What was once just space to simply check your email quickly or jot down your to-do list, the home office is now an essential space for many who work from home. This shift from the nice bonus feature to the necessary has caused many homeowners to reevaluate their current condition with many finding it lacking. Productivity and efficiency are linked to a functional space that gives you exactly what you need to get the job done. Here we share some tips on how to design the perfect office away from the office.

Location

The location of your home office is determined by several things including your personal preferences, work style, or requirements.

• Do you like to work alone in absolute quiet?
• Do you prefer being near your family in case the children need you?
• Do you enjoy an office with a view because it helps your creativity flow?
• Do you require a large area for the projects you are working on?
• Do you need a location that allows you to take calls easily?

These are important questions to answer as they will help you decide the best place for your office. Some great options are the basement, spare bedroom on the main floor, bonus loft area, or a renovated attic. Be sure to talk with your designer about your specific needs for your office.

Function

Staying inspired to work can sometimes be difficult when you are at home and used to all of the things your work office provides. Organization is key to any task and especially when you are working from the home. When designing your space here are some ways to make it a functional and inspiring area.

• Keep it clean: a cluttered desktop can hinder performance because you can’t find anything. Consider having only the essentials such as your computer, writing utensils, and a current project on your desk. By hanging a grid on one wall you can keep some additional supplies like extra papers, work notes, and tacks near but not on your desk.
• Think about your routine: consider when and how you get your job done. Are there certain things you do every morning before moving on to your afternoon routine? Perhaps once you have finished your morning routine you can place those things away and pull out the necessary items for your afternoon tasks.
• Place things together: when things that belong together stay together it makes it easier to find and utilize them. Writing items such as paper, pens, highlighters, and paper clips should be kept in a separate bin. Supplies such as tape, staples, tacks, and envelopes fit together nicely. Consider adding a shelf with decorative baskets or boxes to help everything have a place.

Your home office is meant to be tailored to fit your unique needs and specifications. Be sure to think of all the tasks you will need to accomplish when planning for this space.

Design tips

Now that you have chosen the location and functionality for your office space it is time to start thinking about some of the fun items, the selection of what will make your office yours. It is important that space reflect your personality but here are a few things we believe are essential to having a great home office.

• Chair: an office would not be complete without one yet a person can’t concentrate if they are uncomfortable which is why you need to find an office chair that works for you. Whether it is one that rolls, has a straight back, or with an extra cushion, it needs to say you, making it easy to go the distance in your work.
• Color: this can have a direct effect on your mood. The color of your office is your choice, for some they need a bright space with happy colors like yellow, others prefer calm colors that help keep their stress down such as blue and green.
• Natural light: this is a very important element for many reasons. Artificial light can only mimic a few of the elements of natural light which can have negative effects on the mood. Adding some natural light to the room can help boost your health in several ways so be sure to include it in your design.
• Decor: be sure to include pictures that mean something to you along with art that simulates nature since blues and greens can help relax the eyes after staring at a screen all day.

Be sure to have a list of things that are important to you written down or even some inspirational pictures ready to show your designer so they can help you find exactly what you need to create that dream office.

Let’s get started

We understand the importance of being able to not just work at home but be productive. Great office space can help you stay on track, be productive, and remain in tune with your co-workers virtually. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have regarding renovating your current office or building a brand new one. Give us a call or send us an email with inspiration pictures of your dream office and let’s get started.