How to Furnish a Home Office for Maximum Productivity and Creativity

Working from home is becoming popular, and not just from the point of view of the employee. Employers too are allowing their teams to work from the comfort of home. It reduces the expenses of running a separate workplace and opens up opportunities to draw from a wider geographic pool of employees to truly hire the “best of the best.” To get the most from your home office, you need to create the conditions for a calm and inspirational environment at home. Let’s take a look at how to furnish a home office and stimulate your creative spirit.

Choosing the Right Place for a Home Office

If your budget allows, it’s best to set aside a separate room in the house for your home office. After all, there are many things that can distract you while you work. They will interfere with your work and reduce your productivity. You should be able to close the door of your home office to avoid disturbing and being disturbed by the other members of your household.

If space doesn’t allow for that, it’s best to reserve a place in the living room or bedroom for work, preferably in a corner of the room. Separate the working area from the rest of the house with a screen, bookcase, or at least some tall plants. That way, you’ll reduce the distractions (like a pile of unwashed breakfast dishes standing on the kitchen counter) that make it hard for you to concentrate on your work. It’s a very important, basic step that will greatly improve your productivity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Engineered stone in the Altamonte decor, from a private residence

The Right Lighting for Your Home Office

Choose a spot that gets the maximum amount of daylight possible. It’s been proven that the right amount of natural light has a positive influence on productivity and mental health. Position your computer so the sun doesn’t shine on it directly and your hands don’t cast shadows on it. If your desk is under a skylight, buy some sunshades that allow light to pass through, but prevent the sun’s rays from falling on your computer screen.

When working from home, employees have greater time flexibility, so they sometimes have to catch up on their work in the late evening hours. That’s a reason to provide your home office with high-quality overhead lighting and a table lamp.

What Furniture Does a Home Office Need?

We should say in the first place that furnishing a home office is not just about its design, although that is important. That’s especially true when the home office is shared with living space. If the office can be closed off from the rest of the house, the design of the room is not all that important. It boils down to a question of ergonomics and the comfort you need to do your work.

Furniture for a Home Office

Do you have a whole room for yourself? Then put in a spacious table where you can lay out everything you need. If your space is more limited, arrange things so that your computer and monitor fit onto your desk, along with the documents you need for your work. A worktop with adjustable height is a good idea. That will allow you to stand while you work, something you’ll appreciate after a few hours spent sitting down.

Don’t underestimate the importance of your office chair. It should be ergonomic and have support for your head and arms. Ideally, it will provide good lumbar and neck support as well. In the best case, you will spend “only” eight hours a day sitting in your chair, so don’t skimp on the price. You can also replace your chair altogether and sit on a gymnastics ball, which will take the strain off your spine and relieve your aching back.

Storage Space in a Home Office

Be sure you have enough storage space. There never seems to be enough of that. You can attach shelving to the walls and put storage boxes under your desk. A standing set of shelves is a practical solution for separating a working area from a living room or bedroom.

Keep Your Home Office Tidy

If you want to be productive and work comfortably, your desk should be in good order. Keep it clean and sort your documents. That will save you hours of searching for the documents you need to do your work and increase your efficiency. The storage space mentioned above and smaller organizers like folders, binders, and color-coded files and dividers will help you do it.

Reduce the number of electrical cords lying around your desk. Cable organizers can help by holding the cables under your desk and hiding unsightly tangles that only distract you from your work.

The Right Electronic Gear for a Home Office

If you work with a desktop computer, set the monitor at eye-level to avoid straining your neck. An adjustable stand will make working on a laptop computer easier. When working on a computer, it’s a good idea to use an ergonomic keyboard and mouse. That’s especially true of laptops — if you put one on a stand you’ll want to have a separate keyboard. Quality earphones are perfect companions, especially the kind that suppresses ambient noise.

If you have enough space, consider buying a dual external monitor — the two displays will allow you to work more efficiently and have greater visibility.

Engineered stone in the Altamonte decor

How to Decorate Your Home Office

If you want to reduce your stress levels and relieve strained eyes, add a live green plant to your home office — preferably in a way that doesn’t interfere with your work, but that will invite your eyes to escape from the computer screen from time to time.

Another item that can help to increase your productivity is a wall clock. However, watching the clock can increase your stress and anxious feelings. Therefore, hang it so that it is not exactly at eye level, or even better, somewhere you won’t see it at all unless you want to. That could be on the wall behind you or up on a high shelf.

Hang pictures of your family and friends on the walls. It’s been shown that looking at images of your loved ones evokes feelings of happiness and security. Are you expecting an online meeting with your supervisor? You will appreciate the support of your family and friends, at least in virtual form.

The Best Colors for a Home Office

Some unconscious signals can also increase your productivity. The right choice of colors will influence your mood and how you feel, improving your attitude toward your work. Avoid aggressive colors, like red. If you work in a mentally stressful profession, the ideal colors are green, yellow, and orange, which will awaken your creativity, and blue, which will increase your ability to concentrate.

Do you want to use wallpaper to make your home office special? In that case, forget about gaudy patterns that will attract your attention away from your work.

In general, you can’t go wrong with muted tones of grey, brown, and beige. Wood tones are a good combination with white. By that we mean the color of your furniture, accessories, and floors.

Engineered stone from Technistone looks great combined with wooden elements and black or gold details. With this durable material you can create a designer environment that exudes luxury. TechniStone® is not only suitable for wall coverings, but also for creating work surfaces like desks that will be used for several hours a day. With a wide variety of designs to choose from, you can easily separate your work area from the rest of the room.

A Few Tips for Effective Work at Home

• Forget about having thousands of little decorations. They will unnecessarily distract your attention from your work. However, take advantage of the wide range of office supplies available, such as holders for writing utensils, organizers for papers, and color-coded files. A well-chosen color scheme will help to conjure up a comfortable, creative environment for working at home.
• When you are just beginning to home-office, it may be difficult to be as productive at home as you are at work. Establish a daily routine and stick to it. If your working hours are flexible, it’s up to you if you get up like an early bird or sleep in and get to work later.
• Even when you are working at home you need to take a break from time to time. Give yourself regular five-minute periods when you can take a breather. Eat a snack or drink
• something. You’ll see that even after a short break, your concentration will improve and your mood will lift, leading to greater productivity.
• Stay motivated. Working from home is not always easy, especially with all the distractions that surround you. Make a motivational bulletin board for yourself and hang it on the wall at eye level. Cut out pictures of the car or the vacation of your dreams, or add photos of your family and friends. Focus on the dreams and priorities that drive you forward. If you aren’t particularly creative yourself, hang posters over your desk with motivational phrases that will challenge you to perform better.
• The advantage of a home office is that you can create the work environment that suits you perfectly. If you start to feel tired or get a headache, you can open a window without having to ask your co-workers. A breath of fresh air will not only boost your energy but also increase your focus and get you back on the right track. Better still, go for a short walk.
• To keep your work from interfering with your personal life, designate a place where you are only allowed to go once your working hours have started. That can be a corner of your living room or bedroom, or an entire room to serve as your office. A fixed routine will help you separate your personal life from your work. You didn’t get everything you wanted to done? Don’t let your work get the better of you, just write yourself a note about what to finish later. You’re sure to get it done tomorrow.

Design an environment that helps you achieve your goals while keeping your work and personal lives in balance. When furnishing your home office, think about the design, but more importantly, about the quality of the pieces you add to it. Your home office should be a place where you feel comfortable and inspired. Pay attention to your personal preferences and adapt the space to your individual needs.