Working from home – some people love it, some people quite frankly despise it. Some people struggle to focus in their own boudoir and some people can’t imagine having it any other way. Where do you stand on the matter?
Many of us are still in the process of adapting to this new work-from-home lifestyle that the pandemic has brought upon us, while some people have been already doing this for years. Many freelancers have been typing from the comfort of their own kitchens or home offices for years, hustling away while the rest of us settled for the commuting lifestyle without a complaint. But things have changed, and more of us are learning that working from home isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Doors have opened and opportunities have arisen for us to work for brands and companies based on the other side of the world, all from our cosy homes.
Creating a productive yet peaceful home office is essential, in order to keep your mind and body happy while you work. Things in the traditional shared office space many of us were once used to are easily taken for granted; standing desks that rise with the touch of a button, tea and coffee available at your disposal, perhaps even a friendly office dog whose shit you aren’t responsible for picking up? All great perks that almost make up for spending over an hour a day commuting. Almost.
This guide outlines some of the most crucial things to nail if you want to design the ultimate home office, whether you’re working on your side hustle in the evenings, working your 9-5 from home, or building your creative empire day to day. Or all 3 – you do you boo.
- Colour scheme
When you plan your perfect home office, a good place to start is the colour scheme.
Maybe you have a colour that goes with your brand (obviously ours is unashamedly orange), maybe you just have a colour that you love, or maybe you want to keep things neutral and go for more of an interior design statement. It might be that you want to have an eclectic mix of colours to elevate your mood when suffering from the dreaded 3pm slump.
Colour can have a huge impact on our mood and productivity, and have a significant psychological impact on us. Generally speaking, lighter colours are preferred for the walls of a home office, to keep things bright and signify to your brain that it’s daytime while you work, so ideally a time to be awake. Neutral tones on the walls can allow you to change smaller decorative accessories and mix things up when you choose.
At the end of the day, it’s all about personal preference. So if you love darker colours and a moody vibe – do whatever makes you feel inspired.
2. Comfortable seat
Having a comfortable seat with proper back support is so important. You’ll be spending a considerable amount of time at your desk, and back problems can develop over time without proper support. It’s vital for your health and wellbeing to buy a comfortable office chair, designed for desk work, if that’s what you need. If your budget isn’t huge, you’d be surprised how many decent office chairs are listed secondhand on Facebook Marketplace.
3. Feature wall
Creating a feature wall can be a great place to glance up at to give you a motivational boost during the day. As it’s your own home, you can decorate how you like, and this freedom shouldn’t be taken for granted – even in your home office!
Hang your favourite artwork, family photos, perhaps even a vision board to remind you why you’re working so hard, or what you’re saving up for. You can get creative and have some fun with this space, and really show off your creativity. Feel free to tag @massiveorangebook in your home office feature walls on Instagram, we’d love to reshare your posts!
4. Standing desk
Perhaps it’s time to invest in a standing desk. Standing desks have a surprising amount of health benefits, including things like lowering your blood pressure, lowering your risk of weight gain and obesity, lowering blood sugar levels and helping to reduce back pain. When the pandemic first hit, a lot of people were surprised at how quickly their back started to ache from either working from the sofa or bed. Investing in a standing desk can help switch up your day when you start to get fidgety and may even help to improve mood (yes you can dance as well as stand, the choice is yours), increase energy levels and even boost productivity!
5. Utilise the natural light
Make the most of the natural light if you have a large window or area that gets a lot of light. This will keep you feeling bright and awake, and there’s nothing worse than sitting in a dark too-cosy room when you’re lacking in motivation. When you work from home, the quality of lighting can help increase your productivity and keep you feeling switched on for longer. Poor office lighting can reduce your energy, dampen mood, cause eyestrain and headaches, and ultimately impair your ability to work effectively. If you are in a darker space, invest in an adequate desk lamp or floor lamp, but aim to diffuse the ambient light to illuminate your office space.
Lampshades soften otherwise harsh light, while an upward-shining floor lamp bounces the light off of walls and ceilings. The goal is to illuminate the entire space without creating undue glare and contrast while avoiding casting shadows.
6. Plants
Plants are good for the home and soul!
Indoor plants don’t just look stylish AF – they can make us feel good too, which is so important when trying to create the perfect home office. Studies have shown that indoor plants…
- Can help to boost your mood, productivity, concentration and creativity (they might as well just promote you to CEO now)
- Reduce your levels of stress, feelings of fatigue, and can prevent sore throats and colds
- Help clean indoor air by absorbing toxins, increasing humidity & producing oxygen
- Are therapeutic to care for! Who doesn’t love a wholesome little plant!?
Certain plants can even help to improve your night’s sleep more than others, such as orchids, succulents, snake plants and bromeliads as they emit oxygen, making them perfect plants for the bedroom (and getting better sleep).
There are certain plants that are ideal for your desk, and will thrive in that sort of environment. The trick is to aim for a low-maintenance houseplant that can thrive in lower light and miraculously survive after a missed watering or two (or five). Choosing an easy plant to care for is crucial – you don’t want to add to your weekly work stress with a constantly dying plant staring you in the face. Try a cactus or a snake plant, apparently they’re pretty straightforward. (Comments from plant experts welcomed below!)
7. Pets – Or home-office-mascot, whichever you prefer.
This one might seem a bit daft, but if you’re working from home and you’re a pet owner, your furry mate could be a prime distraction throughout your working day unless they’ve got a comfy spot to call their own, close enough to you to relax with you, but not literally sat on your keyboard.
If you’re feeling boujee, how about this outrageous Orvis memory foam couch dog bed, pictured left, from £259 for small dogs, £309 for medium dogs and £349, to make your dogs think you’ve lost your mind and be pleased about it all the same. (I also just had to include this one, because my dog’s called Bailey.)
Or, if you aren’t a secret millionaire/someone who’s drunkenly internet shopping, this second choice (pictured below) is not only aesthetically lush and only £45, but also has rather impressive environmental creds too. This Danube Eco Dog Bed (Nest) from Project Blu has converted over 6 million plastic bottles into everything from dog beds to leads in recent years, but you’d never guess this particular bed has been made from discarded drinks containers. The material is incredibly soft, and the low, squashy walls makes it ideal for dogs who love to curl up rather than stretch out. The removable, reversible cushion doesn’t have a zip but the durable material makes it easy to spot-clean. There is even an extra-small size available for people with ridiculously small dogs, like my current self.
If you have any recommendations of brands who do amazing home office decor, or have any storage solutions you’ve found useful, or just something random that’s not on this list that’s helped you be productive, please leave a comment below.
P x
