- the workspace edit
It’s amazing how much of a difference your environment can make to how productive you are, especially when you have work from home jobs. Distracting clutter, uncomfortable seating and the wrong lighting can all contribute to a perfect storm of procrastination. Discover our top tips for tailoring your work space to suit your own working style and design a bespoke home office that inspires creativity and helps you to focus.
Finding the perfect home office desk
The easiest way to make sure that your home office reflects your style is to choose a desk that fits your needs and brings a smile to your face. Your desk should be a space you enjoy, a place where you are comfortable enough to maximise your productivity. A desk with drawers is always a good choice and make sure to have a big enough work surface, especially if it needs to be a computer desk since this will impact on your comfort, more so if you work with double screens.
Complement your desk with lighting
Wrapped up in a task, it’s easy not to notice as daylight fades. To avoid eyestrain, appropriate home office lighting is essential. Introducing a desk lamp with a white inner will maximise the light in your work environment, and choosing an adjustable style will enable you to direct the glow to wherever you need it. A comfortable seat is also important. While most office chairs are notoriously lacking in glamour, you can afford to be a little more adventurous with a chair you work from home on, to ensure it fits in with the rest of your stylish home office décor.
“While most office chairs are notoriously lacking in glamour, you can afford to be a little more adventurous with a chair you work from home on, to ensure it fits in with the rest of your stylish home office décor.”
Banish clutter and find stylish home office accessories
Tidy office, tidy mind. It’s easy to get bogged down with bits of paper, post-it notes and surplus office stationery, but the quickest way to boost your productivity is to keep your home workspace tidy, with everything you need within easy reach and everything else tucked away in a filing cabinet - especially one that complements your desk.
“Many of us are still working remotely for at least part of the week - it is important to create a space assigned solely for work, one that is calm and collected.”
Be creative with your home office design
If you’re a visual person, you might find it helps to display your work, inspirational images or colour palettes around your desk, to keep your attention fixed on the task at hand. Whilst inspiration comes in many forms, it is well documented that an office plant or two not only adds a decorative touch but adds a soothing effect. If your desk surface doesn't have space, add a plant to a shelf or position a hanging planter in your workspace.
Hot desking at home
Be flexible with your furniture for your workspace; in attic rooms and smaller spaces a wonderful streamlined workspace can be created with a dressing table (they're narrower), and leaning ladder desks are an effective way of making use of an alcove to truly maximise on the space available. A small desk with drawers can often be fitted under an open staircase – pop your laptop in the drawers and add a vase and lamp for the perfect hall console table once your working day is done.
“If your office doubles up as a guest bedroom or dressing room, choose a desk tray that folds up for easy storage, and invest in versatile shelves and storage units.“