Working from the comfort of your home, as wonderful an option as it is, can also turn into a cumbersome affair if you do not create a clearly demarcated space for your work. It is, in fact, the most basic requirement in the absence of which slacking off is easy.
Here’s a checklist that will help you set up your own work space at home.
Find the sweet spot
If you’ve got an entire room to spare, there’s nothing like it. But in case you don’t, look for a corner that offers a little quiet and privacy. It needs to be a space that you can call office, while still being accessible to the rest of your home.
Consider the place under the stairs or a big closet, a part of the study or even the attic or the basement. Avoid bedrooms, as they tend to induce lethargy. For something more out-of-the-box, you can partition a section of the verandah with bamboo walls. So you can enjoy natural light and the green balcony view. Whatever the area, just make sure you can hook up your internet and telephone.
It’s all in the desk
Whatever designing you may undertake, your desk is going to play the lead role. So make sure it provides you with enough room to work. You’ll need one with shelves or cabinets and with ample space for your laptop, phone and other desk accessories. Functional doesn’t mean boring though. You can customise your desk to suit the available corner. And chuck those predictable beige and brown tones for more playful colours such as forest green, brick red, pastel purple, yellow or a simple pristine white. Only make sure that it has clean no-fuss lines to avoid wasting any space.
Stack in style
You need room for storage in your office. If it’s a small area, go upwards with tall floating shelves or cabinets. To avoid that cramped feeling, get open shelves or frosted glass cabinet doors.
In small spaces, it’s wise to have the cabinets the same shade as your walls.
Comfort first
When it comes to choosing the right chair, don’t fall for the design before you fall in love with the comfort. Given that you’ll be spending quite a few hours at the desk, make sure the chair is the right height and provides good back support. And don’t forget to keep an extra one, for those visitors.
Get designing
Once you’ve got the functional elements in place, think of style. Pick a theme - retro, nature, industrial, or hi-tech. Let your wall paint or wallpaper reflect the theme; accessorise keeping this in mind. This helps lend the office your own personal touch. If it’s your own company, why not print up a sign board to hang on top of your desk. It will help you own and brand your work space.
Accessorise, organise
Invest in a stand-out desk lamp, a quirky pen stand, colourful sticky notes and other little paraphernalia that reflects you. Hang up family photos or even some art. Get cardboard storage boxes with firm handles in vibrant colours; they look great while also keeping your office neat.
The secret to a flourishing work space is organisation. Have dedicated areas for gadgets, files, office supplies, books and miscellany. You will find yourself approaching work in a more disciplined manner. And remember to put up a stylish pin-board for those emergency notes.
The more organised you are, the more you can get out of your office. If this is your first, be sure you’ve got these:
- Inspiring desk
- Comfortable chair
- Pin-board
- Desk organiser
- Storage solutions
- Labelmaker
It’s simple enough and a great way to get you started on building your home office. And how great it can look depends on how creative you want it to be.
