Tag: work space

10 key design features to consider when revamping your home office

10 key design features to consider when revamping your home officecredit

Does your home office feel outdated? Or maybe you’ve decided to convert the guest room now that you work from home. Either way, you need to know that your interior design choices will deliver a result that you’ll love for many years to come.

For the very best results, you must ensure that a comprehensive design strategy is in place. If you make use of the following ten tips as guidance on revamping your home office, you won’t go far wrong.

1. Comfort for long stints of work

When designing your home office space, your main focus should be on the intended function. You may use your office for several hours at a time, only leaving it to use the bathroom or grab a snack. So, you’ll need to make choices that promote long-term comfort.

First and foremost, you should find an ergonomic chair that’s suited to a person of your height and body shape. Meanwhile, having a luxury rug underfoot can work wonders too. Visit www.cowhiderugslondon.co.uk to find a solution that also matches the aesthetics of the room. This will make long shifts far more enjoyable.

If your home office doesn’t encourage you to stay productive, it simply isn’t the right environment to work from.

Person working on multiple monitor screens

2. Suitable workspace surfaces

Whether you’re working from a desktop, laptop or tablet, it doesn’t matter. You need to know that the room is practically designed to encourage productivity. Selecting the right office desk will be one of the most important purchases you ever make. If working in a compact area, having retractable keyboard draws, for example, can work well.

There’s nothing worse than feeling unable to work properly because your workspace feels too cramped. So, you may wish to consider L-shaped desks too. Desk tidies and other organisational accessories will help. However, the impacts will be limited if the choice of table or desk isn’t right.

One option to consider for maximising productivity and minimising limitations is investing in a versatile folding training table that can easily adapt to different work setups.

If your type of work requires multiple screens and monitors, there must be enough depth to satisfy this need.

3. The mental divide

When using your home as a workspace, finding the right balance between work and leisure can be tough. Having a dedicated space instantly gives you an advantage over working from the bedroom or sofa. However, you can introduce several additional features to further support this aim.

You may find that adding a coffee machine works wonders. Check out www.tassimo.com/ to find cheap, compact solutions. Reducing the frequency of leaving the room can keep you engaged with your work. Another popular choice is to add a lock on the door. Locking the office at night helps you switch off mentally.

On a side note, it prevents the threat of family members entering the office and misplacing items or causing damage to equipment.

Dark office shelving and desk

4. Storage facilities

Whether you are an employee or entrepreneur, you’ll need to store equipment, documents and other work items in your home office space. Adopting paperless technology and data storage can make your life a lot easier. Nonetheless, you’ll still need to invest in some storage facilities for your home office space.

A slimline filing cabinet can work wonders, especially if you have an alcove or another difficult space. If you’ve transformed a guest room that features built-in wardrobes, you could alter the internal configuration. Aside from creating valuable storage space, it’ll preserve the look of the room. Getting the storage right will allow you to manage your personal paperwork, such as home-related financial documents too.

5. Lighting

While most of the above steps have been focused on creating a practical space, you also want to enjoy the room. The control you have is one of the main advantages held over the alternative of working from a commercial space. Utilising the power of light to its full potential is essential.

Electrical lighting can be used to create a range of atmospheres or illuminate a reading space. However, introducing more natural lighting is the key to making the space look and feel bigger than ever. Crucially, this single step can increase your energy levels and make you feel more ready to work.

If you’re concerned about privacy, window films can be used; this stops passers-by from peering in.

Home office with houseplants and shelf with a collection of vintage cameras

6. Personality

For the space to truly feel like a winning environment, interior design choices should leave you smiling. This guide to adding personality and character to the home offers great tips for improving an office space. Photos, plants and wall art are just some of the examples that will bring the charm you crave.

One of the most important issues to consider is the overall style. The choice of traditional or contemporary, for example, can impact colour schemes and material choices. Whichever route you take, establishing a sense of consistency in design will be necessary. Without it, the appearance will annoy you.

When the home office is designed with your personal tastes in mind, it’ll be far longer before you need to make changes again.

7. Utilise the walls

Hanging wall art to add a little personality has already been discussed. However, the walls can be used to add new functions while retaining valuable floor space. For starters, geometric shelving can be used to display key items or store items that are often needed. Showing off awards, for example, can make you far more confident.

Perhaps the most valuable addition, though, is a wall-mounted screen. You can visit https://www.vogels.com/ to find solid brackets. Online tutorials will teach you how to install it. Whether you use the screen for viewing documents or conducting team meetings and making video calls is up to you. Adding those possibilities without making the office feel cramped will serve you well.

Home office with wall art

8. Electrical outlets

If you’ve transformed the room from a guest room to an office, the number of plug sockets you require will probably increase. In fact, even those that are updating an outdated home office will likely find that adding a few new sockets will be adventageous. That’s because our reliance on tech features for daily work has grown at a rapid rate.

Creating a new plug socket outlet is a job usually best left to an electrician. Check out www.ratedpeople.com/ to find one in your area. As well as having ample plug sockets available throughout the home office, you must consider your broadband speeds. Moving the position of your router may be necessary. If this isn’t possible, signal boosters or range extenders can be added to your existing network.

9. Insulation for the winter

Going green at home and at work should be a priority for all. As such, the home office stands out as one of the best places in which to make an improvement. Air conditioning and insulation should be the top items on your agenda. Otherwise, your increased energy consumption will result in bigger bills and a greater carbon footprint.

