Working from home definitely has its benefits. Whether you’re self-employed or work remotely for an employer, it is nice to have a well-designed, balanced home office where you can focus solely on work. If you recently purchased a new home and are working to design and furnish your office space, our real estate agents have a few helpful tips to share.
- Start With the Desk
Just as the dining room table is the focus of the dining room, the desk is the focus of the home office. So, you’ll want to choose and position your desk (and chair) before you design anything else. If possible, shop for desks and chairs in person. This way, you can sit in a few and choose one you find comfortable.Bring the outdoors in by positioning your desk by a window. That said, you also want to choose a location that doesn’t result in sunlight being cast across your screen.
- Use Calming, Soothing Colors
Let’s face it: Work can be stressful. It’s much less stressful when you’re in a space that helps you feel calm, cool, and focused. Choosing the right color scheme can ensure your home office gives off that perfect vibe.Pale blue, cream, and gray are great home office colors. You could add some burgundy or forest green accents if you prefer deeper colors. For the most part, you want to avoid colors that will excite and elevate your stress level, such as orange, red, and bright yellow.
- Place Important Things Within Reach
While it is a good idea to get up and walk around periodically throughout the day, you won’t want to cross the room whenever you need a certain book, a pen, or a notebook. So, make sure you place all of your essentials within easy reach of your desk.Having a nice bookshelf or even a basic chest of drawers near your desk can help with this. Both options tend to look nicer than a filing cabinet, although there are certainly some stylish filing cabinets available these days.
- Personalize, But Not Too Much
You do want your home office to have a few personal touches that make you feel at home. You don’t want your home office to have so many fun, personal photos and souvenirs that it ceases to feel like a place where you work.Where do you draw the line? That’s really up to you. But in most cases, two or three personal items or photos are enough. Save the others for living spaces like your bedroom or bathroom.
- Include Task Lighting
In a home office, you want good overhead lighting so the space feels open and illuminated. But you’ll also want to include some task lighting, such as a desk or floor lamp.Look for a lamp that won’t get in your way. Also, choose white light bulbs over those that emit a more yellowed light; they look more natural.
- Hide Paperwork
Nothing makes an office look more cluttered than stacks of paperwork on the desk. It can be hard to avoid in some cases, but you should at least have spaces to stash paperwork away when you want to tidy up.A set of drawers, a good filing cabinet, or even some partially enclosed cubbies are great for this.
We hope these office design tips come in handy! If you’re still looking for Port Washington homes for sale, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our agents will be happy to help.