More people than ever are working from home: ONS figures show that in 2020, 35.9% of us worked from home at some point, up nearly 10% on 2019. This number was almost certainly higher during each lockdown, and with so many having experienced home working, in many industries more people are pushing for the ability to work remotely all or part of the time.
It’s crucial that anyone working from home creates a productive and enjoyable home office. Here’s how to make the ultimate workspace to get big things done, from your own home.
Get some design inspo
You want your home office to reflect your taste and personality, so get flicking through interior design magazines and scrolling through Pinterest to get an idea of what you want your working zone to look like.
Bear in mind that you want to be able to focus easily in this space, so we’d recommend not going too loud and characterful since this will create lots of distractions. At the end of the day, the minimalist designs we’re used to in our company offices are formed that way to boost our performance. And if you are remotely managing a team, you need to make sure you can have conservation or zoom calls in a professional setting.
Create suitable working conditions
Office health is incredibly important. If you’re sat at your desk all day, it’s crucial that you don’t harm your health – either through poor equipment, a bad environment, or a lack of downtime.
First, get an ergonomic desk and chair that’s comfortable to work at for long stretches of time. Your organisation may provide these for you, but one thing they must do is take reasonable steps to protect your health while you work from home, including carrying out risk assessments. That’s because if you harm yourself on company time, you could have a basis for a case to take to your personal injury solicitors.
Your working environment should also be conducive to working well, so pick a room with no throughfare, away from the hubbub of the household and sources of noise like traffic outdoors. It’s also important to give yourself breaks and limit your working hours. Working from home, the lines between professional and private can easily become blurred.
Lighting and space
Your choices of room, furnishings, and lighting are key to making your home office awesome. You should make sure the space is suitably lit so you are not affected by maladies like eye strain, but the light shouldn’t be so bright as to straight your eyes all the time either (and if you’re like us, one of the main reasons you’re not keen on returning to the office is horribly harsh lighting!).
Placement of décor is also key – you need to be able to move around easily, particularly if you have items like a whiteboard or wall planner you regularly use. Storage is also really important, as navigating clutter will soon become tiresome.
Do you work from home? Tell us all about your amazing home office space in the comments section below!
