First published: 2 May 2022 @ 6:00 pm
Home offices are no longer just for the elite and are now an affordable and practical choice for a growing number of homeowners.
We have gathered together some great tips to help you make the most of your home office space renovation.
Photo by Roman Bozhko on Unsplash.
What is A Home Office?
A home office is any room in your home that you use for work. If you work from home then this may be your living room, kitchen, or even the spare bedroom. It doesn’t have to be big. Most home offices have around 100-200 square footage in size.
In our experience, the best office design ideas include tips such as it has to be well ventilated and well lit. They also have good storage space and a large desk area.
At the end of the day, you want to be able to sit down, relax and get on with some work!
Why Do I Need an At-Home Office?
If you’re anything like us then you may have always worked from home.
You probably have found that it is really convenient to be able to just get on with your work wherever you are in the house.
However, we would argue that it’s not always possible to sit down and focus properly when working from other rooms in your house.
This can make it difficult to get any real work done as often you’ll find yourself distracted by other things around the house such as kids, pets, or household chores.
This isn’t ideal if you want to make progress on a big project or write up some new content for your blog. The most important thing to consider when deciding whether or not you need a dedicated home office is that you can get work done while using it, not how grand the office ideas are.
If you don’t find yourself distracted with all the things going on at your house, you might benefit from only using a desk chair in the corner of the room.
Tips for Getting The Most Out of Your At-Home Office
Here are some practical tips for making the most of your at-home office.
Make sure you have a comfortable desk area
This will help you focus and relax.
Try to keep your desk free from clutter so that it is clear what’s where and you can keep an eye on it.
We recommend investing in a quality writing desk as this will be your home office for a long time to come.
For a calculating business owner, it’s worth investing in something stylish too, if you’re happy with it then it will feel like home when you sit down to work!
Light is key
Having good lighting in your at-home office will make working more enjoyable.
In fact, research has shown that bright light can boost productivity by up to 45%.
Don’t forget about storage
Having good storage space around your desk is important as it helps keep clutter out of sight and means that everything can be kept in one place.
When we were thinking about the kind of things we needed for our own home office we decided to go for some heavy-duty drawers.
We also found that a magnetic rack was really useful as it allowed us to hang our keys, scissors and tape.
The other great thing about storage is that it means you can easily get rid of clutter when you’re done working.
Where Should I Put My Desk?
Depending on your lifestyle and the space available in your home office you may want to consider the best place for your desk.
Ideally, this will be somewhere where you can keep an eye on it and not have it hidden away in a corner.
If you’re not sure where to put your desk then we recommend looking at some pictures of offices on Pinterest and getting an idea of what is good and bad practice.
If possible, we would recommend finding somewhere that has a good flow between different rooms in the house so that when people are in the kitchen or living room they don’t see your desk as they pass by.
For example, if you have a bedroom in the basement then try to find somewhere else in the house that is adjacent to it so that people can walk past without noticing.
Photo by Jeff Sheldon on Unsplash.
A useful tip for choosing where to put your desk is to take into account how much space there is available for storage. For example, if you have a small bedroom then you may want to put your desk in there.
If you have a bigger bedroom or study then you may want to consider putting it in the living room.
If you’re working from home and have an office at work then it’s likely that you will have your desk at work and this is probably where it should be.
Tips for Creating A Great At-Home Office
Here are some practical tips for making the most of your at-home office.
Start small
We would recommend starting with just one room, don’t rush into doing too much too soon.
If possible, we would recommend using the space that is being used as a living room, kitchen, or spare bedroom. This way you can use this space for all sorts of things such as cooking, relaxing and entertaining guests.
Make sure that any new furniture has been properly fitted
Especially drawers!
There are a lot of pieces of furniture out there but not all of them are built to last so it’s important to check out any pieces before purchasing them.
Also, make sure that they have fitted correctly all furniture before moving anything around as it could cause damage to other items around the house.
Keep it clean
This is one of the most important things to consider when renovating your at-home office. You don’t want to have a space that is dirty and messy all the time.
If you have a nice desk then you should always try to keep it neat and tidy. We recommend using a quality cleaner and paper towels as these are easy to find and also can be replaced when they get used up.
Make sure that any items around your desk are easily accessible
Especially if you’re using something like a laptop computer.
This means that you can easily get at them without having to leave your desk area.
How Much Should I Spend on My Home Office Renovation?
The cost of an at-home office really depends on what kind of furniture you decide to go for, how much storage space you need and how many drawers or shelves you want! However, you should expect to spend at least $1,000 on the entire project.
Find The Right Furniture for Your Home Office
We hope that this post has been helpful in giving you some practical tips for getting the most out of your at-home office.
Whether you are renovating a bedroom, living room, or spare bedroom, or just want to start a new office at home, we would recommend making sure that you get the most out of your space by creating a well-ventilated and well-lit area.
Our blog, HandyWork, has plenty of helpful posts that can help you find the right furniture for your home office. Find your favorite now at HandyWork!