Many of us find ourselves working from home right now, so the right home office has become more important than ever. You need a space that allows you to focus on your work and makes you feel relaxed. Just like in any space, interior design plays an important role in making your home office the best it can be.
Pick the right location
Location is crucial for the right home office. You need a place that is separate from the rest of your home. The right location is free from distractions and ideally has a door you can close. Picking the right room for your office might also give you a view out of the window, which is always a great perk.
Have the right lighting
The right lighting can be crucial. Good lighting can reduce eye strain and headaches. Ideally, you will want natural lighting. Picking a place with lots of window light is a good idea. If you can’t do that (or if it’s a cloudy day), you’ll need some general lighting and task lighting for your home office. You can even get lightbulbs that mimic the sun’s light, and these might help with your mood. Be careful where you put the lighting, so you can avoid glare on your office’s computer screen.
Make sure your home office matches the rest of your home
Even if it’s a separate area, you want your home office to match the rest of your home aesthetically. If your home is full of neutral colors, you might not want a bright orange home office. If your home is full of traditional furniture, you’ll probably want to carry that through your office. Your home office should complement your home through colors, furniture, and aesthetic.
Show your personality
It’s your office! You can decorate it however you want. If you want to paint the walls blue, paint them blue. If you want homey touches, like a bulletin board or a fun mug as a pencil holder, go for it. You can surround yourself with pictures of your family or pictures of places you’d like to visit. Whatever is going to help you stay happy and motivated. Keep in mind that if you plan to bring any sort of client into this office, you may want to refrain from anything unprofessional or vulgar. Maybe save the gold embossed “clients I’d like to punch in the face” notebook for something else?
Stay organized
Keeping your home office organized is so important because you don’t want to be in a position where your desk is a mess and you can’t find anything you need. There are many ways to do this based on how much space you have and how you function as a person. You can get a filing cabinet if you like to keep track of all the papers. You can also get small organizational bins and label them so you know where everything you need is. Floating shelves, corner shelves, and over-the-windows shelves might help you take advantage of smaller spaces. Find a method that works for you and stick to it.
Pick the right furniture
On top of making sure your home office decor matches the rest of your home, you also need to invest in the right furniture. Specifically, this means a proper chair and desk. An ergonomic chair that takes care of your body is particularly important, so you don’t have problems like back pain. The right desk is based on your needs, your space, how much time you spend at your desk, and what kind of perks you’re looking for. There are standing desks that allow you to work while standing and desks that help you organize all your necessary cords.
Pick the right places for your furniture
Once you’ve got everything you need for your home office, you’re going to want to do a bit of work finding out where the best places to put your home office furniture may be. You will want to consider outlet availability and placement — you’ll need an outlet for any desktop computer and charger, so you’ll likely want to be close to one. You may also need an ethernet cable if you don’t want to rely on wifi for internet access. Consider how unsightly and unsafe running cables across the floor may be, and place your desk accordingly. Keep in mind you can use cable management tricks to help keep the look of disorganized cords down. Remember that placing a desk too close to a door can mean people bumping into your desk when they open it. Having your desk facing the door may be better for some work over others in case client confidentiality is a big to-do in your sector. Consider all these things while you feng shui your new home office.
The important thing is that you enjoy your home office as much as you can. You don’t want it to be a depressing place that you don’t feel comfortable in. It shouldn’t look like a cubicle, but rather a warm and lived-in space.
Have any tips you’ve learned along the way setting up your home office? Let us know in the comments below!
