Whether a business is being run from your home office or there is an occasional telecommute or perhaps it is where you pay your bills and plan your schedule, you deserve more than a simple metal desk and an additional chair placed in a corner. Why is this important? If your office reflects the decor and comfort level of the rest of your home, it will be an area you do not minding spending working hours in.
Here are seven tips to help create a working space that is comfortable, practical and charming:
1. It Is All About The Location
You will probably spend quite a few hours in your home office, do not shove yourself into a small space, for example a windowless closet where you will squish in with a tiny desk simply to preserve the guest room that is rarely used. The traffic flow as well as your ability to not be distracted should also be taken into consideration. Are you able to function well when there is a lot of activity, or do you need to work in a very quiet area? If you will be expecting clients, ample seating in a private location is a must.
2. Form Should Never Be Sacrificed For Function
Your shelves, desk, and storage should be of use to you, it should never be the other way around. Take your workflow into consideration before purchasing your furniture, what are the the things that you need right at your finger tips? You can then look over the prices of the functional and the aesthetic. Other rooms in your house should be complemented by your home office furniture, you do not want “soulless cubicle” to be the message given off. Of you have a home that is traditionally decorated, warm, soft wood chairs that are comfy, perhaps a loveseat even are all great options. Modern metal furniture and artistic pieces may fit in well for a home office that is contemporary.
3. Do Not Cheapen Out On a Chair
Countless hours are spent in your office chair, an ergonomically correct, beautiful and comfortable seat will be worth the price. The same should be true for your office desk or table.
4. The Walls Should Be Painted a Color You Love
“Office biege” should not be an option, choose a color the really gets you motivated. For some it may be a bright orange, lime green or cherry color. For others a more calming hue such as sea foam blue or botanical green function best. It is actually a good idea to look into how certain colors can affect the mood.
5. A Room With a View
The desk should be positioned in a way that you see something interesting when you look up from your computer, not just a blank wall, even if it is your favorite color. Ideally this would be the natural light from a window, however if there are no windows in your space, hang a lovely picture right above your desk or have you desk positioned towards the door.
6. Choose Accessories That Are Homey
Unless the look you are going for is more contemporary, the extras you choose should enhance a comfy feeling in your home office for example; trendy notepads and sticky notes, a pretty mug as a pencil holder and a waste basket that is decorative. Use some gorgeous fabric to wrap your bulletin board, utilitarian bookshelves can be hidden behind curtains that are the same material. Inspirational prints can be hung on the wall, it could be a classic painting or some of you childrens lovely artwork that you have framed. Additionally, you can put some of your favorite action figure collections which you can buy at Toynk, so that your home office has a personal touch.
7. Organize Horizontally and Vertically
There is not very much square footage offered to a home office, it is therefore imperative that space is used efficiently. To remove papers and office equipment from your desk, hang floating shelves on the wall, on the desk incorporate vertical file holders for keeping your important papers close by. Do you tend to stack or file? If you are prone to making piles, a nice basket is a great way of taming your notes, mail and papers. If what you prefer is a clean desktop, have one drawer that is designated for your “to do” papers. A fun alternative to bookshelves is, metal or wooden cube storage, these spaces can be used for knickknacks, books or baskets with your odds and ends.
