How to Create a Harmonious Home Office

Photo: @grovemade

Out of everything going on in the world around us at the moment, one of the major changes in terms of everyday living for many has been the swift shift to working from home. With spare rooms transforming into fully-fledged offices overnight and once unloved corners of the home blossoming into harmonious home working spaces.

Well, that’s how it’s been for some. But for others, that transformation hasn’t been so easy. With working from home looking like it’s going to be the norm for the foreseeable future, we thought we’d share a few tips on how to combine your home with your office, and your home life with your work life.

Photo: @jonathanborba 

Dedicate a Space

Some of us may be lucky enough to have a spare room in which to create a tranquil working space, and if that’s the case then it really is worth taking the time to go beyond just finding an appropriate desk and comfortable chair.

If, like many, your home doesn’t lend itself to a dedicated space for a home office, try to commandeer an area that you can declare as your own, even if it’s just the corner of a bedroom or living room where you can squeeze in a small table or desk and use a chair from around the house.

 
Photo: @rev3n

Check Your Ergonomics

The fundamental elements to creating a workspace that will breed productivity are an appropriate desk and chair. If you’re used to working in an office environment, you may not have even noticed, but risk assessments will generally have been carried out to ensure that ergonomic equipment is in place to protect you from the musculoskeletal problems that go hand-in-hand with long periods of time sitting at a desk. If you’ve been required to work from home by your employer, it may be worth carrying out your own little risk assessment and perhaps asking your employer to help source suitable solutions.

If possible, your chair should offer strong lower back support and allow your feet to sit firm and level on the floor, and when sitting at a desk, your thighs should always be sitting at about 90 degrees to the hips. But that’s not all. If you can, try and follow as many of these tips as possible:

• Your eyes should be approximately 18 to 24 inches from your computer screen, and level with the top 1/3 of the screen.
• If you’re making calls, use headphones instead of cradling the phone on your neck while you type.
• Try and use an adjustable chair with lumbar support (or pillows if this isn’t possible), and keep your feet on the ground.
• Place your keyboard and mouse at the same height as your elbows and keep your elbows straight as you type.

We fully understand that some of these may not be feasible if you don’t have the right equipment or space, but if you can stick to as many as you can, you really will notice the difference. Our homes weren’t designed to be offices, but with a little bit of work we can get them as close as possible.

Photo: @xps

Let There Be Light

Another of the little things in your regular office that you might have missed is the thought that goes into the placement of lights, desks and computer screens. Have you ever been at work and not been able to see your computer screen because of the glare of the sun coming through the windows? I imagine for must of us the answer to that is, no. That’s because most commercial workspaces have been carefully designed to ensure optimum lighting and to ensure they comply with health and safety regulations. If you’re fortunate enough to have the space to move things around, then we recommend spending some time figuring out the best position for your desk to make the most of your lighting.

Most people prefer to be facing a window while working so they don’t feel as enclosed, and this will also help with reducing the glare that can come through on to your monitor screen when the sun passes over. Alternatively, if space means you have to have the window behind you, there are lots of products on the market such as monitor hoods and screens which can help reduce the glare.

Just as importantly, make sure the lighting matches your preferences for productivity. If you like a cosy workspace with ambient lighting, then light a few candles, but if you prefer the dramatic light of a busy office, then change the bulbs in your room to brighter ones. It’s well publicised that brighter spaces generally create higher productivity, but if that’s not right for you, then have a play around with the lighting to see what’s the best fit for you.

Style Away Your Clutter

One of the biggest no-no’s to productive working from home is to be surrounded by the chaos that comes with clutter. You need a peaceful, calm environment to fully focus on the task at hand. Being surrounded by bits and pieces everywhere just doesn’t scream “calm”!

Stylish floor baskets and small lockers are great for storing files or for popping your laptop away when it’s time to get back to using your home for the purpose it’s been built for. Or for a more industrial-styled office space, small metal desk baskets are perfect for storing your pens, staplers, calculators or anything else you need to do what you do best. By matching storage pieces with the style of your house décor not only will it bring a little bit of joy to your workspace, but you’ll have no need to worry about your home office imposing on the look and feel of your home.

Photo: @anniespratt

Personalise Your Space

This is your working area, your dedicated space away from the hustle and bustle of regular family life. So why not make it feel personal to you? If you have family photos in your regular office, then have family photos in this one.

We talk a lot about creating “harmonious spaces”, but harmonious doesn’t always have to mean neutral. If you’re into bright prints and quirky artwork but you can’t get away with them at work, then pop some on the walls. Bring your favourite mug, accessorise your monitor, treat yourself to some nice stationery without the worry of your colleagues “borrowing” it; anything that will bring a bit of light to your day.

If you are a collector, take advantage of the fact that you can surround yourself with your favourite collection of objects that would have been OTT to have at work.

 
Photo: @jane_palash 

Green is Good

It’s hard to deny the calming and neutralising effect that a little bit of botanical beauty can bring to your workspace. Not only will a small indoor plant bring a little bit of character and warmth to your workspace, but research has shown that having some natural surroundings really does help us to tap into our creative flows. A subtle display of plants in vases made from natural materials, or even dried flowers that don’t demand upkeep, can really lift your look, and your mood.

Photo: @srosinger3997 

Take Your Breaks!

At the crux of it, creating a harmonious home office really means creating a harmony between work life and home life. Working from home, one of the main challenges can be forgetting about the pile of laundry on the landing, the stacks of dishes in the kitchen and that smudge on the window that’s just caught your eye and now won’t stop bugging you. But it’s important to make sure that work time is, well, work time. From someone who has worked from home solidly for almost 10 years, believe me, it doesn’t really get any easier to block out the distractions that come with working in an environment that has been designed to live in, not work in. But by creating a schedule of breaks and blocking out time for a cup of coffee, checking your social media or getting to that pesky smudge, you can start to allow your mind to fully focus on work when it’s work time, and home life when it’s break time.

Most importantly, when it’s time to switch off, then switch off. Follow the shutdown ritual you would do at work, pop the laptop away, close the office door, get into your comfies, and live like your house is your home again.