Home office design tips to help you get down to work
Aodhain Scallan- Fleetwood Paints Interior Designer
Designing a home office that is beautiful and functional can help you transform your work-from-home experience. Not only will your creative juices flow better, but a well-designed home office can increase your productivity tenfold. But before we get into the ‘how to’, let’s make one thing very clear: you don’t need a whole room to design a beautiful and functional workspace.
If you are, like the most of us, squeezed for space and can only manage to spare a corner, that is actually more than ample room.
In fact, your home office can be anywhere.
We have seen beautiful home offices in kitchens, bedrooms, as well as closets!
Once you have decided where your home office is going to be, consider your work needs. Does your work involve sketching or is a laptop all you need? Does your work require the use of more than one screen? How many hours a day are you going to spend in your home office? From there, you will have a clearer picture of the kind of furniture that will work in your space.
Now in order to help you design and plan the layout of your home office, we have gathered 6 of the best home office design tips for you to bear in mind.
Our aim is to help you create a home office that inspires creativity and productivity.
Reflect Your Personality
The best thing about a home office is that it is YOUR space, so dress it up as you please! Create a home office that is uniquely you, a home office that reflects your personality and inspires you to do your best. Go ahead and paint the wall behind your home office that bold colour that you have always wanted. Decide on a design style that speaks to your heart. Is a modern home office something you would like to consider? Or is rustic more you? Another good way to bring your home office to life is to add vibrant and quirky accessories to your space. Think garlands, large mirrors, inspirational art, or even flowers.
Make it Cozy
If your home office space is slightly larger than a corner, adding a sofa or an armchair will give your space a sense of ‘hygge’ or coziness. You can even add a rug, some cushions and throws, and a bit of greenery to take your home office to the next level of ‘hygge’. Your armchair corner will mean that you have an alternative place to work from, and it can also function as extra seating if you are hosting a work meeting. Even without meetings, it is the perfect corner to unwind, read a book, or take a call.
Vertical Space
Using the wall above your desk for storage is especially useful in small spaces. If you are tight for space, consider incorporating shelving to the space above your home office. Use these shelves to store books, files, and folders. Not only is this vertical space useful for storage, but it can also be utilized to display art or vibrant accessories
Help Your Posture
When choosing furniture for your home office, consider buying ergonomic pieces that will help you retain good posture and back health. Trust us when we say that nothing kills productivity like having a backache. With this in mind, invest in a desk that will allow you stand if your work requires you to spend long hours in front of a screen. We would also argue that ergonomic desk chairs are a must if you want to maintain good back health. And whilst it might be tempting to go for cheap furniture that looks good, nothing matters more than your health.
What Are Your Needs?
When planning the layout of your home office, pay attention to your business needs as well as the needs of your family. Are you going to host meetings? Will you be making a lot of phone calls? Is the home office going to be a shared space between yourself and your children? Listing down your needs and preferences will help you plan a space that is accommodating and functional. Perhaps you would need a large table with chairs all around. Or maybe your home office would need to be somewhere quiet so that you can make phone calls in peace. Alternatively, you could have a ‘project room’ if the space is going to be used by the whole family.
Is The View Nice?
Having a beautiful view from your workspace is like having free art. In fact, it is way better. Being able to see the outdoors from your office will add a sense of peace and tranquility to your space. It will also give your eyes a beautiful break every now and then if you spend long hours in front of a screen. Additionally, greenery has a calming and relaxing effect on all of us. But if you don’t have a nice view from your office, then fear not. You can always bring the outdoors inside with lots of potted plants!
If you would like us to help you design a home office that you will love, then schedule a free online colour consultation with us by emailing info@fleetwood.ie