Last updated on May 16th, 2023
Home offices are more popular now than ever before. Instead of filling out cubicles at work, many people are trying to find a way to make working in a guest room or corner of living rooms work for them.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to think about designing for productivity when the rest of your home is built for comfort and relaxation. But you can fight back against distraction and cluttered home offices. Follow these five decorating ideas, and you will look forward to getting to work in the morning!
1. Greenery to Breathe in Life
Although working from home may always feel more comfortable than working in a large corporate office, that doesn’t mean it’s always perfect. Without getting outside much, many people get bored with their surroundings and crave something more.
Plants can fill that need for something.
Vertical gardens are taking off in many big cities because they conserve space and can be used inside and outside most apartments and homes. Not only does growing plants give you something beautiful to look at, but they also up productivity by fifteen percent and give our brains the rewarding stimulus we deserve after taking care of them.
Having a vertical garden in your home office gives you the chance to have something to rest your eyes on besides a screen, and may inspire you to stand up and take breaks more often.
2. Soundproof Like a Pro
You might not be a voice actor having to create a perfect space to record but keeping out unwanted noise can improve your workday. Every time you’re interrupted at work, it can take on average seven minutes to refocus. This interrupted time can hurt your productivity and can distract you away from your desks and work.
Instead, an excellent idea for any home office professionals is to install acoustic products that reduce noise reverberation. Or, you can add self-adhesive or pin-able acoustic tiles to walls, and use your desk area with a partial barrier screen.
Acoustic products can increase your audio quality, allowing you to sound professional and in control during business calls and meetings. If others are in your home, it will keep your voice from traveling too far and disturbing anyone else. Nobody lives in a quiet city, so fight against that noise for some peaceful work.
3. Fun Seating Besides Your Office Desk
Studies by Statistica find that almost fifty percent of computers used are laptops. Whether you use a computer loaned to you by your company, or you enjoy using a laptop you own, you’re afforded more freedom than desktop users.
Because of this, your home office doesn’t have only to be an office desk and a chair.
Instead, consider all of the possibilities of fun and comfortable seating. If you have clients who stop by your home office, you can debate more intricate furniture, but for you to work from home on a couch or loveseat is generally enough. Look for couches that match your personality, are fun colours, or a shape that suits your office- like an ottoman you can lounge on.
Working from home doesn’t mean that you have to be as uncomfortable as many traditional office worker! Instead, create a space that will make you both happy and productive.
4. Let Your Walls Keep You on Task
Even though whiteboards are quick to bring classrooms to mind instead of home offices, they’re a fantastic thing to add to your workspace. You can keep them high fashion with the on-trend glass boards that are available in many colours, and that will make you feel like you’re working in a sci-fi movie or work on a classic white canvas.
Having a significant sign you can edit allows you to change your workspace often and gives you the chance to keep important dates and information somewhere that you can easily find. Looking up from your computer, your eyes will have a place to rest and focus on what’s ahead of you.
You can also use a large whiteboard to track metrics and see how your performance is improving. This push of competitiveness with yourself lets your home office furniture do more than give you something to sit on or work at.
If a plain whiteboard feels daunting, consider getting a board with pre-printed spaces for a calendar or lines where you can keep the information you won’t want to take down. Most people who have these whiteboards say that they like that it gives them a reason to stand up during work and look at something besides a screen.
5.A Desk That Doubles as Storage
Working from home can be better for the environment because it eliminates commuting, but it’s also highly earth-friendly because nobody has to print paper. Unfortunately, no printing doesn’t mean that there’s no clutter! Most home office desks are in dire need of organization, with everything from hobby decoration pieces, to vital business information mingling together in a huge mess.
Instead of seeking out cabinet upon cabinet and ruining your layout, consider getting a desk that has storage built-in.
The small drawers that most desks have can pale compared to the large ones your desk can carry. The most popular models have cabinets that sit above the writing surface. Vertical storage is attractive, plus it saves valuable floor space that you can use for other things.
Some desks also offer storage on the sides and even beneath the writing surface to store your keyboard. Look around for something that suits where clutter hits you worst and create a plan to correct that.
Conclusion
The most important part of your home office is you. If you make changes and find that they’re not working for you or too distracting when you’re at work, it’s okay to change your mind and look for a new design. You can follow color theory to help inspire a sense of urgency, or you can pick different office furniture in Melbourne with different shapes that feel exciting and executive.
Just make sure to take breaks and water your plants while you climb the corporate ladder!