In his article Exploring the Hottest Office Design Trends of 2024, Zack Sterkenberg insists the importance of having an office which “enhances the performance of those who work within its walls.” Even though he was trying to offer his advice to businesses, it would not hurt to borrow some of his ideas for your home office. Regardless of whether you conduct serious business in your home office or you simply use it to organize personal things like your schedule, it is essential to design an office to your satisfaction. While most people go for a simple metal desk and an old chair, you should not adopt this trend.
Borrowing from Zack’s ideas, you need to ensure you have an office which helps to enhance your productivity. In Roberts 10 Tips for designing your home office, she proposes “an office that reflects the design and comfort of the rest of your home.” The ultimate goal should be to have a charming office space in your home where you will not want to leave. It would not hurt to embrace or even implement some office automation systems ideas. Your office home should indeed be a comfortable place that moves you to always give your best.
Here are some points to consider if you are thinking of designing the perfect home office place in 2024.
Ensure you have a great chair
Your home office should not be a place where you do not want to spend time in. It should exude or radiate comfort and since you will be spending some time in there, it is vital you get a comfortable chair. While you may not have a say in what kind of chair you want at your workplace, remember you call the shots at home and therefore, you can get whichever chair you want. Invest in your comfort and aim for an ergonomically-correct seat. Consider everything before you decide to buy one and ultimately get a chair which will motivate you to frequent your home office.
Paint the walls a color you love
For men, color does not make sense most of the time. However, what many men fail to realize is that color plays a role in how one views and enjoys a place. Whether at home or at work, your surrounding or environment has a direct impact on your focus, energy, and creativity. In their article 14 Interior Designer’s Favorite Office Paint Colors, Kloss and Jenna are reminding us that color does matter. Therefore, since it is your home office, ensure the color you choose helps to get your spirits up and enhances your energy.
Equipment
As already stated, you are the boss here and everything you buy will directly affect your comfortability. The equipment you choose to buy will indeed determine whether you will spend more or less time in your home office. Choose, therefore, to invest in the best equipment you can find. For example, you can decide to invest in an electric table lifts. Having an adjustable office table is not only stylish but also has its health benefits. With such a table, you will sit when you want to and stand when you are tired of sitting. Aside from the table, think of other things such as a wireless hub. This will indeed make it convenient for you to work from your laptop while you are either standing or siting. In essence, you need to invest in great equipment.
Ample or good lighting is also of the essence
Good lighting coincides with the location you choose for your office. Ideally, your home office needs to be located in an area where you can access natural light. The truth is your working area should always have access to natural light. However, if you have no access to natural light, Eve Gumpel in her article How to Design the Ideal Home Office says there is nothing to worry about. She is quick to suggest “a combination of general and task lighting” for people with no access to natural light. She specifically advocates for “ergonomic task-lighting fixtures” which will gift you control over the amount of light allowed.
You definitely need your privacy
Privacy for most people always comes first. Your home office should indeed be your haven and you, therefore, need a place with a high degree of privacy as well as minimal noise and distractions. Your home office should also not be a place where anyone can access. It should be a place that allows you to work with minimal disturbances. Additionally, if your office does not have a door, it is essential you employ the use of signs, for example, quiet please or no interruptions.
In conclusion, before you design your home office, you need to establish what kind of office you need and what work you will be doing in there. Additionally, you also need to know what kind of equipment to include or to buy for your office. Do not rush to design your home office. Take your time and ensure you consider the points noted above.
Finally, to get you started, care of designer furniture firm Made.com, here are nine simple ways to create a productive home office, from embracing just enough clutter (seriously) to leveraging a dash of color psychology.
