Designing Your Ideal Work from Home Space
More and more people are opting to work from home, even as restrictions lift and offices begin to welcome back employees. Working from home can provide a lot of benefits, and if it is something that you want to do — or are doing — you might be wondering how you can make the most out of your workspace. Fortunately, there are no limits to the number of creative ideas when it comes to designing your ideal home office space.
Consider Your Location
Location is important when it comes to creating your perfect home office space. If your current home is lacking square footage to allow for an adequate workspace, it may be worth considering a move to a home with more available space.
While moving won’t always be necessary, working from your kitchen table will get tedious after the first week, especially if you’re trying to balance work, kids, and dinner time. You don’t want to have to worry about packing up your workspace each and every night so that there is room to eat. By having your own designated office location, you will have much more to work with.
Moving and Storage
If you do decide that you need to move in order to create a better office for yourself, then it’s important to look for homes that can provide everything that you will need for moving and storage within reason. For instance, if you’re trying to work from home with kids, you might want a home that can provide a workspace further away from the family room where the kids might play loudly during work hours. You may also want to have a bathroom in close proximity to your office so that you won’t have to worry about going downstairs or too far away for bathroom breaks throughout the day.
When moving, you might also require storage solutions to house things you might not immediately need in order to make more room for your office. Often, spare rooms can get clogged up with the things you want to keep out of sight and out of mind until you need them. You don’t want your office to turn into a shared storage space. Consider what items are taking up space that you want to keep, but don’t use too often. Store these things locally at a storage center to keep them secure and nearby for when you do decide to use them. This will help free up space without forcing you to have to part ways with seldom used, but still useful items.
For the items you do want to get rid of, you can hire a junk removal service to help haul away the things you don’t use anymore. From old broken appliances to mattresses and bedframes, you can have them quickly taken away without much effort on your part. Consider the things you truly have no use for and that can’t be donated or recycled. You’ll be surprised at how much space junk removal can provide.
Remodeling Your Space
Whether you move or stay where you are, you still might want to consider remodeling your office space to more readily suit your needs. For instance, if your office is lacking electrical outlets, you might want to bring in electric services to rewire the area and provide you with more functions. Similarly, if your current office has carpeted floors, you might want to replace it with a tile or hardwood option to make it easier to clean and roll your office chair across. Contractors will be able to take your needs and desires and turn them into reality.
When considering a remodel, think about improvements that will make your workspace more comfortable and easier to maintain. This will make you more likely to enjoy your time inside while working, as opposed to dreading every time you open the door.
Jazz Up Your Office Walls
When designing your perfect workspace, it’s also important to consider the color of the walls. For instance, bland white walls can be boring on their own. However, if you add a pattern to them or change them completely, you can completely transform the feeling of the room. Even if you’re not into bright bold colors, you can still benefit from more muted tones like light blue or green. Colors like this can provide a calming effect while not being too overwhelming. Reds and oranges can have the opposite effect by providing a more fired-up feeling to the room.
If you don’t want to commit to painting, adding paintings or framed memorabilia of something you love can also help spruce up your office space. Things like this can help break up white walls and make the room more interesting and inviting.
Consider Your View
If your office has a window in it, you might want to consider positioning your desk so that you can look out during the day. Being able to see outside and get natural light into your workspace can help make the day pass quicker. Having a window in front of your desk can also give you the option to get some fresh air inside during the warmer months. Just because you can’t be outside because of work doesn’t mean that you can’t take advantage of the nice weather!
Take Advantage of Creative Organizing
Investing in organizers for your office is important to combat clutter. Hang floating shelves to help keep things off of your desk. Cube organizer shelves can also help you sort, label, and store files, books, equipment, and supplies without having them clutter your desk or sit idly on the floor. Staying proactive about your organizing and taking the time to design a system that works for you will be well worth it. Consider the things that you need to have within reach and work outward from there. If you need customer files close by, for instance, consider a color-coded file system in your desk drawer. For extra pens, printer ink, and paper, you can store them further away so that they don’t get in the way when they’re not needed.
