Guide To Improving Your Home Office Space

By Larry Bohan on 21 May

 

2020

While some of the

 

UK’s workforce will have already been well accustomed to working from home pre-Covid-19, the current pandemic has forced hundreds of thousands of first time remote workers to set up office in their bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms.

Unlike the seasoned WFHers with their work stations all ready to go, the suddenness of the current situation has left many people sitting with questionable postures

 

on their dining room chair at whatever four-legged surface happens

 

to be free.

Trying to get your remote set-up

 

the best it can be now and moving forward

 

has become vitally important, with

 

proper

 

home offices

 

now as

 

desirable

 

as a new kitchen or

 

bathroom.

Relaxed and comfortable, this space should be one that maintains the boundaries between work and home life with everything you need for your job in the places you need them. Get it right and you should see and feel immediate improvements in comfort and

 

productivity.

Making an Instant Change

Extension and renovation projects might be limited at the moment, but

 

this does not mean

 

impactful changes cannot be made as we're

 

forced to be more creative with the space at our disposal

 

in designing a unique, purpose built work area that ticks all the boxes.

Stylish Space Saving

Two of the biggest

 

challenges remote workers have with their

 

work stations are space and comfort.

 

Although the opposite can be true for some people, the ‘cluttered desk, cluttered mind’ cliche can ring true and

 

create

 

a feeling of unproductiveness.

 

Regardless of whether you are the clean or tidy desk type, wall storage units

 

can offer the perfect solution for housing

 

computer equipment and paperwork where it can be seen and easily accessed instead of sprawled across the desk or bundled in a drawer to be forgotten about.

It can also be used for shelving books and ornaments to help create a space you want to be in rather than have to be in.

For work that requires a more visual approach, a wall planner or chalkboard can be used for

 

jotting down to-do lists, motivation, ensuring you don’t miss appointments, and again, keeping a clearer desk space.

An ergonomically designed chair can have a massive impact. Make sure its comfortable and supportive, and can be adjusted to different heights so that your screen is in line with your eye gaze.

 

The more comfortable the chair, the happier you’ll be to put in the hours at your desk.

Think Outside The Box

 

If you're struggling with distractions in the kitchen or lounge, look in other parts of the house

 

for a more independent and secluded spot, for example,

 

under the staircase.

 

You don’t need a great deal of area beneath the stairs to incorporate a desk, small chair and some

 

built-in shelves.

It is essential, however,

 

to factor natural lighting into any plans. Exposure to daylight has been proven to do wonders for mental and physical wellbeing. More on these benefits and some tips on brightening a work space can be found in our blog

 

How To Make The Most Of Natural Daylight At Home.

If the sun and its glare on your computer screen is becoming a hinderance, make sure

 

your desk is facing out towards the window if possible. This will also encourage

 

you to pause and look outside into the distance after long periods staring at a screen.

If you can't do some work

 

outside or don't have a garden, bring the indoors in and clean the air

 

by adding a plant or two to your work top, along with a space-saving clip on desk lamp for when the evenings start getting darker and artificial light is required.

Adding or Converting a

 

Room

With working from home set to become more of a norm looking

 

to the future, now could be the perfect time to consider planning for

 

a brand new office/study in your home to truly maximise your WFH potential.

Home Office Loft Conversion

Loft conversions are the most common route to the ideal home office. Lots of houses

 

already have empty or wastefully used roof spaces that are structurally sound with sufficient headroom to be converted into a

 

habitable room, or are at least not far off being so with a bit of work.

Lofts come in all shapes and sizes,

 

some more than complex than others,

 

but this can be turned into an advantage with a bit of thoughtful

 

design and the right fitted furniture.

For storage, use all of the space available to you, such as in the

 

eaves. These can be ideal

 

spot for both a wall cabinet or book shelves.

Roof window conversions are rightly regarded as the cheapest type of loft conversion and

 

often do

 

not require planning permission.

If you'd love

 

to be able to step away from your desk, grab a coffee and look out at your surroundings, top hung windows

 

are the perfect choice in that they

 

open

 

all the way out for

 

uninterrupted views.

 

If you're not sure if your loft can be converted,

 

what building regulations apply or how many windows you will need, see our Essential Checklist for a Successful Loft Conversion.

 

Create an Outdoor Haven

If you don’t have an extra room above you for your new office, think about where else you might be able to add a room that can be used exclusively for work.

 

Two popular options are garden offices and garage conversions.

As with lofts,

 

garage conversions can often be done without

 

planning permission and can be fitted out with insulation, power sockets, a comfy carpet and rooflights to create a comfortable and healthy working environment.

You might want to consider extending your home’s air conditioning system and upgrading your Wi-Fi if you can. The same applies to garden offices.

Whether converted from a shed or built new, garden offices can provide an idyllic outdoor work retreat in an environment of your

 

choosing. From the colours of the walls to bringing in a fridge and coffee machine, garden offices provide complete autonomy from the rest of the house while still being close enough to enjoy its home comforts.

Outdoor offices can be professional,

 

spacious and completely private. This is perfect

 

for holding meetings and seeing clients

 

within easy access to the garden and the benefits of being surrounded by daylight and nature.