How to Build a Perfect Home Office?
Working from home? Here's how you can create a perfect home office!
Do you want to rock your home office? These days many people are working from their homes, some more than the others. In this article, we will give you some ideas on how to build the perfect home office.
We all need a space where we can feel calm, focused, inspired, and productive. As more and more people shift to flexible Work From Home ( WFH ), due to the pandemic, they are building perfect home offices. The reasons are reduced commuting stress, fewer distractions, and a personal space-all leading to more productivity. Home offices are also useful to home-based business owners, or to anyone working on a project.
Many people have established a separate workspace within their homes. It could be just a desk beside a window or a full-blown office. An ideal home office should be clean and minimal in design, have an open plan with floor-to-ceiling windows, and a sliding door to insulate you from noise and household disturbances. To take meaningful breaks you can have a small meditation room outside your office.
How to create a home office?
Working from home offers many advantages like saving money and time by reducing commute, and the flexibility to set your own schedule. Here are some tips on how to build a nice home office:
1. Don’t overspend
It is important not to go beyond your budget while you are setting up your home office. If you don’t have enough cash in hand, you can use your debit or credit cards. Also, it is a good idea to buy office furniture, lighting, etc. second hand to get a cheap price and also promote upcycling.
Online auctions are a good place to source second-hand goods. You can also join a no-sell group on Facebook to get free stuff.
2. Have a well-defined space
The most important thing while building a home office is to find the right space. First, identify a private space in your home which is separate from other activities. It could be an extra bedroom or a small corner of your living room. For a distraction-free environment, it is a good idea to place your desk in front of a window, with your chair facing the back of the room.
Ensure that you have enough natural light in the room; It is a great mood-uplifter and also improves productivity.
If you don’t have a room all to yourself, you can use a room divider. A folding screen or a book-case can also serve the purpose of visual separation, and create a cosy atmosphere. A proper layout can double the size of a 6 feet x 6 feet office.
3. Organise yourself
Since you might have to multi-task while working from your home office, it is a good idea to organise your gear. You should keep your most used items within arm’s reach. You can buy a modular pegboard system to hold your loose accessories like writing materials, headphones, wires, and adapters.
Over your desk, you can set up a shelf to make use of the vertical space. You can keep your place clean looking by visually hiding your messy cords or wires. To do this you can use adhesives to stick them on the wall behind your desk. You can power your monitor and PC by putting power strips on the floor and on the sides of your desk.
A weighted cable organiser on your desk can hold loose wires of your laptop or mobile charger.
4. Calming colour
The right wall paint can have a positive impact on the home office. Most people favour a white or monochromatic colour scheme for the walls of their home offices, for a calming and productive work-space. Soothing earthy colours like blues and greens can also reduce stress.
5. Decent Light
Proper home office lighting makes for a more comfortable and productive work environment. A clever combination of artificial and natural light enhances concentration and focus while working. Poor lighting can dampen your morale, besides producing eye-strain.
Tips to set up your home office
A proper home office setup is important for staying productive while you WFH. The first step in building a comfortable home office is to get the correct equipment that prioritises your wellbeing. A few of the things that you must have are:
- A decent work surface.
- A good chair and/or stool.
- Storage for all kinds of things.
The following equipment makes our WFH space a little easier and stress-free:
1. Things that Improve Posture
While discussing workspaces, you cannot ignore posture. You will need the following things to keep your spine healthy!
- Chair
To work comfortably over a long period of time while maintaining a good posture, you have to invest in a good office chair. You are probably spending half of your day on it!
It should be adjustable, comfortable, and ergonomic in design.
Before buying one, you should sit on it for trial. The right chair should support your arm, back, and thigh. The arm-rests should be such that when you place your arms on them, they should be parallel to the keyboard. These chairs are expensive, but if plan to sit for a long time in them, they are worth the price.
- Laptop and Monitor Stand
Another item that will help your posture is a wooden monitor stand that will keep your eye-line looking up. It adds height beneath the monitor so that you can keep the keyboard in the storage underneath. They are also great for Zoom calls!
- Foot Rest
When you are working at home, you deserve to be comfortable from the start of your day to the end. An angled ergonomic foot-rest kept under your desk will help you to sit back on your chair and relax your aching and tired feet. It also benefits your spine and posture.
- Desk
The foundation of your workspace is a sturdy desk. To save space, you can drill a foldable one into your wall. But it is a good idea to have a wide desk to put all the things that you need.
Though a polished wooden desk is very popular, many people prefer a white desk for that sophisticated, minimalist look.
You can also have an adjustable desk that can be folded flat for extra storage space. You can attach wheels below the desk for mobility. Since many of you sit for a considerable period of time, you can have a height-adjustable desk enabling you to work while standing.
- Filing Cabinet
You can put a filing cabinet or drawers below your desk to keep all your important documents. It will help you to be more organised. It is absolutely essential if your business has loads of paperwork.
- Book Shelf
You can have a bookshelf attached to the wall and keep the books there. Open book-shelves give the home office an organised and elegant look without sacrificing visual space. Or, you can have a built-in bookcase on the sidewall to keep books, journals, or even photos of your dear ones.
- Office machines
These may include a computer, printer, scanner, and wi-fi for high-speed internet access. You can have multiple monitors to save time. It is better to have a laptop if your work requires you to be mobile.
- White Board
Though there are lots of options for writing notes digitally, nothing can beat a whiteboard. If your office is at the corner of a room, you can attach a whiteboard on the sidewall. You can write anything important on it, without having to get up from your seat.
2. Home Office Designs
Your home office design ideas should not only inspire you to finish your work, but also enjoy the surroundings while doing so. You can do the designs of your home office yourself or hire an interior designer.
3. Fancy decor
Your home office doesn’t have to be boring! You can decorate your home office by hanging some photos on the wall, or displaying your favourite collectables, toys, and memorabilia on a small shelf. Many people paint their home office walls with a dark accent colour and collect antique desks and chairs. Fun lights, quirky art, and innovative storage ideas can add character to the work-space.
4. Walls
Why don’t you add your personality to your home office? Use masking tapes to create funky designs or patterns on the walls. It will be a great background for your Zoom meetings! If you live in a rented place, you can add temporary wallpapers to decorate the walls.
In response to Covid-19, having multiple home offices has become the nom de rigueur for businesses. If you are one of those millions who are working from home either by choice or due to necessity, it is time to build your perfect home office. You are sure to recover your investment in no time!
Also read:
1) What are the best businesses in India to start from home?
2) Best Home Business Ideas in 2020
3) Business Ideas: 8 businesses you can start from home easily
4) Top-10 Proven Home Based Business Ideas