The reality of working from home
I don’t know about you but working from home, seems like a dream. But all too often for those working from home, it’s a bit of a pain, literally! Most people thought a temporary situation during the pandemic would revert back to the norm, but it didn’t. Many didn’t invest in a suitable office space, instead making do at the kitchen table, perched up in bed, or awkwardly angled on the sofa. This has caused much discomfort.
We put up with this discomfort, as working from home has many benefits, for the company. You selfless lot!
Having said that it’s still a dream for many to carve out a better place of work. Toolstation reported searches for outside buildings were up by 500%. It’s not surprising as often there’s more than one adult working from home.
No matter where you set up your home office, be it a converted garage, shed, spare room, or a corner in the living room. There’s a desire to make it more usable and stylish. If you have a home office set up that’s taking up space in a room then it should really be styled to fit with your decor.
View all homeware products.
Setting up your home office
What are the most important considerations for setting up a home office?
Practicalities
First things first the office has to be fit for purpose. Having said that if your desk is in the living room you’ll no doubt want it to fit with the overall decor. A utilitarian office look just isn’t homely enough.
Facing the wall may not be right for those who do a lot of zoom meetings. With your back to the centre of the room, you’ll show lots of clutter. No judging family lives can sometimes be messy. Yes, you can put an exotic backdrop but why not consider placing your desk across the corner of the room? That way you only need to keep that small triangle tidy.
View all Furniture.
Equipment
Another option is to opt for a screen that has the added benefit of having some acoustic merit. We’d suggest noise-cancelling headsets are especially important. Home life going on around you can be particularly noisy. Especially when trying to concentrate on your client or the big boss.
Invest in a good office chair and with some options available you can be comfortable and stylish.
Lighting
A lamp is a must! Although screens are bright you still need a lamp to brighten the space around you. The difference in light levels from the screen and darkness around it brings too much contrast and this strains the eyes.
Explore Office Lighting.
Styling
Elevate the entire look can be enlivened if you style it like any other part of your home. Enhance by making it an enjoyable space to be in. Scents can calm you, or uplift your mood it’s worth considering having a different scent for work. It helps you adjust your mindset when you sit at your desk.
Scent Scaping
Scents have strong associations, a smell can take you right back to a memory super quickly. Scent scapes it seems are a thing! Like landscaping where your put plants that work well together or use them to zone your garden, scents do the same around the home. If you smell the same calming smell in the lounge when your workday is done you quickly learn to relax faster.
Discover all Reed Diffusers and Scented Candles.
Current Home Office Trends
The trend for home offices is to have soothing colours, softened with plants, light, and scents making your workspaces nice to be in. Caring for your wellbeing is so important, especially as working from home gives less opportunity to be away from work. Stress-relieving calm colours, soothing smells and brightness all contribute to stress-busting.
The top tip for anyone working, resting and playing within the same four walls is to change things up, re-arrange ornaments, buy a new cushion, or have plants that breathe freshness into the space. Plants are lovely as they grow they change up their look, notice the small changes a new leaf, a flower, or better still have a herb and harvest your crop. Plants are stress-busting masters and the trend continues to grow for bringing the outside in.
View all Foliage, Flowers & Vases.
