The environment where you work has a serious effect on the results you will produce. That being said, creating a productive atmosphere can be difficult. With at least 37% of people working from home during lockdown[i] and many of them continuing to do so, though, putting together a home office that allows you to work hard through the day and successfully close the door at the end of it is vital. To help you design an efficient home office space, we’ve put together some tips and tricks that will ensure you get the most out of every working day.
Before You Start
Before you start splurging on décor and furniture, there are a few things you should take into account to ensure that your home office is optimised for working well. You should consider these questions properly before starting to putting your home office together for the best results:
- What kind of work will you be doing in your home office?
- What will be required for you to complete this work to the best of your ability?
- Where in the house will you set up the office?
- What time will you be working there?
- Will you be inviting clients or colleagues into your home office or hosting virtual video meetings?
- Are there any roommates, children or pets that may cause a distraction?
- What kind of furniture, décor and colour scheme would you like?
Keep these questions in mind and you will be able to make a space tailored perfectly to your needs at home and work .
Setting Up Your Home Office Space
A home office can be set up anywhere. Whether it’s a whole room, in a corner, behind a partition, the place isn’t too important. As long as the space you have is fully optimised and provides the healthiest working environment for you, your office will work perfectly. Here are some tips on setting up a home office space completely adapted to your working needs.
Set Up In The Right Location
As mentioned above, knowing where you want your office to be before you start is essential! The right location can make a world of difference. Placing yourself somewhere too cramped, too social, too dark, or too distracting is terrible for productivity and hard work. Instead, make sure that you set up your office in a space with enough privacy to get things done efficiently.
Choose Good Furniture
Having the wrong furniture can also hinder productivity. An uncomfortable chair or a desk that’s too small will affect how well you can work. This will lead to unsatisfactory results, delays and quite a few bad days. Choosing furniture optimised for comfort and functionality will make for a more productive office where you can complete work to the highest standard. Pick colours, designs and styles that match your tastes, too – the more you enjoy what you put in your home office, the better your experience will be in there.
Bring In The Essentials
No matter your profession, there are certain things that every home office will need to function well. Investing in these essentials now will likely save you money in the long run, plus lessen the chance of breakages and other issues that will mess with your schedule. For a successful home office, make sure you have:
- A computer or laptop
- An extra monitor, if necessary
- A keyboard
- A mouse
- A computer stand
- Fast Wi-Fi
- Notepad and pen
- Printer
- Filing cabinet
- Webcam
If your profession requires specific equipment, make sure that you bring this into your office too.
Be Wise With Colour
Believe it or not, colour can have a significant effect on productivity. Different colours can influence our moods, thoughts and feelings, so use this psychology to your advantage when decorating. Choose colours that will inspire alertness, productivity and focus. Some good shades are:
Blue
A popular colour for many office spaces, blue helps calm the mind and improve concentration. This cool colour will enhance alertness and create a space that relaxes you and prepares you for working.
Orange
Although orange is a vibrant colour that lifts the mood and inspires creativity, too much can be overwhelming. Mix this bright colour with a grounding blue or understated grey for a room bustling with focus and creativity.
Green
If you work best in a calm environment or enjoy a bit of meditation to relax the mind, green will be a good home office colour for you. Green represents growth, harmony, invigoration and stress-relief, a perfect working atmosphere.
Pink
Light shades of pink are a fantastic mood regulator, perfect for toning down feelings of anger and encouraging calm. However, too much pink can be draining, so feature this colour with a classic white or harmonious green for a perfectly balanced finish.
Yellow
A soft, pastel yellow will boost creativity, improve memory, uplift mood, and make you feel more alert. In addition, since we naturally associate yellow with the sun and its warmth, this positive colour will make for a happy, active workspace.
Light It Up
Lighting can also affect your work ethic. You should let in as much natural light as possible because studies show that it will improve satisfaction and productivity. This is because natural light helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythm, which controls when you wake, feel most alert, start to feel tired, and sleep. To enhance the natural light in your home office, include mirrors in your décor. If a lot of natural light isn’t possible, overhead ceiling lights or several lamps around the room will do the trick, and a desk light will help you specifically.
Prepare For All Seasons
If you are working from home on a long-term business, you must consider preparing for all weathers in your home office. Unpredictable temperatures and freak weather conditions can affect how you work, so bringing in ways to tackle them as you set up your office will ensure you are prepared. Buy a fan or two to tackle the warm weather in the summer (a small one on your desk and a full-sized one for the whole room is perfect), and invest in good quality, non-disturbing heating, like these single room underfloor heating systems so that you can work in peace all year round.
Utilise Storage
Having enough storage space should not be neglected in a home office, especially for those set up in smaller areas. Ensuring everything has a place and the room remains tidy and organised is vital for productivity and peace of mind – the last thing you want is a desk so cluttered that you can’t even find your keyboard. If everything is stored correctly in an organised manner, you will be able to see things easily and put everything away at the end of the day to leave work behind the office door.
Choose The Right Décor
Since it’s where you’ll be spending quite a lot of your time, choosing the right décor for your home office is important to your mood and work results. If you don’t enjoy the space, you won’t enjoy the work. So bring in colours that remind you of good times and lift your spirits, frame some of your most treasured photos for the wall, add your favourite flowers, or place some potted plants around the room. Anything that will add a bit of excitement and encourage you to enjoy the space more is perfect for a home office.
What To Avoid
Although designing a home office is plenty of fun and offers many opportunities, there are a few things that you should avoid to help yourself in the long run. Being aware of these obstructions when designing your office will help you avoid them and stay focused.
Allowing Distractions
Technology like televisions, phones and radios can affect your focus without you even realising it. It’s best to keep these out of your office while working unless they’ll be necessary for work.
Neglecting Storage
Your home office will get messy quickly without adequate storage and organisation. Avoid the frustration and give everything a home.
Choosing The Wrong Space
Choosing a space that’s already too small for your office will lead to struggles with space and storage from the get-go.
Having Inefficient Equipment
Investing in the tools necessary for your job will give you some reassurance that they will last.
Letting Wires Run Free
Keeping your wires out of the way in an office brimming with electricals will reduce stress and lessen the tripping hazard.
All Work, No Play
Ultimately, how you decorate your home office space is entirely up to you – you know what will help you work and what will distract you. If you can optimise the area for its necessary use, create a productive atmosphere, resist the addition of distractions, and put a personal spin on it, though, you should be well on your way to a home office fit for work and a little play.
Do you have any tips for designing a home office? Let us know in the comments below.
Sources
[i]https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/businessandindividualattitudestowardsthefutureofhomeworkinguk/apriltomay2021