Category: workspace

Four upgrades for your home office space

Four upgrades for your home office space

The way that we work has been one of the most-impacted life factors by the COVID-19 pandemic. Once reserved for only a select few, working from home has become the norm in society as people stay indoors and avoid mixing with others in order to keep the spread of Coronavirus to a minimum. And for many, this has meant a new challenge at home has arisen in the form of setting up a suitable home office space.

Spare bedrooms, garages and conservatories all around the world have become home office spaces as employees adjust to working and living in the selfsame place. If you’re tired of your home office set-up and want something more comfortable and stylish, here are some top tips to get you started.

Green paint roller illustration

Redecorate

If you’re working in your garage or in a spare bedroom that has been used for storage for years, chances are that the décor could do with a refresh. Choosing colours that are energizing and invigorating is a great option for working from home as it’ll help you feel ready to go every time you go into your home office space in the morning. If you want to get even more creative, consider making a feature wall behind your desk using luxurious wallpaper designs or large-scale art to add some interest to the room.

Home office illustration

Add luxury accessories

Adding some luxurious accessories to your home office space can make you feel like you’re the CEO of a top company. Versace throws are soft, fluffy and look amazing in any home office thrown over the back of your office chair or on the armchair in the corner where you like to sit and relax during your screen break time. You can find various Versace Home accessories to add to your home office and the other rooms in your house. Versace’s signature styles are easy to recognise and make the perfect addition to your new workspace at home.

Office chairs illustration

Invest in ergonomic furniture

The look of your home office is not enough when it comes to your comfort. If you’ve noticed back pain or muscle aches as you’ve been working from home over the past few months, it might be down to an office chair or desk that isn’t providing you with the support that you need. Investing in ergonomic furniture can make all the difference to how you feel as you work from home. You might also want to consider a sit-stand desk to help combat the effects of a sedentary lifestyle and help you feel better overall.

Home office illustration

Add plenty of storage

Finally, if you’re working in a room that’s cluttered with your family’s additional stuff or accumulating tons of papers and documents as working from home, smart storage solutions can be your saviour. Keeping everything neatly stored and out of the way will not only ensure that the room is more comfortable for working in, but it will also make sure that it’s distraction-free, allowing you to work each day with a clear mind.

With working from home now the new normal, is it time to make some upgrades to your home office space?

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How to make the perfect home office

How to make the perfect home office

Due to the pandemic, we’ve all been spending a lot more time indoors, our home offices in a lot of cases. Now that you’ll be spending more in there, you’ve no doubt been wondering what the perfect home office would look like, what it would have in it and how it would run. With that in mind, here are a few ideas.

Illustration of office desk with overhead light

Lighting is key

The first thing every office, or indoor space that people spend a lot of time in, needs is a good amount of natural lighting. Not only does this help your eyes, but also makes the space look more welcoming and peaceful.

Getting a good amount of natural light in a room, whether through the use of mirrors or switching out curtains for blinds, can be worth the amount of money you spend on them, even if you have to take out a small loan to cover the expenses. This is your new workspace, so you won’t want any half measures.

Different computer screens

Get your tech right

The next thing you need to think about is the type of computer you need. Generally, this choice is between a laptop and a desktop. You could spend a while weighing up their advantages and disadvantages or read a guide like the one in England.edu. On the one hand, desktops are arguably better for your posture and keeping a workstation in the same place; however, they require a lot of cables and take up a lot of space.

On the other hand, laptops are compact and easily portable, but they can also hurt your neck from looking down all the time and are often a lot more flimsy and easily broken.

Office desk with snacks

Don’t forget the snacks

When working remotely, it can be a pain to quickly go from one room to the other because you forgot your coffee or you’re hungry. If you install a food and drink station in your office, it means you don’t have to go backward and forwards all the time.

Also, if you have a wheeled office chair, you don’t even have to walk to get your coffee or your piece of morning fruit. It also means you don’t have to go down into the kitchen and have the potential issue of getting distracted by your pet, your kids or just a chore you suddenly have the urge to do.

Wifi icon with red bomb

Boost your WiFi

The last thing your office needs to make it perfect is an excellent WiFi connection. A great way to do this is through a WiFi signal booster. By having one of these in your office, you can rest assured that your WiFi connection isn’t going to take a sudden dip unless your router becomes disconnected from the internet. As most of us are now working and relying on the internet, we can safely assume this is a must-have for any perfect office.

Illustration of a woman sitting at a desk in a home office

Conclusion

By ensuring that the quantity of natural light in your office is good, by making sure you have a great internet connection, by ensuring you have all the food and drink you need without needing to go too far from your work as well as making sure you have the tech that’s right for you, you can make your home office the perfect place to work.

