Whether you have an existing home office or are starting a new position where you will be working from home, there are a number of ways to use design to promote productivity. Many people spend a large chunk of their day sitting at their desk, appearance and comfort are important.
Below is a list of five items to consider when decorating and organizing your home office.
1. Room Selection
It depends on the person, but most prefer a quiet space to work that is virtually distraction free. If possible, pick a room in your home that is far from rooms that are noisy and distracting, such as the living room and play areas, if you have children. At the very least, if you live with others, make sure your office has a door!
2. Lighting
Studies have shown that productivity is at a peak when work is done in rooms with ample natural light. If you don’t have a room with a lot of natural light available, you can use mirrors and light coloured paint to reflect the light you have to brighten the room.
That being said, it becomes a game of balance because you don’t want to have a room that is too bright thereby requiring you to squint and strain to see your computer screen. It’s best to have light coming from the sides of you instead of from the front or back.
You can have fun with desk lamps too. Make sure they are positioned to illuminate your paperwork and are not directed at or interfering with your computer screen.
3. Desk Space
People tend to work best when their desk is free of clutter. To ensure that your desk doesn’t get messy from a regular day of work, invest in folders, pen holders and other devices that will help you maintain organization. File cabinets with adequate labelling are a great addition to an office space both for storage and decoration purposes.
This is an opportunity to get creative with your desk and office space, there are many funky and stylish items to choose from!
4. Colour
It has been proven that color can universally impact a person’s mood and inspiration. If you want to go the extra mile, consider painting your home office to promote productivity.
According to research of colours influence in the workplace, yellow inspires creativity, blue activates the mind and green is a balance between both. The intensity level of the colour matters too, strong and bold shades will have an intense impact whereas lighter, softer shades will be soothing.
If you don’t want to commit to repainting, you can use decor with colours that stimulate productivity instead. Also, plants in the office will add some livelihood to the space!
5. Furniture
Because it can get expensive to purchase new office furniture, focus on the chair first. On average, people spend about seven hours at their desk per day making your chair selection vital.
When picking a desk chair, go to the store and actually sit in the chair before purchasing it. Every part of the chair should be adjustable, this way throughout a work day you can adjust your chair to your comfort. Once comfort and adjustability have been met, you can focus on the style!
Adjustable desks are an option as well for functionality, enabling you to sit or stand while working. Other than that, have fun decorating your home office! Remember: don’t clutter the space, desk clutter is one thing but too much furniture and decor gets busy and distracting.
