How to Create the Perfect Office Space
Working from home has been a growing trend for years, but recent events have accelerated its adoption, making home offices even more of an essential amenity than before. If you’re looking to build a new work haven or reconfigure an existing space this winter, here are a few design tips to provide inspiration and help you create your dream home office.
1. Keep It Simple
The ideal office space is both calm and free of distractions, making minimalism a worthy design strategy. Keep your desk cleared with nothing but the essentials. If you incorporate décor on your desk, make sure it’s small and out of the way. Simplicity additionally necessitates keeping the room tidy — utilize storage in the form of shelves, drawers and supply bins to prevent clutter. Also consider comfortable seating so you can take multiple breaks throughout the day without the distraction that comes with the rest of the house.
2. Make the Most of Small Spaces
Living in the city has its advantages, but it comes at a cost — space. As long as you can find somewhere in your apartment or small home that’ll fit a desk, you have space for an office. If you’re lacking rooms, find a quiet corner within your main living space and combat distractions by positioning the desk to face either a wall or windows and investing in high-quality, noise cancelling headphones. Visual dividers, like screened panels or shelving units, can help it feel further secluded from the rest of the room — and will double as the perfect Zoom backdrop!
3. Embrace Your Inner Bookworm
Reading enhances our lives in many ways — we can read for work or self-improvement, to learn a new skill or escape. The added knowledge, as well as positive impact on our mental health, means that reading makes us better employees. It’s also worth noting that home libraries and offices require a similar, peaceful setting, so combining the two is a no-brainer.
To create the idyllic combination library/office, include a wall or two of bookshelves, as well as cushy seating or a reading nook — bonus points if it’s near a window to capture some natural light and scenery.
4. Use Paint Colour to Enhance Your Mood
Be thoughtful when selecting the colour scheme of your home office. One option is neutrals, which will keep a room simple and non-busy — the perfect contrast to any hectic workday. If you prefer a pop of colour, opt for cool colours. Green, for example, is a colour associated with nature and encourages feelings of tranquility, soothing and luck. Another cool colour, blue, can bring about feelings of calmness, stability and productivity. Alternatively, warm colours evoke feelings of power, energy and passion, prompting a productive mindset. Proceed with caution, however, as these will not have the same calming effect as cool colours.
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