What is your perfect home office? Is it inspiring and colorful? Is it peaceful, relaxing and ready for work? Is it a quiet retreat away from the hubs, the kiddos and the critters? Whatever your style of your home office, plan on making it about what motivates YOU to do your best work.
After nearly 18 months of working from home, you probably have a great idea of what the home office needs to have. But maybe you just sort of dove into working from home without giving it TOO much thought? This might be a great time to re-evaluate!
1. Choose Your Chair for Long-Term Health
Sure, sitting on the sofa (or your bed, I won’t judge!) on your laptop is an option but if you have any health issues or if you just FEEL more business like and professional sitting upright, a good desk chair is a great place to start. Spend a bit of time looking for one that actually fits you well! Consider if you want an upright chair or something that moves around the room for easy access to files or printers. Maybe an ergonomic chair is a better fit. What it lacks in looks it probably more than makes up for comfort!
2. Establish a Desk that Works as Hard as You Do
You’ll want to pay attention to your work surface as well. For comfort, having your elbows at 90-degree angle is a good place to start. If you have a bit of writing (you know, old school? Pen and paper?) check the surface material as well. I use the large vinyl pad that I love. It keeps the keyboard from sliding around, doubles as a mouse pad but covers the entire work of the desk.
3. Systematize Your Storage and Filing Solutions
Now time to ‘fess up…is your desk covered in papers, pens, books? Maybe hand lotion, yesterday’s coffee cup or your water bottle. No judgements, I could have been listing the items on MY desk right now, lol! But do think about organizing your workspace the way you would any other room in your home. On my desk for example? I often come in from an appointment and slip of my jewelry. I love bracelets! but they interfere with my wrists on the desk. So I have a pretty little plate where I dump the jewelry.
Are you a piler or a filer? I had a professional organizer speak to a group of designers years ago and she posed this question. Folks are either pilers or filers she said. Which are you? If you’re a piler, look for a desk top, lateral style file organizer to stash your paper clutter. If you’re filer, have a small filing cabinet (or large if you’re still living with that much paper) close at hand so you can put thing away and get them out quickly. I have a great little filing cabinet that has two drawers on the top. All my pens, charge cables, tape and stapler hide in here, organized, so they’re no adding to my desktop clutter.
4. Opt for Lighting that Inspires You
I think one key item that folks miss in most areas of their home is lighting! Since we’re mostly working on computers, we don’t always think about lighting but just using the light from the computer can be hard on your eyes. Table lamps, rather than desk lamps work surprisingly well on the desk. They provide a nice, ambient light which helps on eye strain.
5. Select Soft Elements to Help Your Space Absorb Sound
Since offices are full of hard surfaces, think about ways to bring in some softness. Draperies, upholstered desk chairs and even an area rug will help cut down the echoing effect of all those hard surfaces.
6. Build a Beautiful Backdrop (for Your Video Calls!)
ZOOOOOMMMMM. The buzzword of the year, for sure! What’s your background look like? There are some of those digital backgrounds but they look so fake! A better choice is to clean up the space behind you. If it’s a wall, you could cover it with a soft wallpaper, a pretty piece of art or even showcase any business appropriate accomplishments! A few plants are nice and their soothing green colors are always appropriate. And again, pay attention to the lighting and the shadows your lighting will cast on your face.
5. Set Final Touches that Make You Smile
Remember, your home office needs to be comfortable as well as pretty and functional! Have family photos or sentimental touches important to you. A water carafe and glass might be a nicer touch than a water bottle. I keep hand lotion and rose water spray close to my desk. Sometimes I’m having a creative burst and lose track of time. A little moment of self-pampering offers a great refresh.
Even though life is getting back to normal, the trend is still that many will work from home. If you’ve not taken the time yet to make your home office and welcoming place to be, now is as good a time as any to tackle that project!
Next week, I’m jumping into the One Room Challenge and picked my home office as this seasons project. Follow along and invest a little love in YOUR home office!
Have a question about designing your home office? Ask us in the comments below and we’d be delighted to weigh in!
Xoxo,
Pamela
