Prior to the pandemic, most people didn’t have a home office and working from home was not something many of us ever did. If someone did have a home office, it was usually a mismatch of furniture, hastily thrown into the spare room. All this changed during lockdown, however, when everyone was working from home. Most people put together hasty makeshift offices that technically worked but lacked any sort of comfort or functionality.
Unfortunately, as the pandemic dragged on, not much changed. Poorly arranged home offices became the norm, to the detriment of health and productivity. And despite working from home becoming increasingly normal post-pandemic, interior design has remained the same. There is so much potential in high-quality home offices, particularly as the right setup can help boost productivity and reduce the risk of injuries like repetitive strain injury, poor posture, and eye-strain. If you are hoping to create a home office that you feel proud to work in, why not speak to our team at Ashford Kitchens & Interiors?
We are big believers in properly utilising interior space. Your home office should be a place that inspires you, removes as many distractions as possible, and generally encourages productivity. The best way for you to do that is through careful interior design. Our team of specialists have spent years perfecting their skills, allowing them to bring together your needs and preferences in their designs. We take the stress out of designing your home office, and do so with the help of some straightforward design ideas. These ideas help to create the ideal workspace, and we’re excited to share this process with you today.
Consider the Equipment you Require
The foundation of all good interior design is your needs for each specific space. For your home office, this means your preferences and your work requirements. Take some time to consider what equipment you require and what you need to be comfortable.
Do you work with specific specialised equipment? You may need more desk space rather than someone who only works on a laptop. And if you spend many hours on your computer, then you may want to consider a secondary monitor, which can help your posture and comfort. Both of these requirements will need a larger desk, which will limit the amount of furniture, such as bookshelves and cabinets, that you have in the space.
Take some time to consider your needs and how you will fill them. This technique will allow you to pick out the right furniture, like a larger desk space, a separate area for your printing, built-in bookshelves, or specific storage space for filing or supplies.
Choose your Colours Wisely
Colour theory actually makes a surprising difference to the way that you work. Some colours help to promote environments of creativity, while others can project serenity, whilst some are just distracting. You’ll want to decorate your home office in colours that promote calm, clarity and concentration, creating a space in which you can actually work.
Blue is an excellent choice; one that we would recommend if you’re looking to promote clear thought and concentration but it isn’t necessarily the most inspiring colour. For creativity you might want to consider high energy colours like yellow, but be careful, too much yellow, can cause nervousness. If you want to compromise between the two you might want to consider green, which is an excellent colour for harmony and balance. It nicely balances the calm of many cool colours, and the inspiration of many of the warmer ones.
If you’ve been looking around Pinterest boards for example, you may well have seen some stylish darker colours but we would recommend avoiding them. While they look very stylish, they don’t necessarily promote productivity, and they detract from the light and airy space that most people want in their home office.
Keep your Workspace Inspiring
Some of your best work will be done in this home office, so you want a space that is inspiring and conducive to productive work. Feel free to add things to your workspace that really inspire and excite you. Try not to go overboard; a clear desk will do more for your productivity and peace of mind than you can imagine, but adding in pictures, from places you love or a mood board to inspire the work you’re doing or even a carefully selected art piece can be transformative. This touch of personalisation is one of the most important steps in the design process. Your home office is your space, it should be designed specifically to help you make the most of every work day.
Contemplate your Lighting Options
One of the biggest issues with home offices is that they were once a spare room and no one has thought about changing that. But the wrong type lighting can negatively impact your work, causing you to feel sluggish, drained and uninspired. And, if we’re honest, even other rooms in most homes have the wrong lighting in them.
We often prioritise lighting during our interior design, as it can transform a space, even if the rest of the interior design budget is limited. Try and make sure your office has plenty of daylight and mirrors to help reflect that natural light. If this isn’t possible, then don’t be afraid to add in more lights to the room. Don’t feel restricted to the ceiling lights, fill the room with floor and desk lamps, to help brighten up the space. We’d particularly recommend SAD lights, which are specifically designed to mimic sunlight, something that can really help with seasonal depression. These can help to brighten up the room and create the ideal working environment for you.
Need Some Further Inspiration?
We hope this post has given you some inspiration and how you can make the most of your home office space. If you’d like some more ideas about home office design, then get in touch with our team at Ashford Kitchens & Interiors today; we would be happy to assist you in your home office project.