How to create a functional home office

As people are working from home more and more lately, there is the chance to create an office space – something that separates you from your home life and becomes your work life. This sort of balance and separation is needed to ensure you have a healthy life, but it can be hard to create a good, functional office out of the spare bedroom you’ve been filling up with stuff in your home. You might find it hard to start, especially if this room has acted like a storage room, taking on the projects you have half worked on during the last year. This article is going to tell you how to create a functional home office that you will enjoy being in, while it’s work time anyway.

Store Away Unneeded Items

One of the first things you will want to do is clear out the room you are using as an office. If you have been using that room as storage – something we are all guilty of from time to time, this is a super important step. Trying to build an office into a room that is already full of clutter and general stuff will end with a chaotic work space that isn’t ideal for actually working – and it will often find itself getting more and more full. There are more and more places that are currently doing self storage, if you want to hang onto items but no longer have room for them in your home. Now Storage self storage in Basingstoke is a good option if you live in the area.

Place in Larger Furniture

There are specific bits of furniture that are going to be in every office space, no matter where you are located. You will want to place these into the room first. Deciding on a good desk will be your main focus, most likely. Some people go with standing desks, while others go with desks that you can sit at – this is completely up to you. You will also want a comfortable chair that has back support if you are sitting at your desk for any length of time. Once you find the desk (and possibly chair) that you are looking for, you will want to place them into your room. If you often have people coming into your home office, you will want to have the desk facing out into the room. Otherwise, I find that having your desk against a large, sunny window (with a curtain in case the sun sets) makes all the difference, as you soak up some of the sunlight during the day. This can really brighten your mood.

Think Storage

When it comes to your office, you will have things and stuff in it. Whether you are working in SEO and strategy or starting a crafty DIY business, you will have items that need to be stored in your office. Having ample storage, with room to grow, will ensure that your office space stays functional long after you have started working in that space. Shelves are often a great option, as they take up wall space, primarily, and can work as something both visually decorative while also being easy to see and organise. A lot of your storage decisions will be made based on the type of work you do, how big your desk is, and the space itself, but ensuring you do have the space to store anything you need will help you out in the future.

Decide on Decorations

A cold and sterile work space is only perfect for the minority. You will want to think about how you decorate your space! Some people go for loads of little trinkets that make them happy, where as others go for more of a minimalistic look. Whichever you deice, you might want to think about soft furnishings like a rug if you are on hard floor and about adding plants to the room. Plants are a really popular choice when it comes to offices as they bring a great outdoor feel and provide a lot of health benefits.

Choose the Right Office Equipment

Selecting the right office equipment is crucial for a functional home office. Invest in a reliable laptop, preferably one that meets your work requirements. Consider ergonomic accessories like an adjustable monitor stand, a comfortable keyboard, and a mouse to enhance your workspace. A multifunctional printer can be handy for printing, scanning, and copying documents, reducing the need for multiple devices. High-quality headphones or a headset are crucial for virtual meetings and calls, ensuring clear communication. You can create an efficient and comfortable work environment by choosing the right equipment.

Manage Your Cables

If this is your first home office, you might find there are a lot of cables. Cable management is always going to be an issue – so you will want to tackle this when you put together your office. Ensure that you label cables, so that if you do need to replace your microphone or switch out an HDMI cable later down the line, you are not disconnecting your entire set up just to figure out which is which. On the flip side, you will want to collect some extra cables and store them in your office, as if there is an issue and you need a new cable, you will want to have them then and there.

Creating an office space that you can enjoy working in and that is functional does take some time and though – and there is always time to change and tinker your office until it is perfect for your needs. Having a good office space will help you be more productive and able to balance work life and family life!

Check out our other Home Design articles.