5 Tips for Your Modern Home Office Design
The pandemic has made 2020 the official year for “working-from-home.” At the beginning of the year, we all found ourselves in transition, dealing with many firsts – one of these being the quick shift from working in an office to working from home. According to CNBC, companies like Google have announced that workers who don’t need to be onsite can extend their work-from-home arrangement until the end of the year. Other companies, like Twitter and Facebook, have committed to letting their employees work remotely forever if they choose.
Before you start planning your modern home office design, here are a few questions to ask yourself:
How do I work best?
What will I need to store in my office?
How will I work with other members of my household?
What roadblocks could I encounter as I work to meet my goals from home?
What would help the space feel personalized for me?
What office equipment will I need?
Once you’ve answered the questions above, you’ll be ready to turn your dream home office into a reality. Here are my top 5 tips for designing a modern home office.
How To Create a Multifunctional Workspace
When you think about your perfect modern home office, you might envision a workspace that offers convenience and flexibility in function. The good news is that you don’t have to upsize your home office to get additional utility out of your current space. With smart space planning and a little creativity, you can pack more function into your space. These are the steps to planning for a multifunctional space:
decide what you’d like to use the space for and plan accordingly.
Space planning is a fundamental part of the interior design process. It is an assessment of how a space is going to be used. You’ll want to consider who all will be using the space and what they will be using it for. For example, are you wanting a modern home office nook and a couch in your space? Maybe you want your space to have two workstations and a reading window. You might even want your workspace to double as a guest bedroom. Once you know how you want to use your space, you’ll be able to create your plan.
Tips for space planning:
Think about the structure of your room. What are the main focal points? Windows, doors, built-in units? Are those focal points balanced? If not, think about how you could balance the structure of the space with the furniture you chose.
Think about space in terms of volume. For example, if your room was a fish bowl and you added in a desk, couch, bookshelf, additional seating and a coffee table, you’d displace some of the water. Make sure you’re not overfilling your space.
If you’re planning your layout for a small space, make sure you buy furniture that fits the proportions of your room or choose furniture with legs to give the illusion of more space.
create a design plan and put it on paper.
Once you have your space plan, you’ll be able to create a sketch of your room that clearly defines the zones of your space as well as the activities that will take place in each zone. When drawing your sketch, you can also use arrows to indicate circulation patterns in the space and then make notes about any furniture or equipment you plan on including in the room.
Tips for space planning:
Plan your furniture with a scale drawing of your room. If it helps, you can cut paper shapes to size and place those in the room you’ve drawn out to work out the best possible arrangement of furniture.
Use arrows to indicate circulation patterns to ensure your space follows an easy pathway from the door to all of the other activity areas.
Once you’ve decided what all you’d like to use your workspace for, planned your space accordingly and put your design plan on paper, you’ll be ready to choose furniture for your multifunctional workspace.
How to Choose Furniture for Your Home Office
Once you’ve completed your space planning, you’ll know if your space will be intended for one or multiple functions and then be able to pick out your furniture accordingly. What you know for sure is that you’ll need office furniture that will fit in your space well and be comfortable so that you can complete your best work. Below are my tips for choosing the best office desk and chair.
office desk
First and foremost, your home office will be intended for work, so you’ll need a designated workspace. If you don’t have a built-in workspace, then a traditional desk will work well for you. According to Alan Hedge, professor of ergonomics at Cornell University, the surface of your desk should stand 28 to 30 inches above the floor. Then, to make sure its the right fit, you’ll want to sit at the desk, lean back slightly and make sure you keep the following tips in mind:
Your eyes are in line with a point on your screen 2 to 3 inches below the top of the monitor frame.
Your hands are resting flat and straight on both the keyboard and mouse.
Your elbows are bending at or near 90 degrees, and both your elbows and your upper arms are resting close to your body instead of reaching forward.
office chair
For your office chair, there are countless options for you to choose from, but the best office chairs offer more than just comfort. Below are tips for finding the best office chair for you.
look for a chair that offers good lumbar support.
The best office chairs will have support for the lower back and even have adjustable lumbar support that allows the user to fit the chair to their lower back.
find a chair that offers multiple adjustable features.
Almost all office chairs have a height and arm adjustment, but these are not the most important adjustments to look for. Features that should be adjustable include lumbar support, arm width and height, seat back width and height, seat and back angle and tension control.
choose a chair that will roll well on the flooring of your workspace.
If your home office is carpeted it may be necessary to get a chair with wheels specifically made for carpet or a desk chair pad. Being able to maneuver well in your chair will help prevent strain caused by reaching across your desk to retrieve items.
select a chair that has a swivel base.
All office chairs should swivel freely to allow for easy access to various parts of the desk. If the chair doesn’t swivel freely, arm fatigue can result from overextending to reach various items.
look for a chair that offers breathable fabric.
The fabric should be breathable to keep the chair from becoming warm after sitting in it for hours. It should also have enough cushion to support the person sitting in it without feeling the hard base of the chair through the cushion.
How to Maximize Lighting in Your Home Office Design
When it comes to your home office, you might be focused on more of your big-ticket items like an office desk or office chair. Lighting can tend to be an afterthought, but the fact is that poor lighting can cause eyestrain and headaches, and it can definitely have an effect on your mood. Below are tips for maximizing lighting in your home office design.
layer your light sources to accommodate all of the activities in your home office.
