Create the Perfect Home Office

Create the Perfect Home Office

The idea of working from home would be a dream come true for most. Being able to roll downstairs in your pyjamas, stick on the kettle before you get to work in the comfort of your own abode. However working from home can be a distraction and so there are some steps you can take to ensure working from home is a success and does not just turn into a waste of your time and consequently your money. Therefore it is necessary to put some thought into your home office and create a space and system that works for you. Why not start off with our top tips?

1. Keep Distraction at Bay: Think about where you are going to create your office and try not to see it as a secondary space. You will be spending a lot of time working in there so situate it in an
   

   

   area if your house where you would be happy to spend a lot of time. Furthermore, you want to steer clear of areas of the house where you will be susceptible to distraction- do not plonk yourself within the hub of the house like the kitchen or lounge.
2. Light Up: One thing to take into consideration when choosing your office space is to choose a bright room, not a dank basement. This will decrease stress levels whilst simultaneously avoid eye strain. Task lighting for your desk area is essential, especially if you find yourself working into the night. Smaller lamps, especially SAD specific lamps will help enhance your mood during the dark winter months
   

   
3. We Need Space: You do not want to end up cramped in a small space as you will feel claustrophobic and frustrated. It’s great to be able to spread your paperwork over a large desk and a small one can often suppress the imagination. An L-shaped desk is a great space creator and also a space saver in regards to not taking up a huge amount of the room. Make sure you also have filing cabinets, shelves and various other office tidies so that you avoid a depressing, cluttered office.
4. Style and Comfort as well as Function: Decorate your
   

   

   office so you actually enjoy spending time in the space. Put pictures on the wall, a fluffy rug on the floor, photographs on your desk and use trendy cable tidies to hide unsightly cables and maintain the aesthetic of your office. Plants in your work space are also a great idea as it has been proven that they can reduce stress levels and increase productivity. The most important thing however is a comfortable chair that offers sufficient back and neck support. You do not want to associate work with pain as well as stress!
5. Keeping Up with the Joneses: It may be expensive kitting your office out with the latest technology but it will be limiting for you if you do not have access to things you would in a communal office and put you at a disadvantage in comparison to your competitors. A good telephone with caller ID, a quality colour printer, a scanner, a digital camera, a fax machine, a high speed internet connection are essential. More specific equipment will be dependent on
   

   

   your role and industry. This of course also goes for the software downloaded on your computer. The Microsoft Office package is a good place to start as can provide you with Outlook for a comprehensive email system, Word as a word processor, Excel for spreadsheets and PowerPoint for presentations. Again depending on your industry, there may be more specialist programmes you need to download and ensure you do so, so that you do not end up short changing yourself by working from home.
6. Separate Business from Pleasure: The distinction between home-life and working-life can easily become blurred when the two take place under the same roof. There are two ways that you can help to avoid this. Firstly have a separate work phone-line. If you have the same line you
   

   

   might avoid the phone in the evening when friends and family try to call or generally find you can never get away from work. Set up an afterhours answer machine like you would in a normal office to draw a line under your working day. Secondly organise client meetings in a coffee shop or hire executive hotel suites for more high profile rendezvous’. If you welcome business relate people into your house, you could negate the vision of your home as a sanctuary.

Follow this advice for a successful home office space. But remember this will only work if you are disciplined with yourself. Set a daily schedule based around your peak times of productivity and make sure you stick to it. There is no point putting effort into a tranquil, yet highly functional space if you are not going to put the effort in to make it work. And remember it is not too late to transform your office from a dank and dull hole. With a little bit of reorganisation, new accessories and a lot of paint, you can transform your office whilst simultaneously reinvigorating your working perspective. Believe me, the results will be well worth it.

Lucy Carswell is a Blogger and Marketing Assistant at Edward Baden Office Relocation. Edward Baden is an international company specialising in business relocations, working alongside its sister company, Cube Self Storage. A storage company, specialising in secure document storage and climate controlled storage for fine art and fine wines.