5 tips to set up your home office

Hi everyone – can I tell you a secret? Once upon a time, I had a blog about architecture and interiors. And in that blog, I wrote several articles that are still relevant – but they are all in Portuguese 🙈 as it happens, one of the posts I wrote nearly eight years ago was about setting up your home office – back in the day, it was the domain of freelancers, self-employed and a lucky few but in the post-pandemic world, I thought I could bring an updated version of this post back to life 🙂

One of the biggest advantages of working from home is – along with ditching the commute and saving time and money – that you can personalise your space however you like to suit your needs. To help you in this task, we have 5 tips to make your home office a place you look forward to using every day!

1. Choose your space well

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There are many things to consider and there isn’t a right or wrong answer to this question. Do you want to be close or away from the TV? Or the kettle? Do you want a room with a view? Is it going to be a dedicated office or a shared room, with multiple uses? Do you work on a laptop or desktop? Do you need any equipment, like scanners, printers, copiers? This reflection and planning is the most important part of setting up a work space at home. Remember: even a nook can be used, as long as it fulfils your needs adequately.

2. Pick the right furniture

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Ergonomics is really important – don’t underestimate the damage that can be caused to your health by using the wrong chair! But you don’t have to forgo your style and get ~~ugly~~ office furniture: most home furniture retailers have a home office section, where you can choose from a variety of furniture styles to match your tastes and your home.

3. Hot desk

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If you are not lucky enough to have a dedicated space for work, one solution is to “hot desk” at your dining or kitchen table. This solution can particularly good for people who work a hybrid pattern and still go to the office a few days a week. While it is not as good a solution as a separate work space, it can work: these tables tend to be spacious and make a desk – plus, the fact that the table is used for other purposes forces you to tidy up your ~~mess~~ work things every evening.

4. Pay attention to lighting

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Light is one of the most important things in any environment, but it specially important in the work environment. Natural light is hands down the best option: it provides the best possible light and it helps regulate the body’s cycle. Position your desk by a window, making sure you don’t have issues with glare on screens. In winter, after the sun goes down, we recommend a ceiling light and a desk light, to make sure you have enough light for your work (don’t be like my husband, who thinks working by the computer screen light is enough! 😀 ).

5. Let your personality shine!

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Pegboards. Cork boards. White boards. Quotes, pictures, fairy lights, washi tape – all the things you wouldn’t be able to use in the office. This is your space, free your imagination!

Hope these tips are helpful – but you still need help with your home office space, you can give us a call or send us a DM, we are always here to help with your space planning and decorating dilemmas.