computer. Home office decorated.
That may have been ok to get done that extra hour or two of work, however, it was not meant to spend a full 8 hour or more day, taking zoom meeting after zoom meeting. Now that more hours are being spent at home and more importantly, working from home, a well thought out plan for your home office space is the key to success. Creating a comfortable environment that also boosts productivity is the perfect balance, so here are 10 tips to help you create a home office space you’ll love.
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LOCATION
One of the first things that can set your home office space up for success is the actual location of your home office. Now, if you already have a dedicated room that is your home office then that is great! If not, then here is the perfect starting point.
It may seem easy to pick a corner that is hardly used or just to use your empty guest room, but there may be some questions that need to be answered before you decide to plant your feet in.
Does the area get loads of foot traffic?
Are there many distractions around to break your focus?
Loud music playing?
Kids playing in the room nearby?
It can be so important to make sure that the work space you choose allows you to complete your work for the day. If you are constantly distracted in certain areas or rooms in your home, they may not be the best place to decide to create an office space.
Along with making sure that your location promotes productivity, having adequate lighting is very important. Since we live in a digital age, most people spend their work day in front of a device. Whether that be their computer, tablet, phone, or any combination of the three.
While these devices help us to complete our work, the prolonged use of these devices have the ability to make our eyes tired, dried out, and irritable.
The proper lighting can help with that. Natural lighting is the best lighting to have and promotes productivity. However, lamps become essential for those late night work sessions. A lamp can bring in enough light but still have a soft glow that allows you to get work done.
SO MANY WIRES
With all the devices that we do use, the most important question to ask is “Where are all my outlets?” Nothing is worse than planning this amazing look for your office, only to realize the nearest outlet is on the opposite corner.
It is necessary when creating your home office space that you think about all the devices you need to plug in. Your Computer? Your Printer? A Phone? A Lamp?
If you don’t have enough outlets or the outlets are far from where your desk will be, purchasing a power strip could be your solution. A power strip can bring the power to you, in a sense, and allow you to plug in multiple devices.
The hang up with multiple devices though, is all the wires it comes with ! And wires can be such an eyesore. The solution? Zip-ties and cable concealers.
The zip-ties will help you to bundle the wires to make one sleek wire and the cable concealer will literally make them disappear from sight. Out of sight. Out of mind.
ERGONOMICS ARE ESSENTIAL
One thing that is very important is a good quality chair. Investing in a chair with great ergonomics can make you actually enjoy being in your home office space. Your office chair should be comfortable enough for you to sit in for hours.
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You should be able to position your body with your feet flat and your arms parallel to the floor. Your chair height should allow your computer screen to be at eye level. This will help you to not slouch over in your chair causing you back pain.
ORGANIZATION HELPS EVERYTHING
The organization of your office is key to your productivity in more ways than one. Clutter and messiness encourages low productivity. Organization in and of itself is crucial to accomplishing any daily task.
Everything should have its proper place and that doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to purchase a bulky filing cabinet to be organized. A desk with multiple drawers or a beautiful bookcase that also can double as a great zoom meeting background can help with organization. Also consider furniture that can have multiple uses.
An ottoman or bench that can double as storage can do wonders for not only the interior design of the office but also your own organization. Be sure to know what type of items you will need in your office in order to make sure you have ample storage. Having to stuff your work drawers or cabinets in any work space is not ideal.
KEEP SUPPLIES CLOSE BY
Another aspect of being organized that will help when having your office decorated is making sure that all your supplies are organized close to where you work.
Having to go to other rooms for your supplies or needing to spend minutes looking for the right folder or where you last put your favorite pen, disrupts your focus. These types of distractions are quick fixes.
Once you are fully organized, it will no longer take you 30 minutes to an hour to get back to your “genius zone”.
DID SOMEONE SAY VERTICAL
Wall space can also double as extra storage space. Our first visual thought when we think about home office decor is about the items situated on the horizontal, but there is so much potential when we can think vertically.
Using strategically placed shelves or a hanging storage rack, you can move less used items, such as books out the way. This still allows for those supply items to be close enough not to distract, but ensure that daily items can be at an arm’s length away. Win, win!
SEE ALL THE COLORS
Another part of the home office space that may get overlooked from time to time is the color of the office. This goes for the room itself and the office decor.
Are you a creative who does well in bright colors?
Or do you like more muted or core colors? It is said that neutral, blues and greens are classified as non-distracting colors while greens is a color that promotes productivity.
What about office furniture? Are you more of a black and brown furniture person or do you like to have a little more fun with white and clear decor? Do you like patterns?
You can add some throw pillows to your storage bench or office chairs to give the room a pop. The possibilities are endless and they are all based on your personality and making sure that the best environment for you to be productive in, is created and maintained.
SO WHAT’S YOUR STYLE
Last but certainly not least are the personal touches and styling that you add to home office decor will make it an inviting atmosphere. These are the things that can continue to differentiate your home office space from your office cubicle.
Add pictures, funny figurines and desk accessories to make your office space comfortable. That wall space that you’ve used for vertical storage? Use it to display your favorite artist’s work, in fact, create a whole gallery wall if you would like. These personal touches take the stuffiness out of working from home.
So there you have it. 10 tips for creating a home office space that you can be proud of and that you’ll want to spend hours in. Doesn’t that feel great?!
For more home office inspirations, see my home office designs ideas here.
xo, Gbeke
featured image: Catest Hill
I like how you mentioned that a quality chair is important to have when working in a home office. With that in mind, I would think that it would be a good idea to make sure that you get a desk that is the right height. It might even be a good idea to get a desk that has adjustable height.