Working from home has its advantages. You skip the morning commute, decide your wardrobe, and you’re just a hop, skip, and a jump away from your family if they need you. Likely the best part is that you get to work in a familiar environment. The only problem is, without a designated workspace, your home isn’t conducive to productivity.
How do you get things done when you’re distracted by everything from the kids to the television? With limited space for organization or workflow, completing simple tasks becomes time-consuming.
Unfortunately, you start to feel like you’re a slave to your work as you put in more hours each day. If you’ve found yourself in a similar situation, the solution is simple – create a workspace that promotes productivity. Here are some ideas for inspiration.
Secluded Room
Since distractions, slow productivity, select a secluded room for your home office. A spare bedroom, attic, basement, garage, or sunroom would be ideal. If you don’t have extra space, you can always set up shop in your bedroom or dining room.
Layout
The flow and layout of a workspace directly impact productivity. When deciding where you’ll place furniture, equipment, and tools, consider your workday. What tasks do you complete most often? What equipment or tools do you use frequently? The idea is to place these items so that they’re easily accessible.
Storage
Whether you’re an artist, mechanic, or virtual assistant, you’ll need a place for things like office supplies, files, tools, and other equipment you might need for work. Storage units can also be great for adding decor like a portable turntable, candlesticks, vases, or figurines.
Therefore, you’ll want to invest in a lot of storage. Bookshelves, desks with shelves, wall shelves, storage containers, and baskets are ideal for convenient yet stylish storage.
Color Scheme
As color evokes emotion and inspires creativity, you’ll want to make the right choice when it comes to color schemes for your workspace. Dark colors dampen the mood, encourage fatigue, and slow productivity.
So, if you’re going to use dark colors, they are best used as accent colors. Bright colors like yellow, red, and orange are ideal for the creative mind. If you’d prefer a relaxing workspace, go with light hues of blue, tan, or green.
Comfy Furniture
Depending on what you do for a living, you’ll be in your home office for 8-10 hours a day. Imagine trying to get through a typical workday in a hard wobbly chair and a small desk.
Chances are you wouldn’t get much done. So, as you’re shopping for office furniture, try to keep comfort in mind. Select a chair with adequate cushion, adjustable height, and support for your head, neck, and back. Your desk should be large enough to fit your computer, organizers, and work supplies. If you’re into ergonomics, you might prefer a standing desk.
Touches of Nature and Wellness
When your mind, body, and spirit are in harmony, productivity is improved. Keep this in mind when selecting decor for your workspace. Let the sunlight in by installing blinds, shades, or sheers on your windows. Purify the air with indoor plants. Change the scent and your mood with scented candles, aromatherapy diffusers, or incense. Add a touch of nature with a tabletop fountain.
Customize Your Workspace
Just as an office worker might decorate their cubicle with family photos, artwork, and cool figurines, you should do the same to your home office. Adding your style and personality to the space makes it more inviting. Spend time shopping for affordable home decor items from throw pillows to centerpieces to bring your workspace together.
When you have the privilege to work from home, make the most of it by creating a workspace. Having a designated area in the house where you can focus on business limits distractions and improves productivity. Simply select a secluded space in your home and use the design ideas listed above to help create your perfect workspace that empowers you to put your best foot forward daily.