Draught excluders, an efficient air conditioning unit, rugs or carpets and unobstructed radiators are all ideal. Of course, this is an opportunity to think about greener updates throughout the home, including a new boiler. Boosting the water pressure, adding roof insulation and thicker glazed windows help too.

Additionally, steps like LED lighting can be used to aid the situation further.

Home office with desk and work bar

10. Make it easy to clean

Finally, you must remember that creating a better home office environment is only worthwhile if it can be maintained. Therefore, always try to invest in a layout that’s easy to clean and organise. Otherwise, you will soon find that your work flow is harmed as the clutter will cause distractions.

Keep this in mind when making your design choices while revamping your home office and you’ll be destined for greatness.

[disclosure*]

How to build a great office space for your first business

How to build a great office space for your first business

If you’re going to be running a business, it’s worth investing in a dedicated space from which to do so. Working from the sofa is all well and good if you’re stuck – but for long-term productivity, an office may be essential. Let’s show you how to go about building a great office space for your first business.

Set a budget

Your first step should be to determine how much you can realistically spend on the project. Your budget should cover everything from one-off set-up costs, like the investment in furniture, to ongoing ones like rent and utility bills.

Choose the space

Your choice of space should be informed mostly by its location and price. You’ll need something that fits within your budget, but that’s also located somewhere that you and your staff can easily reach. If you pick somewhere that’s too far out of the way, you might struggle to attract the new staff your business needs as it grows.

Plan your office layout

Working out the layout of your office in advance will save you hassle later on. Certain kinds of business will need different kinds of office layout. If you need private rooms to meet clients confidentially, then make sure that they’re built in. If you need plenty of storage, then going for a closed-off floor plan might be optimal.

Determine the essentials

If the wiring situation in the office isn’t up to scratch, you’ll need to get a few electricians around to give you a quote to sort it out. The same applies to other utilities such as water. If these things are already up to the required standard, it might be worth spending a little more in the short-term.

Buy office furniture

An office without furniture isn’t really an office at all. Ideally, all of your office furniture should be supportive and conducive to long-term health. After all, if you’re going to have employees laid off with back or neck problems, then skimping on chairs might not be such a good idea. Look at the furniture which delivers the most bang for your buck. Often, you can find these items by looking at liquidation sales, or for dedicated office furniture suppliers.

Secure your office

Keeping your premises secure is a necessity, particularly if you’re storing high-value items on the premises. If your budget allows for it, you might employ an overnight security team to keep the premises secure when you’re not there. Locks, alarms, cameras and other technologies might also play a role in your security strategy.

As well as thinking about physical security, you might also think about what you might do about digital threats. While this effort will mostly consist of educating your workforce (and yourself), the investment in digital security technologies might help to keep your data protected. This might mean thinking about where your server room is going to go, and how it’s going to get the required airflow.

[disclosure*]

How to make your home office modern and stylish

How to make your home office modern and stylish

Working from home, or hashtag ‘WFH’, is the new normal. Despite the fact that the world is opening up, more people are working from home than ever before. The novelty of working from home wears off quite quickly therefore, creating a plush, modern home office might provide you with the motivation that you need to get focused and boost your productivity.

Here are some essential tips to help you turn your home office space into a modern and stylish workspace.

Minimalist home office

Eliminate clutter

There’s nothing worse than a cluttered, overcrowded workspace. Especially if your work requires razor-sharp focus and attention. Studies show that clean, clutter-free workspaces boost creativity and productivity. Get rid of clutter by using the Marie Kondo method; if it doesn’t bring you joy, get rid of it.

Give it away, swap it or sell it. Once you’ve cleared the clutter, you can start with a clean, blank canvas to create the workspace of your dreams.

Home office with teal feature wall

Colour scheme

There is no ideal colour scheme for a modern workspace, choose the colour scheme that works for you and find pieces that complement and accentuate those colours. For example, if you wanted to go down the simple, minimal route, you could opt for neutral shades like white and light grey. Add pops of colour like yellow, blush pink or bold turquoise. Create an accent wall using your colour pop shade to add some drama to the room.

Home office furniture

Furniture

Choose the right furniture to fit your taste and needs. The most important furniture in the room for a home office is the desk and chair because that is where you will be spending most of your time. You can either choose a desk and chair set or purchase them separately. You need to search for a modern chair and desk to match the contemporary theme of your workspace.

Grey decorated home office

Accessories

Accessories complement the main pieces in the room. Consider getting a desk lamp, one or two bean bags, maybe a comfortable armchair and throw cushions. Art is always a good idea, opt for contemporary picture frames and find art that complements the colour scheme and overall look and feel of the room. Add curtains or blinds to dress the windows and purchase desk accessories like a desk tidy, flowers and other items to give your desk the wow factor. If you prefer a minimal approach, just keep your desk clean and free from clutter and accessories.

Home office storage solutions

Storage

Storage is crucial, especially in an office space where things can get messy pretty quickly. Get some modern ottomans, storage boxes and maybe some drawers to complement your desk. Storage accessories will keep your workspace free from clutter, clean and minimal.

A modern, well-designed home workspace will improve your work flow and boost your motivation to complete tasks. Choose modern furniture, add pops of colour and invest in some high-quality accessories to complement your space. Storage is also vital if you want to keep your workspace clutter-free. Contemporary artwork could also provide your workspace with an extra creative element to give your home office a peaceful and inviting ambience.

[disclosure*]

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.

[disclosure*]