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Design a Home Office You Actually Want to Be In

Photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash

As remote work roles become more commonplace in today’s business landscape, we’re seeing a sharp rise in the number of employees who work from home. And when it comes to working out of the house, the home office is arguably the single most important element in the equation. Do you have a home office you actually enjoy spending time in?

What’s the Purpose of Your Home Office?

Your home office is more than just a physical workspace where you perform job-related duties. In order to maximize its value, you need to treat it with the care, precision, and strategic oversight that it deserves.

Therefore, take the time to consider just how important your home office is. It plays a direct and highly influential role in your creativity, output, and frame of mind. The right home office can make you feel organized, engaged, and empowered. The wrong home office, on the other hand, stifles productivity and becomes detrimental to your overall success.

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Use These 5 Tips for Designing a Compelling Home Office Space

No two home offices are the same. Not only do you have a unique house, but you also have your own style, needs, and goals. Keeping that in mind, here are a few helpful tips for maximizing your professional work space:

1. Make the Desk Setup in Your Home Office Comfortable

While it’s important to have some good support for your back, too much rigidity is a bad thing. Your desk shouldn’t make you uncomfortable.

Find a desk chair you love. This is one thing that you shouldn’t feel guilty splurging on. You may also want to look into standing desks, as they can allow you to go from sitting to standing whenever you desire.

2. Stimulate Your Senses

Your home office is your space. Design it according to your wants and expectations—not what a Pinterest page tells you it should look like.

For best results, stimulate your senses. Like the sound of gurgling water? Put a fountain in the corner. Like the way different colored lights look? Buy a light bulb that allows you to customize colors. Install some picture rails by Picture Hanging Systems and show off your favorite local art. It’s okay to think outside the box!

3. Make It Safe and Cozy

One of the major perks of working out of your home is that you don’t have to spend all of your time in a cold and sterile office building. Instead, you get to enjoy some of the comforts of home. So rather than creating a workspace that mimics a commercial office space, look for ways to make your home office safe and cozy.

There are numerous ways to make your office more inviting. For example, try installing an electric fireplace on the far wall across from your desk. All you need is an outlet, and you can instantly make your space homier. Or what about tossing a plush area rug over your hardwood floors? Little additions go a long way.

4. Let There Be (Natural) Light

“Natural light makes a space feel bigger—which is always a plus in a small space,” blogger Hayley Francis writes. “For my home office I actually used fogged window film on all the windows so I could always have the blinds up. This allows enough light to feed the plants in the room and keep them, as well as myself, lively! And when you feel alive, you’re always more efficient.”

Ideally, you should position your office in a room with lots of windows. If you’re forced to use an interior room, perhaps you can install a skylight. Otherwise, lots of warm artificial light will help.

5. Kiss Clutter Goodbye

Nothing stops productivity in its tracks quite like clutter. From a practical standpoint, it makes it difficult to find what you need (or find physical space to work). From a visual perspective, it’s distracting.

So do your best to minimize what you keep in your office. Also, storage is an absolute must. For example, built-ins work well for keeping equipment, files, and supplies out of sight.

Perfect Your Home Office Vibe

A home office is dynamic and ever-changing. It’s not something you design once and leave alone for five years. Therefore, in order to amplify creativity and maximize engagement, you’ll need to continually optimize over time.

Above all, make sure you treat this aspect of your business with the care and professionalism it deserves.

To read more about being effective and efficient while working from home, spend some time browsing our blog.