Creating Your Ideal Office Space At Home

If you’ve recently realized that you can’t go on working from the sofa or dining table any longer, then you’re probably ready to install a home office. But it’s one thing throwing a desk and chair together and quite another to create your ideal home office.

Here’s a few things you should be thinking about:

Where to locate your home office

Attics or lofts are perfect for converting into a home office. They will keep you away from distractions in the rest of the house and create a nice divide between work and home life. You will need to check you’ve got enough roof height and that you can install some windows. And you’ll need to make sure you’ve got the budget for other attic or loft conversion costs, such as insulation, electrics, a new staircase, and solid flooring.

Installing a garden room could work just as well too. And it could be cheaper to build. But you’ll need to make sure you’ve got enough garden space and check whether there are any planning restrictions in your area.

If these won’t work, what other spaces could you use? A spare bedroom, a playroom that your kids have outgrown, a small ground floor extension, or a converted garage or utility room. These are all good options.

And what if you can’t free-up a whole room? Then you’ll need to look at areas of the house where you can create a work zone instead. It could be in a large hallway, under the stairs, part of the dining room or part of a bedroom. These aren’t ideal, so you may need to use flexible screening or introduce some house rules so you can work without distractions.

What to put in your home office

Once you’ve got your space sorted, you’re going to need to furnish it so that it functions well. You can’t simply expect a desk and chair set against one wall to cut it.

So, where do you put your desk and chair for the best working conditions? Well, you need to be where natural light falls, but not so that sunlight reflects off the screen. And you may need some good blinds or shutters, so that you can filter strong daylight during brighter days.

You’ll also need to be close to electrical points or have extra points installed, so you’re not trailing cables across the floor. Work out what needs plugging in. Is it just a computer, or do you have a desk lamp, printer, and other equipment to plug in? Cable tidies could be useful to keep it all neat.

Are you going to be decorating the walls? If so, you don’t want a glossy brilliant white gleaming back at you, yet you do want a light sheen to reflect the daylight back into the room. Think about light colors in a satin or silk finish.

Compact desks are great when you need to save space, but they could be uncomfortable to work from for long hours. You could find yourself hunching with your legs tucked under your seat, which is not ideal. Measure out what space you have and try to find the best solution to fit that space. The desk surface space, room underneath and storage should all be considered.