Tips to Build The Perfect Workspace In Your Home

Your home office should be a place that evokes the same level of comfort and charm as the rest of your home, but with added features to enhance efficiency and productivity. It should be a place you feel at ease during the times when you have to burn through the midnight oil to complete a job. When it comes time to start furnishing and arranging your new home office, here are some tips to build the perfect workspace in your home:

Location is key

Will your office be used for running an entire business from home or a place to sort through monthly bills and important mail? The location of your office in your home is important especially if you have a busy household with kids. You wouldn’t want your office to be situated in a high traffic area or in an area where other household members enjoy hanging out.

Proper lighting and ventilation

Almost always, proper lighting is essential to any type of work. Whether you’re building, creating, writing, reading, painting or simply need to stay awake through grueling hours of work, proper lighting is always needed in an efficient work environment. Very rarely do we work well in dim or dark settings. In that case, natural lighting is always the best for any room. It’s easy on the eyes and is of course the most energy-efficient option.

Having a bright window in your home office is needed to ensure great lighting, proper ventilation, and for making the room appear spacious, liveable, and bright. The best window style for a home office is usually a single or double hung tilt window, especially if you’re home office is located upstairs. Double and single hung tilt windows can offer great aesthetic appeal to any room. A hung window installed in second story rooms or your home office are ideal because as heat tends to rise in homes, the tilt option for top ventilation provides a seamless route for hot air to escape. This also prevents strong breezes from blowing through the room. Essentially, you’ll have the comfort of proper ventilation and better air quality without the hassle of the wind disrupting your paperwork and other projects on -the-go in your office.

Shelving

Your home office will likely be one of the smaller rooms in the home or maybe even a cozy nook that is part of a larger room. Nonetheless, it’s the one place you’ll really need to utilize the space to the fullest. Taking advantage of the vertical space of the room or area will open up the room to a lot more storage space and makes the room appear larger by lifting things off the floor and moving it up onto the walls. A great shelving unit can do wonders for your home office. Browse through inspiring home office shelving ideas on Pinterest and discover new trendy ways of organizing your office supplies and important documents.

Remember to use Pinterest responsibly. Often times we get inspired by amazing ideas that looked great in a photo with an attractive filter, but may not be the best idea for your 60 hour work week from home. For example, things like a bold red accent wall or tiny vintage chairs. These things looks great online, but may not be so great for real working conditions on a daily basis..

Personal touch

Adding your own personal flare in your office makes your work area feel more liveable as opposed to being all about work and no play. Whether you hang an inspirational quote on the wall or adorn your shelf with memorabilia from your travels and funny bobble heads, these little knick knacks will be sure to brighten up your work day.

Never sacrifice form for function

In other words, the placement of your desk, computer, filing system, and other important elements of your office should serve you and not the other way around. Ensure that the layout you choose for your office flows with your needs to work efficiently. Make the investment into furniture that is both functional and beautiful. Try to choose office furniture that compliments and embodies the same comfort and softness as the rest of your home.

A great chair is a must

Let’s face it, if your chair is not comfortable, you’re not going to spend much time in your home office. A comfortable, stylish, and functional chair is an absolute must. A chair that swivels is always great for multitasking across your work area, as well as a chair that adjusts in height is good for getting better focus on meticulous work when needed. A comfortable seat that is ergonomically correct is worth every penny.

An office with a view

We’ve all seen the movie or TV show where the person gets a major promotion that not only comes with a big raise, but they get to move into the corner office with the best view of the city. An office with a view is always in high demand. When deciding on the layout for your home office, position your desk or chair in a way that allows you to enjoy the view of the outdoors from the office window. A fixed “picture” window is a beautiful addition to any room, especially a home office. This particular window type is probably the most energy-efficient type you can choose from because it is non-functional and is designed to remain fixed. It’s perfect for letting in the most natural light while enjoying an unobstructed view.

Tidy your technology

After installing your computer, phone, fax, printer, and other electronic devices for your home office, tuck those unsightly wires and cords away neatly.

After all is said and done, your home office should be a good balance of your work life and home comfort. Your workspace should be designed well enough for you to be highly productive and comfortable enough to endure long hours of work. Giving yourself an extension to the outside through an office window can do wonders for your focus and overall mood while working through the day. Having a window that provides fresh air can also help to minimize the amount of breaks you’ll need to take to ease your mind. Make your perfect workspace in your home a happy one too!