Invest in Equipment
The equipment that you furnish your office with is likewise as important as how you remodel it. Without the right equipment, you may not be able to perform your job duties properly, which can put you at risk of losing your job altogether. For instance, if your job requires you to have POS systems on hand for processing payments over the phone, you’ll need to invest in the proper credit card processing systems to handle the task. While some jobs may provide these, it’s important to know beforehand so that you’re ready for whatever your job requires.
Computer Sales
Having the right computer is usually the most important thing in many work-from-home jobs. Without a reliable computer, you might not be able to stay connected to your coworkers or be able to complete tasks on time. If your current computer leaves a lot to be desired or just isn’t meeting your needs, look for online and local computer sales. Many stores will feature sales of computers at various times throughout the year. Keep an eye on the prices, especially after the holidays, so that you can get the best deals on a new desktop or laptop. Similarly, if you need a printer, scanner, or fax machine, it’s worth looking out for deals on those as well. Some places may even often bundle deals that feature multiple pieces at a discount.
Hiring Helpful Services
When working from home, you might also find it helpful to hire outside services to help make your workday easier. While not everyone may need these services, they are something to keep in mind, especially if you’re working and have kids.
Cleaners and Babysitters
Hiring a cleaning service can help ensure that your house stays tidy even when you’re working. While it might be tempting to try and clean up on the clock, this can ultimately be tiresome and it can wear you down over time. Instead of stressing yourself out, consider hiring weekly or monthly cleaners to help keep everything in order.
If you have young children who aren’t in school yet or are on summer break, hiring a babysitter to watch them while you work can also be beneficial if another parent is also working. This can help keep your kids occupied and cared for while you focus on getting through the workday. It can also help keep them quiet when you’re on important calls with clients or bosses.
Accessories
Possibly one of the best things about working from home involved investing in helpful and sometimes fun accessories for your office.
Practical Accessories
Some of the more practical accessories can include things like
- Window shades to keep the sun from glaring down on your computer screen.
- A door lock to keep rambunctious kids from photobombing your next zoom call.
- A comfortable chair if you spend a long time at your desk.
- A desk with enough room to work efficiently. Standing desks may also be worth considering to break up the monotony of sitting for long periods of time.
- Lighting solutions to ensure that you have enough light to continue working when the sun goes down.
- A webcam cover to ensure that you won’t accidentally be seen before you’ve had your morning coffee.
Accessories like this can help pull your office together and make it more functional and easy to work in. While not everyone will have the same needs, for instance, one worker may need multiple computer monitors and another just a single laptop. However, it’s important to look at the things you will need most to help make doing your job as easy and as comfortable as possible when you’re designing your perfect workspace.
Fun Accessories
Fun accessories for your office can include things like
- A desktop coffee machine to ensure that caffeine is always close at hand when you need a pick me up.
- A sound system for listening to music, podcasts, or ambient noise while working. Having background noise can help break up the sometimes defining silence of a home office and also drown out outside noises from kids or neighbors.
- A mini-fridge to store water, soda, and snacks.
- Potted greenery to add a bit of color and life to your workspace.
- An essential oil diffuser to keep your office smelling fantastic.
Having accessories like this can really make you feel like a boss. But aside from that, they can also help liven up your workday and give you something to look forward to when you’re in your office. Fun additions like this, while not necessary, can make a big difference when it comes to feeling excited about getting your work done.
Your Ideal Work from Home Space is Possible
When it comes to working from home, don’t settle for a laptop at the kitchen table. Creating your ideal home office is possible, and you just need to consider what you want and what you need from your workspace. If your current home can’t deliver the space you need, consider moving or remodeling a room to create the type of space you need. Once you have a designated office space, think about the type of space that you’ll want to spend a good portion of your day in. Paint the walls, add pleasing decor, and both practical and fun accessories to help get you hyped about the workday. Invest in the equipment you need and always look for sales so that you can get the best deals.
While you’ll want to prioritize the things you definitely need before the fun things you want, sometimes it’s important to splurge on those fun additions that help make your workplace entirely unique to you.
