With the Covid-19 pandemic spreading fast and most countries opting for full or partial lockdown, many of us are working from home a lot more. This means many of us are looking for home-office set up that’s both practical and motivating. When working from home, it’s essential to have a space that’s just for work and nothing else; as it will enable us to have a better distinction between work and life.
This, however, is easier said than done because not many of us have the luxury of having a dedicated space. So if you are looking for home office ideas that will help you to make the best of your available space, then read on.
- Have a multi-purpose home-office:
If you do not have the luxury of a dedicated space, then use a corner of your bedroom or living room as a home office. Have a suitable office desk and chair, this will only help you to get into the right mindset but protect your posture. When not working, you can use this desk, as a dressing or console table.
- Optimise your space:
The trick to creating a harmonious and productive workspace is space optimisation. Do not clutter it with unnecessary stuff like printers, files and bulky books. Clutter often makes the room look smaller. Organise it with great storage solutions that would not only add a personality to your space but keep it clutter-free.
- Let some light in:
Did you know natural light can increase your work productivity? It helps in reducing eye strain, headaches and blurred vision syndrome. Natural light can also make a space seem bigger–a plus for small spaces. So, choose your home workspace near a window allowing plenty of light to come in.
- White with colour pop:
White walls and interiors are known to make a small space look bigger. For your small home office space, choose white walls. Add pops of colour with quirky accessories to add some personality to your space.
- Use unutilised spaces:
You will be surprised by the unutilised spaces in your home; reclaim those. The space under the staircase is one such area. You could easily fit a small desk and use smart storage to store your office supplies. If the area has fixed storage, you can use it to add bulky office equipment like printers.
An alcove is another neglected area if you can, fit a small desk and add some wall mount blocks to organise your papers and files.
- Choose your home-office chair carefully:
Don’t overlook your office chair. As most of us would be tied to our chairs for the most part of the time, it is advisable to invest in an ergonomic chair. It conforms to the body shape and supports the spine and bones. It also helps to keep joints in a natural position and is customisable to fit the user’s needs.
- Add some greens:
Whilst the colour green is associated with nature, tranquillity and balance, it also represents wealth and money. This is the reason why plenty of offices use green in their work environment. Use the same idea and spruce your neutral palette with splashes of green. Use potted inside plants to add some green to your home office.
- Take your office out:
If you just cannot work from home, then consider creating your home office outside the home like your garage. Transforming your garage into an office requires planning and ingenuity and ideally should only be considered if you do not need extra storage space. If you are seriously considering this idea, then you need to look at flooring, light, ventilation and fire safety.
- Use your room-divider to create your workspace:
Open space floorplans and rooms are really popular these days, especially in newly built homes. If you have a big master bedroom, you can use a room divider to create your home office. Some easy room divider options are bookshelves, rope dividers, an upcycled window panels and even cardboard units. Add your work desk and chair as well as storage boards to make it more like an office.
- Sit-stand desks:
Height adjustable desks are common in most offices these days. Use a sit-stand desk in a tiny space to create an illusion of more space. With a sit-stand desk, you can use your normal chair to save space. Use wall-mounted boards to add dimension and personality to your workspace.
