What Are The Golden Rules For Home Office Design?

How you define your space is essential for making the most of your home, and that is particularly important if you intend to use your space as part of your professional life as well as your personal and social lives. In the 2020s, a home office has gone from being a nice-to-have or essential for small business owners to being a vital necessity in almost every home, and the best offices need to be designed to work around your work needs, with the right desks and cabinetry. With workers more likely to be working from home at least some of the time, having the right office for your needs is essential for your long-term physical and mental health. How do you create the perfect home office? Here are some golden rules to follow, why they matter, and when they can be bent.  

Should You Separate Your Living And Working Spaces?

Whilst the office building has seen considerable changes during this time as well to make in-office work feel more comfortable and homely, it is important to try and divide your living and working spaces as much as possible. A common mistake made largely out of necessity when home working soared in 2020 was to turn any possible space into a place where you could work, but spending months working on a kitchen table, on the sofa or even in bed is less than ideal to say the least. However, having a room separate from the distractions that come from a busy house is also important, as that allows you to keep everything you need organised in bespoke cabinets and provide a mental separation between your work day and your personal life. If you cannot dedicate a full room to your home office, then have a clear working zone. Set up a corner desk or wall against a window designed with your work in mind.

Can You Have Too Much Storage?

Every job will have different storage needs, from lockable cupboards for technical equipment and vital legal documents, to drawers for everyday letters, written documents, notes and ledgers. It is more important to have the right storage solution than the most; whilst it can be tempting to add countless fitted cupboards above and around your working area, you should not have so much space that it ends up unused or used for non-work storage.

Where Should You Set Up Your Home Office?

Ideally, you should set up your home office in a spare room, as this will give you the most scope for laying your home office out the way you need, but ultimately what matters most about your home office is how it is set up in relation to your windows. Not only is having a good view important for keeping you motivated and giving you something to look at during a long, difficult day, but it is also important for daylighting, a design and architectural ideal that cuts costs, improves mental health and reduces the need for artificial lighting. If you cannot comfortably fit around your window, make sure your desk is not affected by glare, and place a couple of plants and succulents around your desk to add a spot of nature to your workspace.  

Why Does Quality Furniture Matter?

Another early mistake seen when people set up their home office is to neglect the importance of proper furniture, fixtures and fittings in their office space or study. An effective workspace needs to have relatively few distractions brought about by your choices of work surface and storage, and a squeaking cabinet, a desk that is not properly level or an uncomfortable chair that does not properly fit under the desk. The best way to achieve this is to get in touch with bespoke furniture experts with your needs and the space you have, and they will use their trained eye to come up with the right fitted solution for you.  

Do You Need To Stick To Grey In Your Home Office?

Whilst many offices stick to neutral shades in order to minimise distractions and eye fatigue in a conventional office, often instead relying on neutral shades and natural textures, you do not need to do the same with your home office. In general, you do not want to have too boring a colour scheme, as it can make an office look bland, joyless and affect your productivity as a result. Conversely, too vibrant an office can be distracting and too rich a colour scheme can be tiring. In general, you should choose furniture in bold colours to act as an accent against a relatively neutral backdrop.