How to create a functional home office space ~ Fresh Design Blog

Great ideas and tips for creating a functional and productive home office space — Image: Shutterstock

If you work from home, or are thinking of doing so, then it’s helpful to have a dedicated office space in your home. Not only is it useful to separate your home and work life, having the right space can also help your work productivity. Here are some tips on how to create a functional workspace in your home.

Zone your space

Creating zones in your home office or study can be a more functional way to work — Image: Shutterstock

Depending on the work you’re doing, you might not necessarily want or need to be sitting at a desk all the time. So why not take heed from companies such as Google and create an agile working environment?

The idea of agile working is that it creates a practical flow in your workspace, allowing you to complete different tasks in different ways. It reflects the changing evolution of technology and the way we work, and it’s said to be much more productive than simply sitting in one position the whole time. You can find out more about the idea of agile working from office design specialists, Office Principles.

For example, if you have meetings or appointments in your home office, then you may like to add a comfy sofa or armchairs, so you conduct meetings in comfort and away from your desk.

If you need to frequently write notes on a whiteboard, or like to talk on the phone whilst standing up or walking around, then create a zone that’s free of clutter. Or if you love working on your laptop whilst sitting on a beanbag, then give your office a bean bag! It’s your space, after all, so be creative and add zones in that will work for you.

Choose ergonomic furniture

When you’re employed and working elsewhere, your health and safety is taken into consideration by your employers, and it’s just as important to think of it if you’re working at home.

Look for ergonomically designed furniture, such as chairs and desks. Chairs that are fully adjustable – the height of the seat, position of the back, head/neck rest, and the arms – are useful as they can be adjusted to suit your individual requirements. Desk heights vary too, so it’s a good idea to make sure you’re buying one that’s the right height for you.

If you’re using a computer at a desk, make sure the monitor screen is positioned in an appropriate manner, so you don’t have to hunch over to see it. And invest in ergonomic desk accessories too, such as a keyboard wrist rest and mouse rest – these will help reduce the risk of RSI.

Add plenty of light

Great looking desk area with a useful task lamp light — Image: Shutterstock

Having plenty of good sources of light is essential if you’re going to be working in a room. You don’t want to be straining to see a screen, or find that you’re slower at completing tasks as you can’t see so well when the light is poor outside.

A good quality desk lamp (for example, we use the CSYS desk task lamp) that you can angle to provide light whenever and wherever you need it is a great choice for your desk and will ensure you never have light issues when working.

In other zones you could add a standing floor lamp or a couple of table lamps and for overhead lighting you might like to add a stylish modern pendant light.

Making your home workspace a fully functional room should help boost your productivity and provide you with a space you love and enjoy using – even when you’re having to work hard in it!