Three Simple Ways to Create a Happy and Productive Home Office

Working from home is the new normal for many. Does your home workspace completely support you?

A home office space whether a dedicated room, corner of a bedroom, in an alcove or on the kitchen table is a really important space. Your home working environment needs to work hard for you:

• The right environment promotes productivity and creativity.
• A space you love will motivate you to work.
• You can make and emotional connection to the space and therefore your work.
• You can bring your branding to life in a physical space.

But most importantly of all it should make you happy.

Here are 3 simple ways to boost your home working environment.

1. Claim Your Space

Carve out another area of your home as a dedicated space so can create a boundary between work and family time. It’s all too easy to blur the lines between work and leisure. Create a physical space and time for both. Organise your storage to make sure you have enough to hide away all your stationery, papers and documents. Go paperless as far as you can. If storage is challenge look at the portable draw units that can be wheeled away at the end of the day. If you have to work in your bedroom, use a screen to hide your laptop tor computer so that your rest is not interrupted.

2. Light it up

Light is critical for workspaces. A badly lit space can cause eye strain and headaches. Can you locate your desk closer to a window to make the most of the natural light in the space? However, be aware if the orientation of the the space and avoid the glare of direct sunlight that can inhibit productivity. Desk lamps are brilliant way to provide focussed task lighting and are a cheap and easy way to improve your lighting. If you are working from home for the very long term I suggest you upgrade the ambient lighting in the room to ensure you have a consistent source of good light. The light temperature (Kelvins) can be adapted to suit your needs. If you work with colour you can introduce daylight temperatures.

Related to lighting is power – make sure you have enough sockets to support all your equipment and charging needs. Avoid the hazard of extension cables if you can!

3. Add colour to make it your own

You have free rein to use whatever colours you need to get your work done in your home office.

Here are the best colours to use:

Brown – promotes stability and security
Light blue – promotes creative thinking
Dark blue – promotes focus and concentration
Green – restorative and rejuvenating

Colours to avoid or minimise:

Red – this can over excite
Orange – can make it difficult to concentrate
White – can feel sterile and isolating

Finally, remember that colour is not just what is on the wall – it’s also chairs, curtains and accessories. Choose a combination of colours that work for you and if you feel you only need a hint of a colour then use them in stationery, plants or flowers.

Have fun creating your workspace. If you need any further guidance please get in touch studio@grovedesign.london