5 Steps to Creating the Perfect Home Office

 

When designing a productive home office, it is necessary to take a different approach to when you are designing and decorating the rest of the house, as the office serves a completely different purpose. In our homes, we seek a comfortable environment that promotes rest and relaxation. Our office, on the other hand, needs to be an efficient space, conducive to productivity and promoting creativity.

Take a look at these five steps for creating the perfect home office, that is not only visually pleasing and stimulating, but set up to be efficient and enable you to complete productively your tasks from within.

Separate Work and Home Life
This may seem like a silly notion, especially considering your office is located within your home, but it is possible, and it is important.

Keep all work related materials inside your office, out of sight out of mind until the appropriate time. Also, it is just as important to keep your personal and household items out of your office to avoid clutter and minimise distractions while you are trying to tend to your work. Don’t include any of the “comforts of home” into your office equipment, especially things like televisions and game consoles.

If there are children in the home, keep their belongings clear of the space and treat it as a stay away zone, so as they grow older they learn to respect it as a work area.

Your Communications Centre
The single most important aspect of your home office will be your communications centre. The computer, modem, and telephone will provide all the necessary tools to communicate efficiently and in a variety of ways.Likewise, investing in an all-in-one printer, copier and scanner will not only allow you to work more efficiently but also save often valuable space.It is advisable to choose updated, quality equipment, as modern technology is a home office’s biggest friend. System crashes, technical failures, and outdated hardware can be a huge detriment to productivity and be a great source of unnecessary frustration.

Organisation
Organisation is the key to success and productivity in any office, and your home office is no exception.

Some basics will be required to make sure you have what is needed to get organised, including furniture pieces such as a desk with appropriate space and storage, bookshelves and a filing cabinet, as well as smaller organisational tools like stationery, office supplies, a paper shredder, file folders and other like items.

Keep your office tidy and orderly, as a neat environment is a valuable asset to efficiency, and being organised will allow you to work effectively.

Add Inspiration and Stimulation
One of the major positives to working in your home office, compared to a corporate setting, is that you have control over your surroundings and how they look and feel. Choose a stimulating colour for the walls, like an energising green, or serene blue. Incorporate touches of your personal taste and style throughout the space to add a bit of individuality, and ensure it is a place you will be comfortable spending a lot of time in.Pay attention to lighting: ultra-modern LED lamps now allow you to adjust the colour and intensity of the light to improve concentration and wellbeing.

Plants are also an excellent addition to the space, introducing a fresh oxygen supply to keep you productive and alert, as well as providing visual stimulation.

The Perfect Chair
Your desk chair is the single most important piece of furniture in your home office, as much time will be spent sitting there. Make sure you purchase a chair that has ergonomic qualities, providing good support, and that you find comfortable for sitting. When searching online for the perfect chair be sure to use a reputable and professional company with a wide a range of options such as Egan Reid.

Selecting a proper chair will minimise back pain, which has negative effects on productivity and morale. A good desk chair can be expensive, so adding a quality back support will provide some of the benefits that a good chair would.