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New Year, New Home Office: Renovations

Words Barbara Akinkunmi

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As we’ve entered the new year, why not renovate your work area and give it a revamp? It’s really the small changes that make a difference and improve your productivity. If your home or apartment is small, it may seem impossible to have a space dedicated for work, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it work! The aim is to feel comfortable in your own space, hence making work easier. Your home office is a place that should inspire the flow of creativity and allow you to get on with your work. To help you create and update your own inspiring space, here are 10 tips and ideas:

1. Consider the Layout

As you’ll be working with the space you have, organisation is key. Consider areas you could set up, including areas you’ve potentially overlooked – no space is too small to convert into a functional work office. Alongside a functional and inspiring workspace, it should also reflect your unique personality. The beauty about renovations is that it’s tailored to you, and it doesn’t need to look like other spaces! Just needs to be practical, ergonomic, comfortable, and clean. You could even hide your home office under the stairs:

2. Light

It’s always best to position your work area near natural light. If you have windows, put your desk near there – natural light in small spaces makes it feel bigger and keeps the room & yourself feeling lively. You don’t want to have to depend on electrical sources of light all the time, letting in natural light will help your mind and when you feel alive, you’re always more efficient.

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3. Colours

Choose colours that will provide the perfect background for your daily work, hence boosting your productivity. I would suggest that you go for gentle neutral colours, as they help you think better whilst working – different colours affect our moods in different ways, so choosing the correct paint colour is not a small matter! Try a combination of gentle greys, greens and blues, which create a calm feeling, much more encouraging to stress-free working. Alongside your neutral walls, you may choose to have a pop of colour on furniture, accessories or other items. If you would still like to go for colour or textured walls, choose an accent of your choice to add drama, character or depth to your space. Remember, the space should be something you’re comfortable in so if you like a pop of colour, go for it!

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4. Storage

Within your working space, the aim is to have less clutter and no overcrowding. Try to maintain a free space especially within if your home is small. A clutter free space will make it feel large and promotes greater productivity - Tidy house, tidy mind! You don’t want to waste any space by storing things into corners, especially if you’re working from your room. Consider storage such as drawers, cabinets that lead up to the ceiling and storage solution systems that enable you to have a space that works well and looks good! IKEA is well known for these systems. Work notepads and stationery can go into storage holders instead of lying around – this also frees up more space on your table. If you have a printer, this could be positioned on a shelf or even underneath your table! You can also get creative with your storage and DIY functional wall features or alcove office (floating shelves) features. An alcove office is great if you are struggling to find a space working from home, so you could either pay to get one set up or you could create your own.

5. Table

Table – as long as you have a table that’s functional and can hold your equipment, the style is all your choice! It doesn't have to have the usual office look; it can be shaped to your preference. I would suggest getting a table with drawers as it will help with your storage. The key is to pick a table that works with the space you have. 

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6. Chair

You have to choose this wisely as it needs to provide comfort and assistance to your back, especially to prevent long-term health issues. A comfortable chair plays a big part of you working well, so take time to look at a few models before picking one. You could also add accent colours to your chair, especially if your walls are neutral.

7. Framed Photos & Artwork

Frames pictures/artwork – Whilst these make your space beautiful, they will also help inspire and motivate you to work. You could frame quotes that keep you going or photos that remind you of why you do what you do? You could also fill it with vibrant art to energize your space – the choice is all yours! Use removable wall strips to hold your prints up. This allows for the flexibility of changing the look of the wall. I would suggest that you Style a gallery wall against a neutral wall.

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8. Greenery

Fake plants – these are a really nice feature to your space and they can vary in size. This would also be great for plant lovers who want their space to have a personalised touch. If you’re considering real houseplants, think about the light levels it may require and it’s watering needs – you don’t want to stare at brown shrivelled plants, that wouldn’t motivate you at all! House plants will also be beneficial to you as they help purify the air and absorb noise (I bet you didn’t know that!)

9. Additional Screen

If you’re used to working off one screen, try getting an additional screen as this also helps with productivity. Having two screens also enables you to complete your tasks quicker. You may as well get a mouse and keyboard to go with it.

10. Rugs

You could add a rug to your space, whether neutral or bright for a splash of colour. This could be for visual interest and soothing sound-absorption. I would suggest getting a rug with a nice texture/finish, adding more comfort to your feet.