There are an estimated 8 million people working from home in the United States. With the US Census Bureau reporting telecommuters to earn more by saving more, the number of home offices could rise in 2020. Designing a home office can often require a creative imagination. A lack of space in most homes can make your work environment restrictive and distracting noises can impair productivity. And don’t forget about looking after your mental and physical health.
To help bring out the interior designer in you, we are offering an insight into the mind of professionals. Read on for insider secrets you can use to design a home office that supports productivity and your health.
Make Small Rooms Bigger
Small rooms can feel claustrophobic. For some people, feeling confined to a small space has a negative effect on productivity and mental health because they feel restricted. You can make a small room look bigger by taking advantage of the height. Erecting tall bookcases and shelves gives you more floor space. Corner cupboards fitted plush to the wall also helps to eliminate clutter and make the room look bigger.
Painting the walls in pale colours such as off-white, or light blues, violets and greens creates the illusion of a bigger space.
Ease Into Ergonomic Furniture
Although you may be tempted to purchase the most affordable desk and chair for your home office, it’s well worth investing in ergonomic furniture that you can adjust to the natural proportions of your body. A mounting body of evidence shows that sitting in a poor posture for long periods of time is a health risk. It has been linked to weight gain, heart disease and 30 other chronic diseases that can shorten your life.
Most office chairs strain on your back, spine, neck and shoulders. This increases the risk of damaging your skeletal structure later in life. Investing in ergonomic furniture is an investment in your future health.
Clean Air Plants
Office Principles, an award-winning design studio based in Reading, Berkshire, says interior office design should consider environmental quality – like the air you breathe. Your surroundings impact your mood, cognitive function and health. A lack of air-quality in stuffy rooms, for example, impairs your ability to focus. Various studies show that houseplants can help. NASA has even developed a list of indoor house plants they recommend for cleaning the air.
Plants also have a soothing effect that reduces stress and facilitates mental and physical healing. A bit of greenery is also an inexpensive way of making a room inviting and dynamic.
Get Personal
Your home office will be a room in which you spend a lot of time so give it a personal touch. Your office design should incorporate something that is personal and special for you. Ideally, something that will give you inspiration and help enhance productivity.
Maybe you need time to think and prefer a chaise-longue or reading chair by the window to lure you away from your computer screen. Artwork from your favourite artist helps to enhance brain function and mental wellbeing. Your personal touch could even be something as simple as a family photo on your desk or something your children made.
Working from home has many benefits, but you still need to create the right environment to reap the rewards. A comfortable room you enjoy spending time in goes a long way to achieving results.