Work From Home Office Setups for Any Space
- Over the past few years, remote work or working from home has become a more popular practice to the point that it is no longer considered a stopgap measure for millions of people worldwide.
- In fact, even full-time on location workers may also work from home, if they’re very thorough, workaholics or have businesses/side hustles. The point is working from home is here to stay.
- The good news is you can create a functional and productive home office to acclimatise to this new reality. The bad news is that you probably believe you don’t have much space to create one.
- But never fear because that’s why we’re here! whether you live in a studio apartment or a house with an empty room, we are going to give you home office solutions for every amount of space you have.
I Have No Space or I Have Very Little Space
Ok, so if you’re like me, back in college, you probably lived in a room that was about the size of two twin beds, or maybe, every corner of your home just happens to be occupied, that’s fair. For you, we’d suggest the following multifunctional furniture.
Image Credit: IKEA
Multifunctional or multi-functional furniture is quickly becoming a popular sight in many homes. Think fold-out wall desks with vertical storage integrated ($109), coffee tables that lift into workstations or a storage drawer that doubles as a large table ($349). There are endless possibilities when it comes to transforming your living spaces or should I say lack of (sorry).
Image Credit: Amazon
For the wall mounted solutions, you may need to consider the strength of the walls in your home before making a decision. Nevertheless, the rollable solution here is most likely to be more expensive even with different design options, so it’s best to consider what fits in your current home décor before making a purchase.
Image Credit: IKEA
For seating, a storage-ottoman stool could be an option if you have a wall to rest your back. If not and appearances are not a consideration, then any folding chair will do. However, if you prefer an aesthetically pleasing solution then padded or woven foldable chairs could be the go-to here. These would set you back about $79 (left) to $139 (right) for a set of two. However, there are much cheaper options that don’t look as good, unfortunately.
Image Credit: IKEA (left), Amazon (right)
A laptop/monitor stand ($19) or a budget friendly tiered organiser/riser ($24) could elevate the above options, providing more usable tabletop or desktop space for other items.
I Have Enough Space or a Whole Room for a Home Office Setup
In this category, are those capable of carving out a large corner or an entire small room for their home office setups. In this case you could very well look at the recommendations above, although you’d have more freedom for personalisation and increased storage. You’d also have the option to create different work zones for each task you may perform. Our recommendations include the following.
Create task-specific zones: A good practice in this category would be to separate areas for focused work, such as drawing (for technical/creative individuals), or reading/brainstorming to elevate productivity and increase visual appeal. A spacious, minimalist desk like the Huuger L shaped desk ($99) provides enough surface area for computers. It also possesses enough open storage with a flanking arm and power outlet integration for easy access and cable management. While a cozy chair such as the SIHOO M18 or this TRALT would ensure comfort while working. The SIHOO M18 could also double perfectly as a reading chair if a separate reading zone is not an option.
Image Credit: Amazon
Built-in desks, reading nooks/shelves or a whiteboard may help you visually transition between tasks. A room divider or differing wall and furniture colours could be used to the same effect. A calming lavender or sage can boost focus, while an accent chair or room divider can visually separate your workspace from the rest of the room.
Storage: More space means papers, books, and other accessories have a designated home and can be kept out of sight while easily accessible. Use drawers, room divider shelves, and concealed storage options to maximize productivity and utility without inviting distractions.
Image Credit: Amazon
When dealing with lighting it’s best to balance natural and ambient light sources. Placing your desk near a window is a standard practice for best possible lighting and ventilation. You can opt for task lighting via desk laps or clip-on lamps to prevent eye strain. However, be careful not to introduce multiple sources for glare on your monitor or laptop. The best option here would be a chandelier/multi-arm ceiling light or recessed lighting with each light fixture focusing on a particular zone. A multi-arm ceiling light with individual light controls and desk lamps for reinforced illumination would be the ultimate lighting hack for such a setup.
Also, this is an opportunity to add plants to further personalise the space and improve air quality. The same goes for artwork or bulletin boards for inspiration and discipline. The key to making all these design choices is to keep iterating, always start small and build from there. Let’s leave with this: making grand changes can be expensive timewise and resource-wise, so its best to need and then acquire as opposed to acquiring before the need arises.