Home Office Builders’ Tips for Your Workspace

6 Tips for Transforming Your Home Office Into a Comfortable, Productive, and Attractive Space

Looking for home office ideas? You’re not alone.

When the COVID-19 pandemic sent employees across the country home to work, not everyone was prepared with a home office space ready to seamlessly accommodate daily responsibilities.

And the shift to conference calls for all meetings has caused everyone to reflect not just on their work-from-home personal appearance, but on their home office atmosphere as well. Is there sunlight washing out your face? Can kids’ laughter be heard in the background? What’s hanging on the wall?

Whether you were already working from home before the pandemic, or are new to the game, your home office has probably attracted a little more of your focus these days. Wherever your home office is located, it should be making your job easier and–dare we say–enjoyable. Your workspace should:

• Inspire creativity and productivity.
• Allow you to avoid distractions.
• Include natural light or enough light to maintain your focus.
• Provide a comfortable work area (not a couch or a bed).
• Have everything you need to get your work done and be effective from a remote location.

Here are 6 tips and examples that demonstrate how to transform your home office space to help unlock the creative, productive, and efficient side of you.

1. Give yourself some privacy. Have kids? Make sure your office space allows you some privacy when you need it. Being able to close a door will ensure you can focus or keep your video calls productive and uninterrupted.

Privacy should extend to distracting noises, as well. While building a custom home in Osterville, Cape Cod we outfitted playrooms with a vibration-isolating ceiling system that let children roughhouse without disturbing the parents. The same technology can also be applied to the ceiling in your custom home office!

2. Don’t sacrifice a common area. Instead of putting a home office space in your living room or dining room, consider remodeling a guest room or creating a separate dedicated structure in your backyard.

3. Pick an interior design vibe. Everyone has their own style, and one big benefit to having a home office is the freedom to express yourself in ways you can’t do at your workplace. Consider these popular interior design trends for your home office space.

• Modern: A modern home office design takes a minimalist approach to decor, utilizing white and wood, complemented by clean lines and simple lighting and flooring accents.

• Transitional: The cornerstone of transitional interior design is the seamless combination of modern and traditional designs. It blends a neutral color palette with pops of color, curved furnishings with rigid lines, and dark woods with lighter, more modern shades. It often follows a minimalist approach to accents and accessories, including wall hangings.

• Chic: A complete 180 from the traditional look, a chic style of home office decor is bright, open, and colorful, combining both elegance and comfort. Chic designs tend to be more feminine but can incorporate more rustic or distressed elements as well.

• Rustic Farmhouse: Like the idea of wood furniture and accents, but not a fan of the traditional look? A rustic farmhouse style utilizes natural materials, so your home office space will look lived-in and comfortable. Further that feeling with abundant natural lighting, and cozy accents like blankets and personalized wall hangings.

4. Make the most of small spaces. If you don’t have a full room to work with for your home office space, you can still create a productive and comfortable work environment, whether it’s a nook under a staircase or another hidden-away area.

• Take advantage of wall space to hang artwork or photography, which will make your workspace more personalized and friendly.
• Go minimal and modern with your office pieces so as not to crowd a small space with busy visual details.
• If your small office space is part of a larger room, add decor that blends with the existing design, which will help tie the space together.
• Choose mobile furniture – using a chair and desk with castors ensures you can move around easily to accommodate for a smaller space, or quickly repurpose the space when needed.
• Consider a corner desk to get the most out of a small area, especially if floor space is at a minimum.

5. Don’t overlook shelving and storage. In a home office space, especially if it’s a smaller area, shelving and storage elements are key. They help reduce clutter, keep you organized and focused, and add a sense of professionalism to the space when you can easily find what you need, access supplies, and keep track of important documents. Shelving and storage that can be customized to maximize form and function include:

• Bookshelves
• Built-ins
• Wall shelving
• Desk drawer space
• Cabinetry

6. Get the right lighting. Lighting, especially natural light, is a must for a home office. It will keep you focused, awake, and feeling good. If you are able to work near a window, it will also provide a nice visual complement to your work area. Here are some lighting tips to consider:

• Avoid fluorescent lighting as it is harsh on the eyes and can make you feel drained and tired. If you don’t have a natural light source near your workspace, use ambient lighting, which is much easier on the eyes. Swap overhead lighting for a desk lamp or standing lamp, which will project a much more calming light while you work.
• Take advantage of natural light whenever possible. Even if that means going for a stroll outside every few hours, you can cut down on fatigue and eye strain by exposing yourself to natural light.
• Position your workspace in such a way that you won’t be impacted by bright sunlight at points during the day. You can always draw the shades, but you shouldn’t need sunglasses in your indoor office!

There is quite a bit of uncertainty around when shared offices will reopen, and many companies are already extending work-from-home orders through the end of the summer, or even indefinitely depending on the employees and their positions. It’s hard to say that working from home, or at least remotely, isn’t a trend that’s here to stay.

It makes good sense to create a home workspace in which you can be productive and comfortable, and where you don’t mind spending each workday. It should also be a space you can be proud to have in the background of your video conference.

Many of the design ideas shown above are from home office projects our team has created for our clients. If you’re interested in revamping your home office space to fit your work and daily responsibilities a little better, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us today.