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How the right office equipment can boost productivity

How the right office equipment can boost productivity

With the rise of remote work, a growing number of people realise that they can do their job perfectly well outside a traditional office environment. Working outside your company’s office and no longer having your supervisor’s eyes on you offers a lot of flexibility. But to maintain productivity, you still need an office space that encourages deep focus. Without essential office equipment, your efficiency and the quality of your work are likely to suffer.

Read on to discover how the right office equipment can help you reach peak productivity even when you’re working from home in your pyjamas.

Illustration of woman sitting at a home office desk

Comfort

The majority of office jobs require you to sit in front of the computer for several hours each day. To stay productive throughout the whole day, you need to sit in a comfortable position that doesn’t cause strain to your body. An ergonomic furniture set-up can provide the necessary comfort so you can maintain good posture for hours. First, you need an ergonomic chair with lumbar support that can protect you from back and neck pain. Although all desks are mostly the same in terms of comfort, choose one with drawers to store important items you need to have within reach. Thus, you’ll avoid creating clutter on the desk.

Illustration of a desk lamp over a laptop with a cup & saucer to the side

Convenience

Imagine having no printer where you work and being forced to visit a local library each time you need to print a document. This is the perfect example of why investing in the right office equipment is worth it. High-quality gadgets, electronics and office machines can help you save minutes and even hours each day. To use a wireless printer at home, for example, you only need a smartphone or tablet. There’s no simpler or more convenient way to get fast, high-quality printing.  So, think about your daily office activities. You may find that there are more convenient ways to do them than you think.

Illustration of a man on a conference call

Connectivity

When you work remotely, staying connected with your co-workers, supervisors and clients is vital. So, it’s important to install equipment in your office that can ensure fast connectivity with the outside world. First, you need a high-speed internet connection so you can easily transfer files, access digital platforms and maintain instant communication. To enhance the internet connection in your office, purchase a high-quality router. Besides a fast internet connection, you may also need a reliable phone and a generous phone data plan.

Illustration of a smiling man standing at a desktop computer

Efficiency

The best part about remote work is that the time you save by being more efficient is all yours. Depending on the type of work you do, you can increase efficiency simply by creating a strategic office set-up. For example, adding a second monitor can help boost productivity significantly because you won’t have to switch between windows, projects or platforms for a piece of information, thus disrupting your work-flow. An updated computer system with the latest and fastest hardware can also increase productivity.

Whether you work from a traditional office, a co-working space or from your living room, you can’t reach your maximum productivity if your environment is not geared towards efficiency. Invest in high-quality office equipment to streamline your work and gain valuable time.

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Personalising your work desk

Personalising your work desk | H is for Home

It doesn’t take much for us to lose motivation, or get distracted easily. Work-flow can then decrease rapidly, and we get stuck in a vicious cycle. But have you ever thought that maybe your work desk might be the problem? If you’re working in an uninspiring environment, your work might then be uninspiring.

Whether you work from home or in an office, we wanted to give you some ideas on how to make your desk come alive and make it a bit more ‘you’.

Is your desk suitable?

First, you need to make sure your desk isn’t the problem. Are the drawers falling apart? Is it covered in pen and pencil marks from previous colleagues? Is it too small to hold your computer, paperwork and stationary? It might be time for a new one. Furniture At Work do a range of office desks to choose from, that will surely boost your productivity.

Pretty office desk

Photos

Displaying your favourite people, places and memories around you while you work could give you the motivation you need, whilst also brightening up your desk. And photo frames don’t have to have pictures of you in, but maybe inspirational quotes or even a pretty landscape or cityscape.

Work desk with lots of plants on shelves

Plants and flowers

How many times have we heard that having plants in the office increase productivity? They produce more oxygen helping us to work more efficiently, and can even make us happier. Maybe buy some small plants to keep on your desk, or even bring in a vase to put fresh flowers in. They’ll be sure to brighten the place up. You could even choose something like Aloe Vera that could come in useful if anyone burns themselves, or needs a good moisturiser!

Orange Pantone 1505 mug containing orange pens & pencil

Stationery

The stationery you use can say a lot about you as a person. Do you want a dull notebook and a standard pen that you got free from work? Personalise your desk using your stationery. Buy notepads in your favourite colour, of all shapes and sizes. Buy a few pens to match. You can display them nicely on your desk.

Shared open-plan office

Personalised items

The final touch on your desk is personalised items. You could have a personalised mug with a photo on, or maybe your first initial. A huge bonus is that no one can steal it ‘by accident’. The other bonus is that it will brighten up your desk. Maybe you got a mug as a birthday present one year. It’ll always make you think of the person who gave it to you.

There are tons of ways you can personalise your desk without having to change too much, and without spending too much either.

Are there any other ways you’d choose to personalise your desk? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!