Most of your tasks like reading, working at a computer, talking on the phone and video conferencing will be focus-intensive tasks that cannot be well-lit with only one light source. It will be best to create lighting layers, and you can start by illuminating your office with an even and soothing warm overhead light. You can light your office with your main overhead lighting and supplement your lighting as needed with table lamps, task lamps, pendant lights or lighted wall sconces.
avoid glare and shadows by focusing on your light placement.
The placement of your light source is important, as it could create unwanted glare and shadows. For instance, an overhead spotlight situated behind you can result in glare on your computer screen. To avoid shadows created by task lamps, place the light on the side opposite from the hand that you write with – if it's on the same side, your hand and arm will cast a shadow.
when taking advantage of natural light, use blinds and strategic positioning to reduce eye stress and brightness from your windows.
Natural light improves the ambiance of any room, which, in turn, helps enhance focus and productivity. If your office furniture is not positioned with intention though, at certain times of day, direct sunlight can create an overwhelming glare on your computer screen. To reduce glare, you can install simple translucent shades. If there’s a window in your home office and you’re working at a computer, the best position for the computer is on a desk that’s perpendicular to the window. Placing your computer in front of the window can cause stress to your eyes because the brightness from behind may create too much of a contrast.
use dimmers to adjust light levels throughout the day for eye health and productivity.
Minimizing glare and contrast is the key to reducing eye strain. Harsh artificial or natural light is what creates the monitor glare that tires our eyes. Having your lights on dimmers and hanging light-filtering shades on your windows allows you to adjust light levels throughout the day as needed.
If you need assistance getting the right amount of light in your space, contact us at MOOD Design + Build, and we'll discuss design options that will maximize lighting so you can accomplish your best work.
How to Organize Your Home Office
We can’t talk about home offices without mentioning organization. For most, having a messy workspace can increase stress, zap energy and lower productivity. Below are my tips for decreasing your stress and increasing your home office organization.
find an organization system that works for you and stick with it.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or redesigning an existing workspace, you’ll need a good organization system for your desk and work materials. There are many tools out there for you to organize your office materials including a file rack to store paperwork, a trash bin, a recycling container o a shredder and a filing cabinet. If all of your files are digital, then set aside some time to make sure your documents are organized well and be able to eliminate old files.
keep your desk clear by moving your office equipment off of your desk.
You’ll want to keep visual clutter out of sight by moving unnecessary equipment out of your way. You can do this by choosing a monitor that has a built-in computer. You can also sign up for an online storage service and back up your files online. Not only will this protect your files, but it will also allow you to remove any extra storage devices you have on your desk. You can also save desk space by purchasing all-in-one equipment, such as a printer, fax machine and scanner that performs all jobs and saves you desk space.
get rid of cable clutter.
Cables, while needed, can leave your workspace looking cluttered. Try reducing the number of cables in your way, or get rid of any electronic equipment you use infrequently or not at all. You can also reduce the numbers of visible cables by using wireless mouses, keyboards and printers. You can bind any remaining cables together with cable ties or Velcro wraps so they stay in one place and out of your way. Route the wires through the hole in your desk and make sure they're all behind your desk and away from open areas of your floor to prevent someone from getting tripped up.
In the end, you can never truly be too organized – we can all discover new ways to keep our home office desks organized. Having an organized office and life will keep your mind clear, focused and ready for anything that comes your way. Learn more about how you can rearrange your life to prioritize organization.
Ways to Personalize Your Workspace
It’ll be important to focus in your home office, but it’s equally as important that your office interiors energize you and bring you joy. When you begin your home office decorating, don’t forget to incorporate a few personal items and décor elements that highlight your style. Below are my tips for personalizing your home office.
personalize your space with photos of loved ones.
One of the best ways to feel at home is to surround yourself with images of those you care about, and you can do this by adding a single framed photo of your family, friends or pets to your desk. You can also take it a step further by creating a photo gallery wall in your office to show off your loved ones. As you go on new adventures or have new experiences, don’t forget to rotate your photos out. It’s great for your personalized space to continually evolve!
add a plant to your home office.
Bring the outside in and remove toxins from the air with an easy-to-care-for plant. Pothos, aloe and snake plants are just a few great options that are pretty easy to care for. Make sure they have the right amount of water and sunlight, and you’ll be able to enjoy your office plant for a long time to come.
accessorize your workspace.
You always want to make sure your workspace and the items in it are functional and able to help you get your job done, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add your some style to your space! There are several small ways to add your personal touch such as using a special mug or jar to hold your office pens, use a unique or antique box to hold your business cards or put your air-purifying plant in a planter that is your favorite color.
personalize your space, but keep it professional.
Adding personal items into your home office will make you feel more comfortable and happy, but try not to go overboard. Remember to keep your computer, office phone, pens, paper and any other work tools handy, and don’t crowd your desk with too many photos or knick-knacks.
Personalizing your workspace is important because it will allow you to feel comfortable and motivated in the space. The good news? Personalizing your home can be done on any budget. With little time and effort, you can make any space your own and be ready to succeed day in and day out.
Whether you’re updating your residential office interior design in Chicago or designing your modern home office elsewhere, we hope these design tips will allow you to have a healthy work environment that you can excel in. When you need help perfecting your office in a commercial or residential interior design context, MOOD Design + Build in Chicago, Illinois will be ready to help in person or through online interior design. Learn more about MOOD Design + Build’s interior design services today, so we can get to work on your new modern home office.