BY TAHREEM SULTAN
Working from home comes with its challenges, and the biggest of all is finding the motivation. It doesn’t matter if you’re a pro who’s been working remotely for years or someone just recently trying it out. The first step to getting things done is dedicating a proper work-space within your home.
It makes no difference if your dedicated work-space is an office or a quiet unused corner somewhere in your home; the design should boost creativity and help you get your work done. Ample natural light, interesting color combinations and comfortable furniture are all-powerful and positive elements that can convert any area of your home into an idea incubator.
Read on for tips for creating a beautiful and practical home office design to boost your creativity:
1. Nature-Inspired Home Office
A nature-inspired home office design is calming and relaxing. Try to create a well-balanced home office that is functional, ergonomic and clean. Add lovely plants for fresh and clean air, wooden chairs, or a wooden table to give it a natural feel. Feeling connected to nature brings out creativity.
Cool and fresh textures on the wall will create a garden-like experience. Also, add a dose of nice colors by using a large fig tree, a vase of roses, succulents or other foliage. These beautiful, yet easy to maintain, plants will help you feel calm and they will also purify the air of your work area from toxins.
2. Give Yourself a View
If you have a wide window in your workspace, position the desk in front of it, so when you glance up from your laptop screen you can stare at something more interesting than a blank wall. But if the room has no windows, you can hang an exciting painting or a family photo above the desk or simply position your chair to face the door.
3. Lighting Your Space
Bright ideas start pouring in a brightly lit room. If your home office doesn’t have enough natural light, add ambient lighting, task lighting and accent lighting. Look for ways to brighten your work-space like filling the room with neutral furnishings or painting the walls a clean white shade. In small office spaces where floor and desktop space is limited, you can use narrow pendant lighting; they also can provide a more laid back mood by putting on a dimmer.
4. Add Your Personal Touch
You can make your home office a true representation of your personal style as you can be creative with mixing colors and patterns without worrying about your colleagues. Think beyond the standard neutrals and opt for bold shades that are sure to spark creativity. Add beautiful art pieces to turn your home office into a space where anyone would feel happy to work.
5. Adjustable Office Desk
Sitting and working all day is not good for your health, it’s better to arrange a space where you have an option to sit or stand. For this purpose, use a standing desk; a standing desk’s height can be adjusted from sitting to standing position. Add multi-purpose shelves and storages to organize your files, documents, and other work-related materials.
Working all day in your home office can lead to back pains; a convertible standing desk provides you with a great solution for all the problems related to sitting and helps you stay focused on work.
6. Make It Comfortable
Make your office space welcoming, but not too cozy that the moment you come in, you feel like taking a nap. Neutral-colored walls combined with wood flooring, plants, and some kind of textile, like blankets or throw pillows create a simple, yet cozy, working space.
7. Organization Is Key
Organizing your desk and home office space is a must; it helps you stay focused, and it also establishes a clear separation between business and home. Add vertical and horizontal shelves to be creative with your storage space. Moveable storage like floating shelves are not only decorative, but they also take up less space. Adding labels to each box and drawer makes it easier to find what you are searching for.
Almost everyone has to bring work home, whether that be some files on a laptop or a pile of paperwork, it becomes even more vital to have a dedicated work-space. It’s great to design a little space as your home office for this purpose. Your dedicated space should have sufficient natural light, plenty of bright colors and a refreshing view. A consciously designed home office can stimulate productivity and creativity. Try to make a practical, comfortable, ergonomic and simple design where you want to spend more time being creative and productive.