With self-employment and flexible work opportunities on the rise, more Australians are opting to work from home. Whether you work from home everyday of the week or even just a few hours, it’s important that your home office is a fully functional workspace that’s both simulating and inspiring, to help boost your productivity.

A home office is one of the most complex rooms to design in a home. Unlike other areas of our homes that are designed for relaxation, and enjoyment like living and bedrooms - a home office is designed for work and productivity. Your home office should be a creative and inspiring space that encourages a comfortable and positive working environment. 

With the start of the new financial year upon us now is the perfect time to think about allocating some of this years’ budget to upgrading your existing home office or creating a new work space that encourages productivity and supports successful working habits. 

Whether you run your own business, study from home or simply use the space to catch up emails or bookkeeping, here are some tips to create the perfect home office space. We hope it provides you with the information you need to create an office space that will allow you to produce your best work.

The Team at Balnei & Colina

 

Image credit: Tongue & Groove

Seperate work & living

Home offices come in many different shapes and sizes. The key to selecting the right location for your home office, is to think about where and when you do your work. If you are a busy mom, perhaps a desk area in close proximity to living and outdoor areas may be the ideal work space to keep an eye on little ones. Others may want to select a room that’s away from the daily flow of activity and household distractions.

Creating a dedicated workspace helps minimise the distractions from family, pets, TV, and all the other home activities that might compete for your attention. Balnei & Colins suggest appointing a dedicated room for business activites to provide a distinction between life and work.

Besides the practical aspect of a seperate workspace, physical boundaries also help maintain mental boundaries so that your two lives don’t overlap. Whether your home office is located in an annex, a small bedroom or in the corner of a room, having a place to “go to work”, gives your workday structure.

Choose a room or location in your home that can accommodate every aspect of your business, allowing for tech, supplies and equipment close at hand. It’s important to have room to move within the space and to complete your daily work tasks.

Design Tip: When selecting a location for your home office think about whether you’ll be using the space for meetings, or greeting customers. Choosing an area on the main floor, close to the entrance of your home means that you don’t have work visitors tracking through your home.

Image Credit: De Rossa Sa Architects

 

Image credit: Gia Renovations

Efficient design

When planning a home office design Balnei & Colina always start with gaining an understanding of what work will you be doing in your office and what features would help you more productive. 

The first step is to define your design style and ensure it relates back to your overall home design for a cohesive look. You can use cabinetry finishes and accessories that are the same as those throughout your home to help tie your overall home and office style together.

A design specialist will work with you to establish a layout maximises efficiencies such as workflow but that also meets your unique needs and tastes. Incorporate designated spaces for different tasks, for example areas for meetings versus work to help minimise clutter and strengthen your focus. 

All working elements such as filing, storage, computer system, lighting control, charging stations and printer should be at arms reach. This will help keep you stay focused as well as being ergonomically sound. Allow enough space to work comfortably, with enough room to move side to side, stand up and sit back from your desk. A simple rule of thumb professionals use to lay out a workstation is to allow 150cm in width and 210cm in depth for movement.

Design Tip: Ensure you have enough power outlets and place cabinetry to allow easy access to them. Determine whether you will need power boards or cord management solutions.

Image Credit: Post Formula

 

Image credit: Sivak & Partners

Smart storage & organisation

One of the most important rules in designing a home office is ‘no clutter’.  And, there is no better way to achieve this than through custom designed storage solutions that are tailored to the type of work you do and the way you work. 

Storage is often overlooked when designing a home office and really affect your productivity.

Make sure to include enough shelving, filing cabinets or cupboards for your storage needs. Consider your work flow and ensure you locate your filing system nearby. Don’t forget reference materials - if you use manuals, catalogs or reference books, locate a shelf near your desk to keep them close at hand.

Having good storage and good organisation options will not only help you keep your home office neat and tidy, but will also help you be organised - saving you time by providing you a structure that allows you to find work items quickly and efficiently.

Design Tip: Floating shelves are a stylish alternative to bulky bookcase and add plenty of space for all your go to files, books and manuals.

Image credit: Studio Wills & Architects

 

Image credit: Crib Creative

A meeting place

If appropriate, allocate a small meeting area for clients or colleagues that visit during the day. If not, plan for some additional seating in your home office design to allow for sit-down meetings. This can be as simple as 1-2 comfortable chairs, which are easy to pull up to your desk area.

Design Tip: People often spend more time at their desks than anywhere else, so finding a chair that encompasses quality and design should be priority. Comfort is essential, so look for chair that fits your body, is adjustable and offers full back support.

Image credit: Design Rocks

 

Image credit: Palmyra Kitchens

Task & Mood Lighting

Good lighting is critical for any home office space. Allowing as much natural light as possible into your workspace decreases things like fatigue and headaches while increasing productivity. 

When setting up your home office, try to position your desk near a window to reap the benefits of natural light. To avoid the natural creating shadows we recommend aligning your workstation in the north or south direction. You can also position your desk to face the windows to minimise glare from your computer screen. You can enhance natural light by including a mirror and by keeping most of your walls a light colour.

Apart from assisting with illumination for everyday office tasks, lighting can also help to create the perfect office mood. An overhead ceiling light will provide good general lighting and provides an opportunity to add some personality. A pair of open-top floor lamps placed in the corners of your room will do the same. Include a desk light to provide shadow-free task lighting during the day as well as additional lighting for the evenings.

Image credit: Emme Designs

 

 

Image credit: Design Me Too

Reduce unruly wires

Nothing makes a home office look or feel more cluttered than wires hanging from your desk and running everywhere. Take control of your technology with these simple tips:

• Add a wireless router - you’ll reduce wiring by half
• Invest in a wireless printer and mouse
• Add a grommet in your desktop to lead any words from your desk down below

Photo by Michael Moran for AD

 

Image Credit: Studio McGee

Accessorise & Personalise

Another positive about working from home is that you determine your overall home office look and feel. Although productivity is the aim of your home office adding personality is important and one of the reasons we add personal photos and personal trinkets to our office cubicles at work. 

Match your home office with the design style of your home. Make your home office a place that’s a pleasure to work in. Inspire yourself with things that motivate you - a special photograph, an artwork, or even your favourite quote. Include these personal touches when you plan your home office design. It will brighten up your day as well as encourage flow of thought.

Still unsure how to create a functional and stylish home office? Book a design consultation today with one of our design experts on 1300 450 320, contact us via balneiandcolina.com.au or email info@balneiandcolina.com.au

If you’re looking for further inspiration and ideas for your next home renovation, signup to our newsletter or connect with us on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date with the latest design trends. 

Image credit: Blackhaus Studio