Working from home is not going away anytime soon—in fact, it seems like the trend of having a home office is here to stay. Whether you are permanently living the dream from your house or toggling between the office and remote work, your concentration levels likely change in each space. If you are trying to figure out how to decorate your home office for maximum productivity, you will find that there are many factors to consider.
As more people work from home, the office becomes an extension of the home. You want to make your home office welcoming and comfortable in the same way that you make your cubicle at work more personal. Follow these guidelines to help set yourself up for success when working from home.
Establish Your Workspace
Use a Multi-Purpose Workspace
Choosing the right place in your home to establish a workspace can be tricky, whether you have lots of room or a small space. If you put your home office in a large room that serves multiple purposes, use room dividers for privacy. Home offices often share space with a guestroom, your bedroom, or your housemate’s office.
Pro Tip: You may also want to choose a room with a door to prevent noise and other disturbances from pets, children, or roommates.
Use a Small Workspace
Use the limited space in your apartment or house to create clever office areas. Find an empty wall and put a desk against it. You can even use a closet if you need privacy. Work with walls and vertical space by hanging shelves and using tall bookcases for storage and decoration.
Find Good Lighting for Your Office
Try to find a well-lit location for your home office. While your basement or dining room may have the most available space in the house, it probably doesn’t have the best lighting. Choose an area of your home that receives good natural light. Natural light boosts your mood and productivity. Sunlight increases the body’s serotonin and melatonin production, so if it’s not too distracting, consider sitting near a window to improve your concentration.
Use Ergonomic Office Equipment
Since you will spend about eight hours each day in your home office, you’ll want to be comfortable. Investing in ergonomic home office furniture and equipment provides you comfort and will save you from future injury. Repetitive strain injuries (RSI) cause conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, and herniated disks that could cost you down the road.
Find an adjustable chair that supports your spine and comes with maneuverable armrests that allow you to keep your arms at a 90-degree angle. Your wrists should be straight when typing and using your mouse. Further, you should be able to firmly plant your feet on the ground with your upper legs parallel to the floor.
Pro Tip: Relax your shoulders while working to maintain good posture throughout the day. Take occasional pauses to make sure your shoulders aren’t hunched over or scrunched up around your neck.
Organize Your Desk
Half the battle with ergonomics is knowing how to use your equipment. Avoid hunching over your keyboard or laptop by using a monitor or laptop stand that helps you elevate your head and neck. Your monitor should be arm’s length away and at the same height as your line of vision. Further, you should be able to reach the things you need easily throughout the day without much effort.
Pro Tip: Use a standing desk to get blood flow to your legs throughout the day. Adjustable desks are great to use during meetings or for an hour or two during your day.
Change Your Home Office Design
Decorate Your Home Office With Plants
Sometimes, deciding how to decorate your home office for maximum productivity is as easy as adding a few smart decorations. A study by Texas A&M found that “being around plants helps people concentrate better in the home and workplace.” Houseplants clean the air around you and bring a taste of the outdoors inside.
Decorate Your Home Office With Personal Items
An inviting home office should include items that make you happy. If you don’t like plants, don’t decorate with plants. You can use personal items like collections, heirlooms, and keepsakes to remind you why you are working so hard. Fill the walls, bookcases, and empty spaces on your desk with items such as:
- Framed photos of loved ones
- Artwork
- Tapestries
- Knickknacks
- Motivational posters
- Greetings cards
Clean Your Home Office
Improve your concentration at work with a clean space. Declutter and tidy your workspace at the end of each day and each week to maintain the productive workspace you’ve set up. Organize mail, notes, and other documents so that you don’t lose track of them and cause yourself stress.
Pro Tip: Keep items near your desk that will help you keep the area clean. Trash cans, bulletin boards, and various desk organizers may come in handy.
Eliminate Distractions in Your Home Workspace
No TV In Your Home Office
Television makes excellent background noise while you’re doing chores, but it’s not great for focused work. It is easy to get sucked into a show, especially if it’s one of your favorites. Save TV for after work when you are ready to wind down and can enjoy it more.
Use Noise-Canceling Headphones
Regardless of whether you like to listen to music throughout your workday, you can minimize distractions with noise-canceling headphones. If you share a home or reside in an apartment, a condo, or a townhome with shared walls, noise-canceling headphones can drown out any obtrusive sounds. The headphones can tone down the sounds of street traffic, construction, and even voices. Some come with a white-noise feature that allows you to tune out the world around you.
Developing your home office is a journey you can enjoy. You have the freedom to customize your home office in whatever way you like, which is a luxury many employees don’t have in a traditional office setting. Focus on the positive parts of working from home—like curating your space—when you are feeling stressed at work. The Great American Home Store sells all sorts of home office furniture in Memphis, TN, to help guide you as you decorate your home office for maximum productivity. Contact us today, and let a designer help you pick out the perfect furniture pieces for your home office.
