There’s no doubt about it; having a home office that suits your needs is more important now than ever before. With so many thousands of Americans switching to remote work, an at-home office can be a refuge from the chaos of daily life.
Fortunately, we’ve got a few ideas to help you create your own haven of productivity. It’s high time you make your home office your top priority!
Sure, you could continue to monopolize the kitchen table. It’s central, it’s convenient. But how much are you really accomplishing?
With the way things are now, you’re short on time, energy, and patience. Creating a dedicated workspace might not be high on your list. But trust us: a home office is well worth your while.
Reestablishing Work-Life Balance
Having your own office is not indulgent or unnecessary. With your own space, you have the freedom and privacy to do your work with minimal interruption while also compartmentalizing the two most significant aspects of your life.
It might seem like semantics, but don’t think of your home office doesn’t like an ‘office.’ Instead, think of it as a ‘dedicated workspace.’ If you create a space for yourself where you have relative privacy and can access all the tools you need, you’re more likely to be organized, focused, and productive.
Moreover, working from home means that office and home life tend to get shuffled together, making it more challenging to set boundaries. It’s hard not to bring work home when you work where you live, but with a dedicated workspace, you get up from your desk at the end of the day and close the door.
So just how can you design and decorate a home office of your very own?
Choose Your Space
The best-case scenario is that you already have a prospective space that only needs a refresh and some reorganization, but not everyone has that luxury. Even though you might think you don’t have room for your home office, you can make it.
For example, if you have a low-traffic room, like a spare bedroom or some space in the basement, problem solved. Having an office in your bedroom isn’t necessarily ideal—after all, this is where you sleep, and it should be a place for relaxation—but it can work in a pinch.
A communal space like the kitchen or dining room isn’t ideal either, as it’s often noisy and crowded. But if you have no other options, there are ways to make it work.
The Kitchen
While the kitchen is usually a high-activity area, it’s also central and well-lit, making it a decent spot for your new office headquarters. If you fear your mini-office will mess up the kitchen, there are ways to organize so that everything has a home and nothing looks cluttered or out of place. Take a look at some of these neat ideas courtesy of Digs Digs.
The Bedroom
While the bedroom is more relaxed than your typical office, it also means that it’s a quiet space where you’re less likely to be interrupted. It’s out of the way, private, and versatile. And if there’s an ensuite, you’ll even have your very own executive bathroom!
Some savvy homemakers featured on OneKinDesign transformed their closets into a desk area. This neat trick makes it easy to shut the door on work at the end of the day.
Organized and On Track
The key to designing the perfect home office is having the right organizational tools. Bins, baskets, filing cabinets, desktop containers, and shelving units help you store everything you need while keeping your desk clutter-free. Store, toss, and rearrange as necessary. Keep your most-used tools and current paperwork within arm’s reach, and once you’re done with a project, move it into storage further away.
Available Spaces
Make sure you’re using more than just the surface of your desk for storage. For example, the space overhead and underneath are equally important. A shelf or two over your desk and a pinboard with a calendar showing daily, weekly, and monthly tasks at a glance will help you stay on track. Beneath the desk, a storage caddy with drawers keeps your tools close at hand and out of sight.
Working from home isn’t always easy, but a well-designed home office is a massive help. If you need to rethink your work-from-home HQ, J.T. McDermott is here to help. Proudly serving St. Louis and surrounding areas since 1993, we have the experience and passion for giving you the home—and home office—you’ve always dreamed of. Connect with us today, and let’s get to work!
