How To Design Your Home Office
Designing an interior office space can be challenging, to say the least. It's a small part of the home that has now become a crucial staple to a house in 2020, with many of us working (and learning) remotely.
In this blog post, I’m going to walk through the steps you can take to design your perfect home office to create the best working space for yourself in your home. I’ll also be sharing about how I approach it for my own house! (These answers might be different for you!)
First principal - Design the room based around how you want it to FEEL.
For me I’d say it’s an area where I’d want to feel comfortable and inspired, so that I can keep my work flowing. What makes you feel that way? For me its a chair with good support (function > fashion), a nice throw for when I get cold, a coffee mug warmer and some fun artwork.
Second principal - Create an office space that will support your work style, and help you to focus on the tasks at hand. What is the necessary furniture for your work?
In my professional I have a LOT of paperwork, it is very much NOT a digital business - there are notes from sub meetings, design sketches, custom ideas etc. A file cabinet, dividers, folders and LOTS of drawers were details I had to shop for, that maybe others don’t have to. Identify these items and make a list for when you are furniture shopping!
Third principal - Emphasize focus on the paint color and the lighting.
A work space is more than just a desk and computer, the ergonomics matter! Is a bright color wall going to enhance or distract your child from their homework? Is a 2600 lumen light bulb going to make the space a little more sleepy than a 4000 lumen light bulb? Will the fancy light fixture have enough light or do you need a floor or table lamp too?
Overall, properly designing a home office requires making sure that it blends well with other rooms in the house. When done thoughtfully, your home office will feel like an extension of the rest of your house, rather than a guest bedroom or spare room.