Home offices have become essential for millions of workers around the world. If you're lucky enough to have benefited from this WFH revolution, then having a proper space to conduct your work is vital.
It's not as simple as finding a patch of space on your kitchen table. To create a true productivity paradise, you've got to think it through. For the ultimate cheat sheet for acing your home office design, here are 10 mistakes to avoid.
#1 Don't Forget a Notice Board
There's so much to gain from installing a pinboard that you'd be mad not to. A fabric-covered pin board offers you the chance to break up your wall design with a different pattern while giving a great space for displaying notices, souvenirs, postcards, photos, and more!
#2 Aim to Isolate the Workspace
Eliminating distraction is key to maximizing your productivity. That means you should attempt a physical separation of your workspace from the rest of your home.
A good idea is to use a room divider desk or built-in walls to indicate a designated working area, helping to encourage focus and concentration. It's also important to have a clear mental separation of where work ends and relaxation begins. Physical boundaries help in this respect.
#3 Pay Attention to Lighting
Shutters and blinds play an important role in not only blocking out light, but sound and distraction, too. You don't need to sit in the dark, but it's great to be able to block out harsh or distracting sunlight when needed. They're also a great way of stopping the prying eyes of nosy neighbors.
#4 Bring The Outside Inside
Being cooped up indoors all day can get to you. Improve your aesthetic and your mental health by incorporating natural features such as pot plants into your workspace. It can do a world of good. If you don't fancy the maintenance, even prints or posters of natural scenes can go a long way.
#5 Don't Forget To Include Storage
Most things may be paperless these days, but we'll bet there are still some things that you'll need physical copies of. For important documents, papers and pens, and other stationary, we recommend a dedicated cupboard with a trolley you can wheel to the desk before packing away again after you're done with it. Subtlety and practicality!
#6 Get the Right Desk Chair
You're going to be spending a lot, and we mean A LOT, of time sat working at your desk... so the chair's gotta be perfect. Spending long periods in a chair that isn't suited to you can lead to both short and long-term problems for your health. Reduce the risk to your back by thinking long and hard about chair choice, and don't be afraid of investing — it's worth it.
#7 Make the Most of Awkward Spaces
When WFH became common, our loft and attic spaces were commandeered to become virtual offices. With their isolation and often unused status, they were perfect choices. After a long day of work, their seclusion usually means that when you leave the office, you can separate yourself easily from work until the next day.
It must be said however, that the awkward dimensions and spaces in a room like an attic can throw up some design challenges. In these cases, don't give up! If you can afford it, it's worth it to invest in bespoke furniture made to fit the contours of your awkward space. Creating bespoke storage and cupboards can really pay off in the long run!
#8 Your Home Office Doesn't Have to be a Whole Room!
The work you do is important, right? So you might naturally assume that you need a whole room to really get in the zone and make things happen. Well, it's likely not the case.
Sacrificing an entire room for your work isn't always the way to go. You can often achieve just as much separation and productivity by converting different spaces. Think of the space under your stairs for example. This achieves separation without sacrificing an entire room.
#9 Don't Forget to Make it Your Own!
You'll be spending a lot of time here, so make it beautiful! With canvases from NicheCanvas, you can personalize your home office to reflect your unique passions. Browse from thousands of designs, here.
