The home office

The home office

With the growing trend these days to work from home, how can you create a special home office that feels conducive to quality work, rather than one that makes you feel distracted and wanting to escape to watch The Bold And The Beautiful? Here are some simple tips to help you create a practical work space that reflects your interests and helps keep your office from impacting your whole home.

Set up your office in a quiet area within your home and avoid your living areas as much as possible. Consider an area that is well lit, adequately ventilated and is equipped with power and phone access. Most importantly, choose an area that you want to work in -“ otherwise you will be making every excuse to spread your work and clutter throughout your home. And when work is over for the day, remember to shut the office door.

Your home office should feel like your command centre where everything you need should be under your fingertips. Bookshelves and storage above or around your desk will keep all of your materials within easy reach without cluttering your desk.

Personalise your office with some special knickknacks that help you to introduce a touch of individuality. Some simple inspiring prints on the wall combined with some special desk accessories will improve the aesthetics of your office. If space is not a problem, a comfortable sofa and coffee table make a nice place to retreat to read and dream about your business.

Pick a winning workstation. The type you choose depends on the work style. If you like lots of room to spread out, look for a desk with a large top surface. If you like a neat and tidy space, go for a modular desk offering great storage and options for expanding as your business grows.

Remember to think before you buy -“ check the quality of the furnishings and measure up first to ensure your workstation fits. A great place to buy a desk and office furniture is at second-hand furniture auctions -“ for a fraction of the retail price.

When it comes to positioning within a space, it is important not to fill it so tightly that movement is restricted. Giving your office a sense of space is also very calming. And try to opt for furniture on casters so that you can easily move storage and furniture around according to your needs.

If your office is a shared room, you may want to choose office furniture that complements your existing furniture. You wouldn’t want to install a modern streamlined workstation in a room full of classic furniture.

Alternatively, consider hiding your office behind closed doors in an armoire or built-in wardrobe -“ and just close the office doors at the end of your day.

Avoid physical stress on your body by carefully choosing ergonomically correct furniture, in particular your chair. We have avoided this problem by selecting furniture that allows us to adjust its alignment according to our body type. Also remember to make sure your computer screen is placed to avoid glare and the inevitable eye strain.

Spend a little extra money for a good quality laser printer. They are a little bit more expensive than an ink-jet printer but in the long-run you will save a small fortune on the replacement toner cartridges. And keep in mind multifunctional units that have fax, scanner, printer and copier all in one -“ they save valuable office space.

Good artificial lighting is obviously a key component to a good office, but don’t overdo it because it can lead to fatigue and tiredness. Your lighting should be soothing and harmonious; however, it should also be about fulfilling your practical considerations with task lighting -“ brighter lights for when you’re at your computer. The best lighting design for an office is adjustable for maximum flexibility.

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