When you design a home office, you need to be sure that you’re creating a space you want to work in and somewhere that is going to help inspire you towards productivity every day. There are many major benefits to working from home, but there are also a few downsides too. By creating a top quality space, you’ll go a long way to overcoming the potential pitfalls.
Of course, this is your office and you have the freedom to be as creative as you like! You don’t have to follow trends if you don’t want to, and you can create something which adds in nods to your personality and allows you to feel inspired on a daily basis. However, understanding the huge pitfalls to office design helps you stay on track.
Let’s check out a few things to avoid and that leaves you free to go ahead and create the perfect spot for productive home working.
Pitfall 1 - Placing Your Office Too Close to Your Living Space
Yes, your home office is going to be in your home and therefore in your living space, but you shouldn’t site it too close to where you sit and watch TV at night or where you sleep. These are key areas that can easily upset your home and work-life balance. If your desk is in sight of the TV, you’re going to be thinking about work when you should be chilling out! At the very least, make sure it is behind you when you’re sitting at night, and if possible, choose a spare room.
Pitfall 2 - Choosing an Area That’s Too Small
Whilst you don’t need masses of space for a home office, you do need to have enough room for your office desk and chair and you need to make sure that you have space to get up and move around without banging your legs or falling over. Sitting in a too small space will affect how you feel about work in your mind too, so bear space in mind when you’re planing where to put your office.
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Pitfall 3 - Making it Look Too Commercial
You chose to work from home and whilst you probably did that due to your lifestyle and any responsibilities you might have, if you wanted to work in a commercial office, you would! That means you shouldn’t design the office to look like you’re back in the open plan space. There are some really creative and funky home office design ideas you can look to emulate, that really make working from home a joy.
Pitfall 4 - Not Having Enough Storage
You need a small amount of storage for your work materials and if you don’t have this, your desk is never going to be clear. That’s going to mean your space is cluttered and you’re more likely to lose things. Make sure you factor in space for storage when designing your office. This can be something as simple as a small wooden cabinet - it doesn’t have to be a metal filing cabinet!
Pitfall 5 - Choosing a Desk That’s Too Small
It’s true that home offices are smaller than regular offices but that doesn’t mean you have to be cramped up on a very small desk that isn’t big enough for your needs. How about a corner desk? These are ideal for home offices. However, whatever you choose just make sure it’s big enough for your computer, anything else you need, and large enough for you to actually work without becoming stressed at a lack of space.
When designing a home office, avoid these pitfalls and you’ll find that your space is not only enjoyable but super-productive too.