If you work or study from home at times, you’ll be needing a dedicated space to flex your skills and intellectual muscle. A dining table or kitchen island can suffice, but to really get into the work zone, carve out a nook to accommodate your computer, paperwork, many leather-bound books… Whatever you need to succeed.
We share our top tips for creating a dreamy home office space — even when you think you don’t have any to spare!
1. Create a WFH corner
Scout out unused areas in your home: can you ‘borrow’ unused space from a landing, hallway or under the stairs? As long as you have a laptop and wireless connection, the fitout can be as simple as a desk, chair and overhead shelf.
2. Work by a window
Position your desk near a window and keep heavy window treatments to a minimum; light sheers or a diaphanous blind are as dense as you want to go.
3. Build shelving into your study nook
If you’re fitting your office nook into an alcove, look to build in to make the most of your space; consider cabinetry and shelving from Bunnings and IKEA and secure to the wall to maximise available space.
4. Extend the role of existing spaces
A bench seat, fitted with rails to suspend hanging files, can do double duty in a small area; ensure the seat cushion is well padded for comfort. If you are borrowing your dining table as an office desk, set up an office ‘work zone’ with office supplies and an ergonomic arrangement each time you begin and pack it away when you’re finished for the day.
5. Invest in home office furniture
It isn’t necessary to have an office chair, but it’s important that it’s comfortable and include office furniture that is ergonomically sound for long periods of sitting, which a simple dining chair may not offer. Likewise with your office desk — ensure the seat height allows your feet to rest flat on the floor and your thighs to stay parallel to the floor and you should have ample back support, allowing for the natural curve of your spine.
6. Blend storage with your surroundings
If you don’t have room for a conventional filing cabinet, pick pretty storage solutions such as coordinated boxes to keep your home office storage and paperwork under control and mess at bay.
7. Add good lighting to your WFH space
You’ll need a desk lamp, but in an on-display nook, plump for a model that delivers targeted task lighting as well as striking good looks.
8. Decorate your home office nook!
Style up your home office just as you would any room in the house. Hang wall art, keep an eye out for what’s new in your favourite stationery retailers and make the effort to create an inviting space. A nook lined with wallpaper or painted a different colour can look amazing, and define the area as a spot for separate tasks.
