Whether you’re stuck working in an office building or you’re home for a chunk of the day, it’s important to have a space you can feel comfortable in. With may jobs going fully remote or embracing a hybrid schedule, it’s important to design a fitting home office that matches your style and fulfills your needs.
Considering you’ll be working in your home office for the majority of a given week, you might as well take the necessary time to create an office that’s enjoyable to work in. Here are some tips and ideas for creating the perfect work from home space.
Room with a View
If you’re going to be working from home, you might as select the room for your home office wisely. When it comes to finding a place you can sit well for several hours on end, it’s great to have something to look at. What really kicks it up a notch is having windows.
If you’re working during the day, natural light is not only good to keep you awake, but also for your mental health to see life out there. A skylight like this would be exceptional for those who prefer a schedule after sunset to look out at the stars. Either way, windows make or break a space.
A Splash of Color
Windows provide you with Vitamin D, but color makes your heart happy. It’s your home office, make it a reflection of you! This is a time to really think about what colors and art you like.
Is it movie posters? Classical paintings? Family photos? A solid red color scheme? Whatever it is that makes your heart sing, use it to decorate your space. The more variety you have, the more you’ll get excited about stepping into the area and making it productive.
Keep it Functional
No matter what your means of making money at home is, your work space should be conducive to that process. Before you start really getting into setting up the home office, you should take some time to think about your job function and all you need to accomplish it.
The thing is, if you need calendars, paper, tools, folders, or anything else, these should be readily accessible. Whatever you use should be easily accessible to be more efficient.
Stay Snacky
Everyone knows that you can’t be productive unless you’re hydrated and within arms’ reach of snacks. So, when you’re planning out where to put things in your home office, make a place to put your snacks and beverages.
We all love a good walk around when working from home. That’s a huge benefit of the arrangement, but think about how you can improve it. Would it be helpful to have a small coffee maker or water jug in the room? How about a mini fridge with room for drinks and snacks?
Take a Seat
Just because you’re not entertaining coworkers or clients in your office doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be entertaining yourself from time to time. That’s right, we’re living in the treat yourself period of history.
You may be home but you might not want to leave your office to stretch out for a minute. There might be kids, pets, or who knows what else around that could be distracting. Having a sweet seating area gives you the chance to change scenery without exposing yourself to chaos.
Store it Up
As fun as it is to have space to spread everything out, you need a place to put things away. Even if your job is 100% digital, there can still be papers to keep track of. Even if that paper is just your printouts and ways to track things, everything needs a home.
It helps to start a work day in a clear state of mind and hand. Putting together your home office should include a designated place to put the things you need in a way that makes them easy to get to.
Put Your Feet Up
One thing many people overlook when they are purchasing things to go in their home office is that they forget their own bodies. When you sit for extended periods of time, which often happens at home, that isn’t super great for your legs and feet.
Some people end up getting some swelling and aches during prolonged sitting. In a perfect world, you’d be able to get up all the time. Until then, there are several products you can use that will prop your feet under the desk or provide support to your back. Invest in yourself.
Get Techy With It
One way to improve your home office is to make the way you work faster, better, and more efficient. Whether that be a gigantic monitor, headphones with bass, or a cordless phone charger, there’s always something.
Technology is advancing and with that comes new ways to do things or ways to help us do things better. It’s really amazing the technology that’s available that can help make your work easier. Some products might be unnecessary, like a wand to grab pickles from a jar, but it’s worth doing some research.
Home Office Dream Board
Bridge the gap between home and office by remembering what it’s all for. It’s time to add a dream board.
You have goals, hopes for a promotion, or a new product line in mind. If you don’t put the ideas on paper, they might not ever get out of your head. There’s nothing more professional than being reminded of your business dreams every day. Find some room on the wall to incorporate something to look forward to while you work.
Accessorize the Desk
Just as it’s important to add art on the walls that reflect you, it’s important that your actual work space is well decorated, too.
You want your workspace to be so reminiscent of you so that anyone familiar will see it and know it’s yours. Creating that homey environment is good for your morale and might inspire your best work yet.