The work-from-home movement that started during the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of reversing. Advancements in technology and software that make collaborative work easy allow people to do their job efficiently from any location. Sometimes, however, this idea requires planning and ingenuity to become a practical reality. We’ve pulled together the following advice from space planning and interior design professionals so you can create a great home office!
How to Get the Most from the Space You Have
Most people live in an average-size home, and may not have the luxury of an extra room that can be designated as a dedicated home office. If you do happen to have a spare bedroom, congratulations! If not, look at your home with fresh eyes. You may see potential in some areas that can provide the workspace you need, as well as the necessary separation from household activities and distractions.
Is there an area of your home that can do double-duty? This Old House suggests the following spaces that could be likely candidates, depending upon the layout of your home and other factors:
Kitchen – If you’re a single person or two-person household and cooking meals is mostly a matter of microwaving frozen dinners, the kitchen isn’t likely to be a big center of activity. Setting up a small office may be possible if there’s counter space at a comfortable height to work while seated, and clearance underneath for a chair. Even better if there’s enough empty space for a desk, chair and equipment, such as a printer.
Part of a butler’s pantry – This type of area is typically found in older homes. If you’re making only partial use of it, the rest of the space could accommodate a small office.
Dining room – With today’s casual lifestyles, a formal dining room is typically seldom used. Rearranging the furniture to comfortably accommodate a desk, chair and equipment may be an option. Or sell or donate your existing dining room furniture and buy a more compact dining set that doesn’t take as much space. This will make your home office feel more spacious.
Closet – Pressing a closet into service as a home office is now so common there’s even a name for it – cloffice! The Nordroom offers plenty of creative yet practical suggestions for fashioning one. This will necessitate removing the existing clothes poles and probably shelves to install new shelving that’s conducive to serving as a desk and storage.
Tucked into an alcove – If your home has an alcove or an irregularly shaped space – such as under the stairs – you’ve never quite figured out how to use, this could be your answer!
Armoire – While not on This Old House’s list, this piece of furniture was popular for use as a home entertainment center before the advent of flat-screen televisions. If you have one that’s long since outlived its usefulness for this purpose, re-purpose it as a self-contained home office!
Creating a Comfortable, Healthy Environment – Desk, Chair and Lighting
You can look for budget solutions for many aspects of your home office, but three elements are absolutely essential to your ability to work comfortably and efficiently – your desk, chair and lighting. Yes, we mean ergonomics! Our blog post – “Transform Your Workspace and Increase Productivity” – describes ergonomics as follows:
“Defined as the science of fitting a workplace to the user’s needs, ergonomics aims to increase efficiency and productivity and reduce discomfort. An understanding of ergonomics can prevent most workplace injuries by adjusting tools to the user, putting an emphasis on proper posture to reduce the impact of repetitive movements. Desks, chairs, monitors, keyboards and lighting all need to be assessed when creating a workspace, whether it is at a company office or home office.”
Ergonomic fundamentals include:
- The top of the monitor should be below or at eye level. Eyes should be 24-36 inches from the computer screen.
- Feet should be on a footrest or resting on the floor.
- A slightly reclined chair posture is best to reduce pressure on your spine and minimize lower back pain.
The quality of lighting in your home office is also highly important. Inadequate or bad lighting can strain your eyes and cause fatigue, as well as headaches and irritability. Interior design expert Coral Nafie recommends the following in her article for The Spruce:
“To reduce eye strain, have lighting installed over your reading area, on the computer, and behind you so that there’s no reflection off the computer monitor. Place the computer monitor a comfortable distance from your chair so that you don’t need to squint or use reading glasses to read the screen. By reducing eye strain, you’ll be able to work longer and more safely.”
How to Use Paint or Wallpaper to Define the Workspace
Setting the right mood that allows you to focus on work is essential for a home office. Defining your workspace through paint or wallpaper helps establish the psychological mindset that this is the place to get down to business.
If you have an entire room to devote to your office, choose a neutral paint color. Add pops of color through accessories and wall art. If using part of a space in a larger room, paint (or wallpaper) the wall that your work area faces as an accent wall. It can be a brighter, bolder color than the other walls, but be sure it doesn’t clash.
Also, consider the type of work you’ll be doing – as well as your own personality! Those engaged in more artistic fields may want a home office that mirrors their nature. In such cases, out-of-the-box or bold colors can help convert a drab room into a creative one. Others may prefer to keep their home office looking tidy and clean-cut, in which case paint colors will be less distracting, such as neutrals. Whatever the case, the paint color or wallpaper you choose should be a reflection of how you want to structure your work environment and workflow.
If you go for a cloffice, you can line the interior walls with wallpaper to make a design statement that uplifts and inspires you throughout your workday! The Nordroom’s article has plenty of cloffice photos with ideas that are sure to get your creative juices flowing! As you’ll see, even a linen closet can be transformed into a functional and stylish workspace.
Whether you work for a company that allows you to work from home or work for yourself, you’ll be more productive – and happy – if your home office is functional, comfortable and inviting. Should you need help with planning, color and/or wallpaper recommendations – as well as painting and wallpaper installation – call us!
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