The home office is both a sanctuary and a place to be productive. For some, it is an office away from their regular workplace, while for others, the building ground for innovation and execution.
There is great importance in designing a modern office space that stimulates creative thinking and productivity. While it may seem strange to think that interior design can even have such power, you should start by looking at your own office.
Home Envy has created a list of our top 5 modern best practices for designing the home office you need. Although people have different office needs, these tips are relatively universal.
1. Location and Layout Are Critical to Strong Office Environment
The environment and atmosphere that your office exudes result from how available space can be used efficiently. It involves much more thought than just what room you’re going to choose as your office.
Take a look at your designated space and make the necessary measurements of your walls and flooring. Don’t forget to mark the places where there are outlets, internal heating fixtures, and cable lines. When you’re considering pieces to add to the office, always analyze from functionality and comfort rather than just appearance. Due to the brevity of your work and the schedule that it entails, your office needs must never be minimized.
Be Mindful of Office Traffic Flow & Distractions
Think about how busy your office is going to be. Will there be continuous guest interactions, or will this be a relatively quiet space? A space that sees a lot of foot traffic
requires more open space in the center of the room and enough table space for more than a single individual—plan for the additional seating options.
Distractions are a significant barrier to productivity, so your space must prevent any instance of distractors. Place your desk in a section of your office that is least prone to pick up on noise. Make sure that it is situated so that you can have a breathtaking view of the scenery of mountains, rather than a TV.
Get A Visual Measurement of Your Office
Whether small or big, offices must make the most of their area; if your office has a lot of square footage, this does not mean that you have to fill it up with more fixtures. Be mindful of the room you have. Consider how you think. Can you deal with having a lot of objects in view? Take the time to strategize and plan before diving deep into the project.
Who Doesn’t Love Some Light and a View?
A view is priceless; it’s also more enticing to have one than to not. Feel inspiration from the beauty of nature and experience the day-to-day hustle and bustle of your community. If you haven’t been blessed with a window, don’t fret. There are many alternatives to boosting light while still giving yourself a view. Although you may not have a window view, you can create a similar feel with canvas paintings and abstract art, colour, pattern, and textures are your friend.
Natural light is a must because it limits eye strain and headaches. If you don’t have a window to bring in the light, try to set up your office so that the lighting is situated further away from your desk. Having too much light will make your eye strain worse. Don’t overdo it with lighting fixtures that drop real low or obstruct your view. Keep in mind that you should try to get the most while doing the least with office lighting. Aim to get the most exposure while remaining minimal in lighting fixtures and products.
2. Utilize Storage and Shelving to Clean Up the Ground-Level
Keep Your Desk As Clean As Possible
You need to have enough room on your desk to write in your notebook or type on your laptop. Therefore, items like filing systems, tech accessories, and writing tools should be kept in drawers or on shelves. If you’re the type to pile papers on your desk, it’s probably best that you purchase a paper basket to organize such. Hey, call Marie Kondo if you need help with organization.
In recent years, much of how we work has changed with the rise of technology; there isn’t much reliance on paper clips and staples. It’s wise to get smaller storage systems for your desk space. Remember to plan for the work you’re going to be doing.
Space is Your Friend, Not Your Foe
You need space to work comfortably. Give yourself the desk and chair space to move efficiently and productively so that when you’re in a meeting or have a tight deadline, you mobility remains unaffected. Doing so requires open room for your arms to move on your desk and for your chair to slide around.
3. Furnish Your Office with Finesse
Make Use of Mementos and Symbolic Items
One of the key methods of personalizing your space is to place mementos and meaningful items around your office. Make the area special and unique to you. Inspiration comes from life travels, memories, and events. These items you have around the office symbolize moments when you felt or thought a certain way. In reflecting on these moments, you may find unlikely ideas that you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.
The Modern Desk and Chair Combo
Since you will spend hours parked in your chair at your desk, there’s no reason to cheap out on such. Choose an ergonomically correct chair because if you’re going to be seated for long periods of time during your work, you need to ensure that your body’s health is being cared for. The desk should be long and wide enough that it fits your computer as well as a notepad for when you need to write notes.
Find Sources of Inspiration
Taking the time to brainstorm new ideas or view different patterns, textures, and colour placements online will help you in the long run. We as humans benefit from seeing what has already been done. Doing so can breathe new life into your ideas and plans for your home office. Dabbling in publications like Architectural Digest, Vogue Homes, Country Living, and Dwell is a sure way to kickstart your planning.
4. Paint the Walls with Colours, Patterns, and Textures
Long gone are the days where muted colours ruled the home office space. Since we all have different interests, hobbies, and experiences, it’s very likely that we get inspired by different types of things and places.
Colour is incredibly vital to your office space. So make sure to plan out your intended layout and atmosphere. This can be done simply through a mood board activity or some online research for inspiration. For the risk-takers, we dare you to think outside the box: patterns and textures!
5. Be Tactical with Technology
Let’s face it. There’s not as much leeway when trying to make technology look clean. With wires, power outlets, and charging cables, how can we keep clean while being innovative?
Keep A Good Distance Between Devices and Outlets
Maintain close proximity between your devices and the power outlets and ensure that such outlets are also not covered by desks or other modern office furniture. Covering outlets and power surges can build up heat. A common practice nowadays is encasing cords with a seal, which enables you to couple wires together. It makes all the difference when tidying up the forest of cables that lie on the ground.
Wireless Technology is Just That: Wireless
Take full advantage of wireless technologies like printers, keyboards, and mouses. Of course, you should still make sure that the products you’re buying are top tier by looking at reviews; it’s smart for you to consider wireless devices over their wired counterparts. The fantastic thing about wireless technologies is that they enable you to move them around your office freely. No longer does one device have to forever stay in the same place in your office. You can gradually play around with different layouts and environments.
All of the practices we’ve laid out in this list require thought and strategy when designing modern office interiors. Think about yourself and what your work ethic is really like. Now strategize what technologies and furnishings could support this. Refrain from cluttering your office with stuff that you simply do not need. But keep in mind, doing the bare minimum is not bad for getting the average amount of work done; it’s also not great for creating unique, impactful work.
Regardless of what line of work you’re in, you’re going to strive for quality output. With a clear plan in mind and an adequate budget, your modern office is just around the corner.
