Working things out for the best home office

A guide to designing a home office, whether it’s an entire room or a defined area of a larger space, including furniture and the best ways to stay organised.

Sarah Lazarovic for The National

The world of work is changing. For a start, more and more of us are forgoing the daily commute to work remotely from home, either full- or part-time, starting our own businesses or becoming self-employed. We’re also more mobile than ever, with many households giving up desktop computers in favour of laptops, tablets and cloud-based storage systems, which provide so much more flexibility.

So what does the home office of the 21st century look like? It may well be a dedicated room, but it might also be a foldaway desk in the corner of a larger communal area or even a temporary spot on the kitchen table.

The first thing to think about when it comes to designing your own office space is how much of it you have and how you want to use it, as this will dictate everything else, from decor to furniture choices. When it comes to size, don’t just guess – get your measuring tape out and draw a plan, so that you can be sure you won’t run out of room.

It’s also important to think about who you’ll be sharing your home office with. Are the kids going to be doing their homework here? You’ll need more desk space and durable furniture. Will you have clients over for meetings? You’ll need extra chairs and as little personal clutter as possible.

As you think about these ­elements, you’ll probably find a type of office emerging that will fit broadly into one of these ­categories:

• The dedicated study

Probably the easiest type of home office to style, as you’ll have plenty of space and won’t need to compete with other usage functions, people or decor styles.

• The work zone

Situated within another room, it’s important to create a distinction between the various spaces, making the role of each one clear through visual trickery such as placing the study furniture on a contrasting rug.

• The mobile office

You do your emails on your mobile, your banking online and you get your bills electronically, so you can work almost anywhere – all you need is a power source, a decent chair and a flat surface.

• The foldaway unit

Tucked away behind closed doors in a cubicle unit or bureau, this is a good compromise if you don’t have a separate study room, and helps to keep common areas neat.

• The family room

If you’re not the only one using your study, you’ll need to be sure that the space caters to everyone’s requirements, with plenty of desk space and storage, possibly wall-mounted to save space.

When it comes to decor, personal taste is obviously a key factor, and there are plenty of places to go for inspiration, from interiors magazines to Pinterest. Although the idea is to create an efficient office space, you’re likely to feel more relaxed and able to work in a comfortable environment, so don’t be afraid to add personal touches, artwork and accessories as you wish.

One important point worth noting, however, is that your favourite colour may not be the best choice for your office. Colour psychology suggests certain shades may prove better in creating a good working environment – green is said to improve concentration, for example, and orange may boost energy levels, while red, on the other hand, increases blood pressure.

Once you have an idea of what kind of work area you’re creating in terms of available space, usage, style and so on, it’s time to think about what you’re going to fill it with. This is the essential kit that every home office will need:

• Desk

As you shop around, consider size (if you do a lot of paperwork or you’re a messy type, you’ll need a bigger desk than if you’re mostly computer-based and generally neater), style (from old-fashioned wooden bankers’ desks to contemporary, industrial-looking trestle designs) and also how much storage comes built in. Ideally, test out your choice before you buy, for example to make sure it provides clearance underneath for your legs.

• Chair

Given that office work is primarily done sitting down, it’s worth investing in a decent chair to give your body the best possible ergonomic support. Adjustable height, back and arms will allow you to reposition your chair to suit your frame, and the rule of thumb is that the more you use it, the more adjustable elements it should have. The only time you might not need a chair is if you opt for a “stand-up desk”, which some experts believe is a healthier choice for your back and can improve concentration and energy levels.

• Lighting

Natural lighting is best for productivity, energy and mood, so try to position your desk near a window. You may need alternative sources, though, both ambient (general and diffuse) and task lighting, which can be directed towards whatever you’re working on and will help protect your eyes. It’s also worth thinking about the light coming from your computer screen – too much or too little can cause headaches and sore eyes, so experiment with screen-brightness settings to find what works for you.

• Storage

As with room size, don’t just guess how much storage you’ll need, or you could end up with overflowing shelves or wasted, empty cupboards (or both). Make a note of how many files and books you have, think about whether you’ll need to organise a lot of paperwork (in which case, a filing cabinet might be a worthwhile investment) and consider storage boxes to group together collections of items such as stationery. In smaller rooms, wall-mounted storage helps preserve floor space, and built-in floor-to-ceiling units are an incredibly space-efficient option, too.

Finally, test the layout of your office and, if necessary, ­rearrange things until you’re comfortable. Ideally, you should be able to reach all of your day-to-day items – computer keyboard, lamp switch, stationery drawer, key files and so on – without straining.

Put in careful planning time and stick to your size and requirement guidelines as you go, and you should have no problem creating a 21st-century home office that perfectly suits your needs.

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