The Most Useful Expert Tips In Designing A Home Office

Designing a home office should not be taken lightly. You cannot just a random office desk, a computer chair and throw office supplies on your table in a haste just because you want a dedicated workspace at home. A home office is where you should be the most productive so you cannot just randomly organize it without some expert advice. 

COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and work. People are now accustomed to working at home and doing their schooling online. While companies and employers have called their employees back to work onsite again, many still prefer the work-from-home (WFH) setup. In certain States and countries, employers and schools/universities are mandated to still give the WFH option to employees and students, subject to meritorious reasons, except for the skeletal workforce. 

Hence, designing a home office has since then become the trending keywords in Google and other search engines. I have summarized the most important points to keep in mind in building your own.

If you are a professional in a WFH setup all day, a space that is far from the distractions at home will be the most ideal. You don’t want to inconvenience yourself from the daily chaos that your kids, pets, and partner will bring. You need your mind and surroundings clear. 

However, this is not the case for parents who are juggling both household duties and work. If you are a part-time worker and a hands-on parent at once, you’ll want a space that’s less cluttered, yet within the reach of your kids.

People who specialize in designing a home office recommend the following measures of a workstation/ desk: if you are at least 5-foot tall and not more than 6.5 feet, your work desk should be 712mm-762mm. This will allow you to sit and work comfortably. Depth of the desk can be 508mm-762mm with a width of 610mm. You should also invest in a good-quality adjustable office chair. In selecting a desk, keep in mind that things that you want to put - do you need some space for the decorations that motivate you? Or are you a minimalist type of person that would rather tuck everything in drawers? 

Your desk should not double as a storage for your documents. Keep them separated to avoid a cluttered workstation. Take note of what your workflow usually is - where do you want to keep your Done paperworks? Where do you want to put your Pending documents? These all should be properly filed and tucked somewhere but your desk. 

People with seasonal affective disorder invest in light therapy boxes as an antidepressant during fall and winter seasons. A light therapy box acts as the outdoor light that is believed to effect a chemical change in one’s brain to lift a gloomy mood and induce it to be more productive. That’s how important outdoor light is. 

Hence, a good source of natural lighting is critical to your productivity. In designing a home office, position your workstation facing the windows. Invest in shades and blinds to reduce glares in the monitor of your computer. Add daylight bulbs or an overhead light to boost the overall lighting in the room. 

A messy workspace can have a negative effect on your productivity, too. Hide your gadget wires by hooking the cords under or to the back of your office furniture. If it’s still in your budget, opt for a wireless router, wireless chargers, wireless printers and mouse to reduce the wire clutter by half. 

In designing a home office you might want to give it a little style to make it less boring and more motivating. Hang your favorite artwork or a family picture onto the walls. Stick motivational quotes on that corkboard. Put indoor plants in the corner to reduce stress and clean the air you breathe. If it will make you more productive, invest in a good room speaker to play instrumental and classical music while you work. 

To organize your ideas and thoughts and to visualize them as well, you might want to check out home design apps online in designing a home office to generate a floor plan you can follow. Before you start shopping for office supplies and furniture, make sure that you have taken note of the right measures and colors to compliment the space. This will also help you save up from buying unnecessary office stuff that you might see in the store that are not really in tune with your desired home office in mind.