Life, Styled
What was once just space to check your email quickly or jot down your to-do list, the home office is now essential for many who work from home. This shift from the nice bonus feature to the necessary has caused many homeowners to reevaluate their current condition, with many finding it lacking. Productivity and efficiency are linked to a functional space that gives you exactly what you need to get the job done. Here we share some tips on designing the perfect office away from the office.
Location
The location of your home office is determined by several factors, including your personal preferences, work style, and requirements.
- Do you like to work alone in absolute quiet?
- Do you prefer being near your family if the children need you?
- Do you enjoy an office with a view because it helps your creativity flow?
- Do you require a large area for your current projects?
- Do you need a location that allows you to take calls easily?
These are essential questions to answer as they will help you decide the best place for your office. The basement, spare bedroom on the main floor, bonus loft area, or renovated attic are great options. Be sure to talk with your designer about your office’s specific needs.
Function
Staying inspired to work can sometimes be difficult when you are at home and accustomed to the comforts of your work office. Organization is key to any task, especially when you are working from home. When designing your space, here are some ways to make it a functional and inspiring area.
- Keep it clean: A cluttered desktop can hinder performance because you can’t find anything. Consider having only the essentials, such as your computer, writing utensils, and a current project, on your desk. By hanging a grid on one wall, you can keep some additional supplies like extra papers, work notes, and tacks near but not on your desk.
- Think about your routine: Consider when and how you complete your tasks. Are there certain things you do every morning before moving on to your afternoon routine? Perhaps once you have finished your morning routine, you can put those things away and pull out the necessary items for your afternoon tasks.
- Place things together: When things that belong together stay together, it makes it easier to find and utilize them. Writing items such as paper, pens, highlighters, and paper clips should be kept in a separate bin. Supplies like tape, staples, tacks, and envelopes fit together nicely. Consider adding a shelf with decorative baskets or boxes to help everything have a place.
Your home office is meant to be tailored to fit your unique needs and specifications. When planning for this space, be sure to consider all the tasks you will need to accomplish.
Design Tips
Now that you have chosen the location and functionality for your office space, it is time to start thinking about some of the fun items, the selection of what will make your office yours. It is important that your space reflects your personality, but here are a few things we believe are essential to having a great home office.
- Chair: An office would not be complete without one, yet a person can’t concentrate if they are uncomfortable, which is why you need to find an office chair that works for you. Whether it rolls, has a straight back, or has an extra cushion, it needs to say you, making it easy to go the distance in your work.
- Color: This can have a direct effect on your mood. The color of your office is your choice. Some need a bright space with happy colors like yellow, while others prefer calm colors that help reduce stress, such as blue and green.
- Natural light: This is an essential element for many reasons. Artificial light can only mimic a few of the elements of natural light, which can have negative effects on the mood. Adding some natural light to the room can help boost your health in several ways, so be sure to include it in your design.
- Decor: Be sure to include pictures that mean something to you and art that simulates nature. Blues and greens can help relax the eyes after staring at a screen all day.
Be sure to have a list of things that are important to you written down or even some inspirational pictures ready to show your designer so they can help you find exactly what you need to create that dream office.
Greenbrook DesignThe kitchen tends to be one of the busiest areas in the home, and over the last year, it has become more than just a place to cook food. It has evolved into a multifunctional space where everyone gathers to perform a wide range of tasks. With so much at stake, planning a renovation requires careful thought and well-designed plans. Many designers caution against following the latest trends, but there are a few additional design mistakes they also encourage their clients to avoid. If you are considering a renovation or a new construction project, here are our top five biggest kitchen design mistakes to avoid.
Countertops are often underappreciated and underrated in the design world. They are the true workhorses of any space, as they are used regularly and withstand a great deal. We chop, pound, knead, spill, and more all over these smooth surfaces, yet they continue to function day after day. Unfortunately, they are not meant to last forever. Experts recommend replacing them every 10 to 15 years, especially if signs of wear and tear are evident, such as stubborn stains, chips, or cracks.
Walker Woodworking Sometimes, certain areas of home decor have been influenced by trends that are no longer in style and can make the space feel dated or even uninviting. Rooms also serve a specific purpose, and those can change over time. If your children are no longer living with you, their bedroom can be transformed into a craft room or even a guest suite. There are also some new things that are making their way onto potential homebuyers’ lists. We have done some research for you and discovered some of the top new items being used in home design.
It is always fun to watch those home improvement shows. It is always a delight to watch designers come up with a plan that completely transforms the space from drab to fab. Often, after watching those shows, you have a tendency to look around your own home, wishing you could give it an update, but a renovation is not conceivable at the moment for one reason or another. The good news is that you don’t have to undergo a renovation to give your home a lift or freshen it up; sometimes it’s the little things —the details —that can completely revamp your space and make a big impact without breaking the bank. Discover six simple ways you can freshen up your home and even make it feel completely new without going through a renovation.
Here are some steps you can take to ensure your kitchen is healthy and ready for creating dishes that are not only delicious but also beneficial for your family’s health. We know that it is not always easy to stick with the decision to be healthier, but with a well-designed kitchen, it can be. With over twenty years of experience, our design team is well-versed in planning a kitchen design that functions well for your specific needs while also reflecting the style you will love. We serve more than 15 counties and invite you to visit our 5,000-square-foot showroom, where you can walk through multiple kitchen displays to get a feel for the possibilities that await you. Connect with us and let’s start planning a healthy kitchen design.
