8 Tips for Setting Up a Productive Work From Home Office

This will change based on the needs of your job but might mean setting up items like a phone headset, multiple monitors, a home office printer or photocopier/ scanner. Is your desk lamp too bright or too dim to work under, effectively? Are you getting sufficient natural light, the best kind, from the Sun? To have that, make sure your designated workspace has enough windows or openings to let the sunlight in. The best office chair is a must for anyone sitting at a desk for any length of time.

Keep this workspace as distinct from your other rooms as possible because such differentiation can have a psychological effect on how you divide work and play. For some types of work, only working in a completely separate space will do. You may also need to make room for office accessories such as the best small printers, scanners and document shredders. Think about whether you want these neatly packed away, or within easy reach on a worktop. With bespoke units, you can specify how many power points you want and where cables need to go, so ensure you factor in lighting, computers, printer, TV, music system and charging points.

Set Aside a Place for Gadgets

For example, you could buy desk with file cabinets or storage drawers at the base or hang floating shelves on the wall to make the most out of limited space. Instead of having multiple clunky file cabinets or boxes lying around, consider using one narrow, vertical file cabinet that takes up less floor space. Try different pieces of furniture and determine which location in your home will work best. Design a complete home office design before you start shopping. Translucent window shades or blinds can help reduce any glare without darkening your room. You can enhance natural light by including a mirror and by keeping most of your walls a light color.

A vintage-style bar cart is located just around the corner for after-work drinks. The home office work space in this Dallas bachelor pad studio from Mid City Interiors blends seamlessly with the rest of the room’s classic palette of navy and dark brown. A framed print and a tall gold lamp add contrast and help the desk corner to feel integrated into the rest of the room. This home office from JL Design is located on the landing in front of a window with a wide-open view that keeps the small space from feeling too confined. A fluffy rug, a vase of flowers, and a cactus sitting on the floor add comfort and coziness.

Choose a Dedicated Area

It’s easy to become distracted when you don’t have a supervisor or manager looking over your shoulder all the time, and this is especially true if you keep your gadgets with you in your office. Painting the wall with horizontal stripes will make a room feel wider, like this home office from Karen home office tips B Wolf Interiors. This compact home office from Cathie Hong Interiors keeps it crisp and graphic with tones of black and white and functional, minimal decor, plus some natural wood tones thrown in for a bit of warmth. If you have to stretch to reach your keyboard, you’ll strain your arms.

You might try creating a dedicated space for papers and other things you think you need (but really don’t). It could be a box or basket that you place on your desk, or better, in a cabinet in your desk or nearby. You have to be ruthless about avoiding clutter, and that comes down to willpower and habit. During daylight, try to get some natural light from a window to brighten your face. Make sure your back isn’t toward a window or bright lamp, as that will put your face entirely in shadow.

Add some green plants

However, if you are a consultant, having extra space and chairs for when clients come to your home to meet with you might be a bigger priority. If not, plan for some additional seating in your home office design to allow for sit-down meetings. This can be as simple as 1-2 comfortable chairs, which are easy to pull up to your desk.

In fact, even a few plants can increase productivity by as much as 15%, according to one study. Getting a handle on your cable situation can seriously improve the looks and functionality of your workspace. Set aside time to unplug and detangle https://remotemode.net/ everything, as well as gather up a few inexpensive materials for tidying up messy cables. They include Velcro One-Wraps , zip ties (though don’t cinch them tightly if your cords are doubled over), painter’s tape, and even toilet paper rolls.

One way to create a minimalist workspace that looks good and feels inviting is to focus on choosing key pieces with bona fide design cred. This home office bedroom combo from Fantastic Frank has a vintage-style wood desk, a midcentury desk chair designed by Verner Panton as well as a USB-powered reedition of his classic 1969 Flowerpot lamp. Bare walls and a palette of soft whites keeps distraction at bay.