Working from home can pose various challenges and create a number of diverse distractions, even for the most dedicated and focused individuals. This is why it’s important to ensure your home office is designed to inspire and sustain productivity, rather than eating away at your motivation.
It may take a little cash injection to achieve, but there’s no denying that the initial financial outlay will benefit you in the long run – creating a productive working environment with fewer distractions, and therefore less wasted time.
Start with the Foundations
Whatever space you’re working with, it’s important to get off on the right foot when setting up your home office by choosing the right furniture to create an inspirational area.
Choosing multifunctional furniture, such as a sofa with hidden storage or a desk with built-in drawers, can not only offer convenience but allow you to save on space and money, too. It’s also worth investing in quality furniture that’s built to withstand everyday wear and tear.
While you’re at it, don’t forget about your own comfort when you’re sat at your desk working for long hours – buying a budget desk chair may save you a few pennies in the short term, but an ergonomically designed chair will stand you in much better stead when it comes to your health.
When buying your furniture, set yourself a realistic budget and remember there are numerous ways you can raise the funds to invest a little extra in your home office – whether that’s selling unwanted belongings, saving up or opting for a personal loan. There are even loans for people with bad credit, meaning a less-than-perfect borrowing history won’t have to hold you back.
Create a Work Haven
To ensure your productivity isn’t negatively affected by unwanted noise and distractions, it’s also essential to consider the privacy element in your home office design. To create a quiet space with minimal interruptions, why not consider installing a lock on your door? It’ll not only provide additional security, but also improve your concentration levels. You could even look into minimising outside noise with double-glazing, or investing in some noise-cancelling headphones that can block out the sound of a busy household – allowing you to stay focused on the job at hand.
Minimise the Clutter
If you’re working from home, it’s even more important to keep on top of your filing and office cleaning. Allowing your workspace to become cluttered and disorganised is a sure-fire way to sap your productivity, but it can be easily avoided with a few simple tricks.
Firstly, ensure you have plenty of office storage and go that extra mile to create a labelled filing system. It may sound like a lot of effort at the start, but it’s guaranteed to save you time in the long run (and boost your productivity in the process). Also, make sure you only have things in your office that you need to use on a daily or weekly basis – relegating other non-essential items to elsewhere in your home, so that your office doesn’t feel cluttered and cramped.
Get the Essentials Right
While furniture and organisation play an important role in creating a space that inspires productivity, there are a few other essential elements which shouldn’t be overlooked. Firstly, you’ll want to illuminate your office to create a well-lit and inspiring atmosphere. To do this, make sure your lighting allows for working at different times of the day and through different seasons of the year – for example, by adding a desk lamp for evening work or introducing a dimmer switch so that you can adjust the lighting to suit you.
You may also want to reduce the time you spend away from your desk during tea breaks by bringing a home coffee machine, water cooler or even mini-fridge into your domestic office space.
Don’t Forget the Finer Details
With all the basics in place, there are still some effective finishing touches you can make to enhance your productivity and create a truly inspirational office. Why not add a splash of natural colour to your surroundings by incorporating some potted plants? As well as looking beautiful, the presence of plants in an office space is proven to increase productivity by 15%. Creative thinkers may also want to design a workspace primed for brainstorming, investing in whiteboards or cork boards for recording everything from their latest brainwave to their daily agenda.
From declaring war on clutter to implementing science-backed office design hacks, the world is your oyster when it comes to designing an at-home workspace that puts productivity first.
Interesting Links:
- 7 Morning Rituals to Make Your Day 8 Times More Productive
- Working near Home – Not at Home – Is Key to Worker Health and Happiness
- Almost 50% of Working Days Is Lost Due to Work-Related Stress