As we are spending more and more time in our home office, they should be carefully curated, comfortable spaces that are ergonomically designed and optimised for productivity. Flexible working is now the norm, not the exception, and, as many businesses are pivoting away from traditional offices, it’s vital that we create welcoming, creative spaces that form the working hub of our homes.
Setting up your workspace
Burleigh Desk | @thehomeofthebbs
The first hurdle you may need to overcome is how to make office space at home, especially if you’re short on it. Every should have a surface to work on as working on the sofa or in bed with your laptop is bad for your posture and can lead to long-term issues, so ensure that, wherever you are, you have an office-standard place to work. It’s also important to create distance between your living and working spaces for the benefit of your work-life balance.
Choosing your desk
Islington Desk | Islington Chair
Small spare rooms previously used for storage, empty alcoves or unoccupied corners of bedrooms and living rooms can prove to be full of potential as small home offices. These new layouts should take into consideration desk size as a priority. Slight spaces would benefit from home office desk ideas that are slim and nimble, such as designs like the Islington desk. If you have the luxury of a bit more room to play with, you may want to consider desks with home office storage, like those from our Romsey, Parquet or Boston collections.
However, every home is different. Our dressing tables are actually shorter in width than our desks as they come with one drawer column instead of two. Many of our customers have been able to repurpose these sturdy yet compact pieces as functional desks for smaller spaces.
Selecting your desk chair
Grove desk | Grove tall bookcase | Scroll back chair in granite check
No matter the size of your home office, you will also need a chair that prioritises comfort but doesn’t compromise on style. If you want something high-backed for comprehensive lumbar support, our Scroll back chair, available in a variety of leather and fabric upholsteries, goes with just about every desk we offer.
Home office decor
Hove desk | Hove tall bookcase | @viewof22
In small spaces, it’s important to keep your home office design to a more minimalist aesthetic, else it will look and feel crowded, thus increasing your stress levels. Keep paint light and bright to aid that spacious feeling, think clean whites, beachy blues or soft pinks. These calming colours will also create a creative office space that promotes mindfulness.
Other small home office decor ideas include a singular statement accessory like a large clock, houseplants that sit on your windowsill or frame your desk, be it hanging from the ceiling/wall or blossoming beside you on the floor, and a desk light that proves both functional and stylish.
Many people feel negative mental effects from the long, cold winter nights and, especially if you’ve built your office space in a dark corner of your home, you may also benefit from a SAD lamp.
Designed for those who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), these lamps replicate natural light to help improve your mood. They will also be useful for those who are not able to make any use of the daylight hours while working from home, something you may now miss without commuting.
Want more tips on building an invigorating office space? Read our home office checklist and shop our range of home office furniture. Head to our Instagram to see more inspiration from customers who have created the perfect WFH spaces.
