Making ‘work-from-home’ more productive!
In our previous article, we discussed home design’s evolution has changed the way we live our lives, and how architecture design practices have largely not kept pace. This is especially true when it comes to working from home.
Though “work from home” has gained much more popularity in recent years, it is not a new phenomenon. However, much like other aspects of the home design industry, the home office has a lot of catching up to do.
Table of Contents
- Your couch is not a home office workspace
- Home office designs that don’t ‘look’ like an office
- A home workspace should serve the home professional
Your couch is not a home office workspace
Your couch is not a workspace and your kitchen countertop is not a desk.
In any modern home design, there is no reason for the office/workspace to be an afterthought.
When you allow work to infiltrate the areas where you relax, cook, or sleep, the whole harmony of your home is thrown off.
Your home office should not be completely cut off from the rest of your home though—that would also not be in harmony with your home. If peace and quiet are essential to your work, consider putting your office somewhere away from the main living spaces, like in the back of the house or on the second floor.
Similarly, if you like to take breaks outdoors, consider a home office design that features a private door to your garden or patio. Privacy does not have to mean dark and windowless.
Putting an office in the corner of your basement or a room that looks like it could be a closet is not the solution. Your workspace should inspire productivity and creativity. That means open space, natural lighting, and access to fresh air.
Home office designs that don’t ‘look’ like an office
Your home workspace should not be your bed, your couch, or your kitchen countertop, but that does not mean it has to fit the traditional mold of what a “home office” looks like.
Thinking of a home office, we immediately picture a desk, bookcases, a swivel chair, and so on. Of course, a home office can have each of these things, but the reality is that a lot of people do not work well in that kind of environment.
This is one of the many appeals of not going to a corporate office, so why try to recreate it at home?
In addition to elements like natural lighting, fresh air, and an optimal location, your home office design should be unique to your needs and conducive to your productivity.
A home workspace should serve the home professional
If a home office doesn’t look like an office, then what does it look like?
The style of your workspace, like every other space in your home, should be primarily driven by its purpose.
For example, if you like to stand while working, your desk should give you that ability. Additionally, if you take frequent breaks to move around or meditate, there should be space for that, allowing you to stay in that “working” mindset without sacrificing mental health or risking potential distractions.
These home office design elements, like an unconventional desk or access to the outdoors, can then become beautifully designed focal points that contribute to comfort, aesthetics, and productivity.
If you work from home, chances are that your home office is where you spend most of your day.
If this isn’t the case, then it may be because it has been poorly designed.
Contact us to work with a talented designer to create a home workspace that is in harmony with both your needs and the rest of your home.
