Working from home should not mean working from your bed, no matter how tempting it may be to stay under those covers.
As a result, it’s important that you have an established workplace within your home, whether you’ll be working there 100% of the time or a few days a week. This will allow you to maximise efficiency and productivity, ensuring you stay focused!
With that in mind, here are some tips you can use to design the perfect home office.
1. Start from the ground up.
When redecorating your home office, it is important you start from the ground up, which could mean replacing old, tired flooring with something sleek and modern. This will help to keep your office as fresh and welcoming as possible. However, you don’t have to break the bank when buying new flooring. For example, you could buy mdf board cut to size and lay your own office flooring!
2. Choose a neutral colour scheme.
Whether you’re repainting the walls or buying new furniture, it’s best to keep the colour scheme simple when designing an office. Too much colour here can be distracting, which could pull your focus away from the task at hand. If you are looking to inject some colour into the space, try to choose those that are known for promoting productivity and focus, such as blue or green.
3. Invest in your comfort.
Comfort is also key when it comes to designing the perfect office. After all, if you’re going to be sitting at your desk for eight hours a day, it’s important that you’re comfortable when doing so. This means that you need to invest in high-quality furniture, such as ergonomic desk chairs. This can help to prevent neck, back, and shoulder strain.
4. Think about the finishing touches.
The right finishing touches can turn a lifeless office into a space that feels both welcoming and inspiring. For example, you could hang some motivational quotes on the wall for times when motivation dips or decorate with plants and flowers, which is said to boost productivity!
5. Invest in communication tools.
Working from home can sometimes lead to communication issues, especially between team members working on the same project. After all, in an office environment, you can simply walk over to their desk to ask them a question, ensuring you’re on the same page throughout. Investing in communication tools, however, makes this possible digitally. For example, you should purchase a high-quality webcam and microphone so you can jump on calls whenever you need to.
6. Use natural light.
Many studies have found that natural light can boost workplace productivity quite considerably, which means you should use natural light to your advantage within your home, too. Place your desk in a space that receives plenty of light while also ensuring the sun’s glare won’t obstruct the view of your screen. Keep your curtains open as much as possible, and prop open a window to allow some fresh air in when the weather allows.