If you’re self-employed or happen to have the type of job that allows you to work from home, then good for you! Working at home can come with its fair share of benefits. For starters, you don’t have to worry about commuting costs, and you don’t have to spend your mornings sitting in traffic. Working at home also, in many cases, takes the whole “dress up” element out of the equation. Instead of regularly donning business slacks and a collared shirt, you can probably get away with a sweatshirt and sweatpants combo (or the seasonal equivalent). Working at home also gives you all-day access to the comforts of your household environment. Instead of taking your lunch break at the company cafeteria, you can enjoy some hot food at your very own kitchen table; and if you happen to have a pet at home, then you won’t have to worry about abandoning it from nine to five.
While working at home can be a wonderful option, you will need to set up a proper home office in order to ensure that your job – whatever it might be – actually gets done. Mark Needleman is the owner and design director of Signature Interiors, and over the past 15 years, he has helped plenty of clients set up home offices to best suit their needs. The following are his tips on how to design a home office:
Designate a dedicated space
If you’re going to be working from home for a significant amount of time each week, then you’ll need to designate a dedicated room in your house as the official home office. One of the most important facets of a home office is none other than the presence of a door. If you need a reasonable amount of silence to do your job, then you’re going to want the option of closing yourself off from the rest of the household to enable yourself to concentrate. You should also consider setting up your office in a corner of the house that won’t be too distracting. While it’s nice to have an office with a window, you might want to steer clear of giving yourself the option to stare out into the busy street. You’ll also need to invest in window treatments to ensure that outside commotion and morning sunlight won’t impede your day job.
Give yourself room to work
If you’re going to be working from home on a regular basis, then you’ll need an area that offers you enough room to comfortably do your job. Rather than cram all of your office furniture into a tight area, try converting an area of your basement or using an unoccupied bedroom as your office space. Also, make sure that the space you designate allows for the proper equipment to be set up and stored; this includes an ample-sized desk, a proper filing cabinet system, and whatever electronics are part of your working world.
Let there be light
One of the most important aspects of a home office is a proper lighting setup. After all, the last thing you’d want is for your work at home privileges to turn into an eye-straining liability. When mapping out your options, remember that you can’t always count on the sun to provide natural light. Instead, you’ll need to set up floor lamps or overhead lighting fixtures that will enable you to properly see your files and computer screen.
Invest in a good chair
If you’re like most people, then despite the fact that you get to work from home, you’re probably going to be putting in an extended series of eight-hour days. Since you’re likely to spend a good part of the workday in the seated position, you’ll need a comfortable chair to ensure that you don’t injure or strain yourself as you go about matters of business. In fact, out of all of the things in your home office that you could possibly spend some extra money on, an ergonomic chair is easily your best investment. When selecting a chair, try to find something that is suitable for all seasons; while a leather chair might seem comfortable at first, you might not appreciate it during those long summer months.
Keep things as business-like as possible
One final thing to keep in mind when setting up a home office is that you’ll want to make the area as business-oriented as possible. Your office should therefore contain only the items that pertain to your actual job. Unless you happen to be a television content analyst, there’s no reason to stick a TV in your office. Remember, if you’re interested in actually keeping your job, then you’ll need to create an environment that allows you to regularly focus on and accomplish your workload.
