More than 1.5 million people in the UK work from home, according to the Trades Union Congress. And, with another 4 million people wanting to join them, this number is only set to rise. But, when you first start to work from home, it can be difficult to get into a productive mindset. That’s why having a home office that’s fit for purpose is so important.
Here, you’ll find my top three tips for transforming one of your rooms into an office that you’ll love. I’ll tell you about some design tricks you can use to help keep your productivity up, and also outline how to make sure the space suits your requirements. Read on to find out more.
Think carefully about the colour of your walls
The colours you’re surrounded by can have a huge impact on your productivity, according to the colour affects system devised by psychologist Angela Wright. This means that your choice of colour should depend on what kind of work you’ll be doing in your office. For example, if you work with numbers every day, blue tends to be the best colour, but yellow is a more suitable choice if you have a particularly creative job.
However, it isn’t simply the colours themselves that can affect your behaviour — it also has a lot to do with the intensity of them, according to A Life of Productivity. So, if you would like to limit the risk of getting distracted while you’re working, it’s best to paint the walls of your office with a subdued shade of your chosen colour.
Choose your furniture wisely
If you want to be happy in your office, the furniture you choose should suit both your needs and style. For most home workers, buying a desk and a good-quality chair should be top of their to-do list. There are lots of things you need to consider when picking these out, such as how long you’ll be spending at your desk each day, and whether you use a laptop or desktop computer. Lifehacker has a guide to choosing the perfect desk for you, which does a great job of walking you through the process step-by-step.
While your desk is where you’ll do most of your active work, it’s a good idea to create a comfortable space where you can think and read, too. If you have room to spare, an armchair or small sofa is perfect for this. Having a designated spot in your office where you can take some time out to think will help you to avoid straying into your living room where you could get distracted by your television or the kettle. Making sure you have everything you need in one space is going to help you stay focused and productive.
Ensure you have plenty of storage
As the saying goes, a cluttered space equals a cluttered mind. And, this has been proven by a study carried out by Princeton Neuroscience Institute. According to the research, if you work in a messy environment, you’ll find it very difficult to be productive. This is because a cluttered space gives your brain too much to process at once, which makes it hard for you to concentrate. Therefore, when designing your home office, you need to ensure that you incorporate more than enough storage so you don’t have piles of papers and a jumble of equipment to deal with. Everything should have its own place, and you should tidy everything away at the end of each working day so you can start afresh the next morning.
Your storage solutions don’t need to be boring, either. Ideal Homes has a list of 40 home office storage ideas that are both innovative and stylish. So, be sure to check that out for some extra inspiration.
If you’re new to working from home, or have grown used to it and are looking for a way to increase your productivity, designing your own home office is a great idea. Take these three tips on board and you’ll be well on your way to designing the perfect workspace for you.
Matt Deighton is the Managing Director of Timeless Chesterfields, a manufacturer and retailer of bespoke furniture. Here, he shares his top three tips for creating the perfect home office.
