Remodelling Your Home Office

With working from home here to stay for many of us, there has never been a better time to renovate your home office. Whether you’re sprucing up an existing space or creating an entirely new one, a well-thought-out home office area can help improve productivity, promote a better work-life balance and benefit your ergonomic and overall health.

So where to get started? Below, we’ll explore some ingenious home office ideas and the many factors you’ll need to take into consideration.

Design Ideas

Spare Bedroom

If you’re lucky enough to have a spare bedroom, why not turn it (or at least some of it) into your new home office? Bedrooms tend to have strong lighting, whether it’s natural or from overheads, perfect for those long Zoom calls and client meetings.

Setting up your home office in a spare bedroom gives you not only privacy and peace and quiet, but allows you to separate work from the rest of your home and your personal life. This makes it easier to switch out of work mode and into life mode when you clock off, improving your mental health and a better balance between your two selves.

Office and Playspace Combo

Many families with young kids have playrooms that sit empty and unused during school hours, so why not take advantage of this and make room for your home office in there as well? As an added bonus, once you’re done for the day this space can then be used for homework and school projects.

We recommend installing a built-in desktop with multiple workstations, giving everyone in the family a study/work space to call their own.

Kitchen Office Space

If you’re in the market for a kitchen renovation, why not add a built-in home office desk while you’re at it? If a separate office space isn’t an option in your home or apartment, the kitchen is a great alternative.

By working with your contractor, you can create a desk space with draws and finishes that match the rest of your kitchen, while perhaps adding a patterned wallpaper to create a sense of separation that still sets it apart from the rest of the space.

Entryway

In most homes, the entryway is an underutilised space that’s reserved for a coat rack, a small table to throw your keys on and maybe a few shoes. Take advantage of your entryway by making room for your very own workspace, simply by adding in a desk, chair and whatever else you need to get your work done.

While you might have to stay a bit more on top of keeping your workspace neat and tidy than you normally would, turning your entryway into an office is a great way to create space that’s your own in even the most crowded of homes.

Factors to Consider

Colours

Believe it or not, the colours of your home office can have a substantial effect on helping you produce the very best work you’re capable of. If you’re a creative, all things nature can help stimulate your mind, which means plenty of natural light, potted plants and sparks of green throughout.

If your job requires plenty of focus and shutting out of the outside world, metal objects and metallic colours can help encourage clarity and strength.

Light and Noise

Not only can natural light encourage creative thinking, but it reduces your chances of headaches and eye fatigue while on the job. A strong combination of natural light, lamps and overhead light is your best bet, allowing you to control the kind of light you’re exposed to as the day progresses.

While working in a peaceful and quiet environment is optimal, this isn’t always an option with all home offices. If you’re stuck in a busy area of the house and you’ve got kids, roommates or your partner at home with you, noise-cancelling headphones can be a good alternative for a shit door.

Storage and Organisation

Without enough drawers, cabinets and shelves, clutter can build up fast in your home office. Investing in all of these as well as bins, baskets and any other portable organisers that provide storage are worth the investment and will stop your home office from becoming an eyesore.

Ergonomics

As you might have realised if you’ve been working with a makeshift home office, hunching over in a dining chair while working from your laptop isn’t exactly comfortable. Some basic office ergonomics that can help prevent back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome include:

• The top of your monitor’s screen being at eye level and an arm’s length away
• Straight wrists with your hands at or below your elbow level
• Knees level with your hips

Investing in a decent office chair and a laptop stand can go a long way, keeping your posture right and focused on the work at hand.