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.
We use it every day but hardly pay any attention to it, yet it can impact the overall design of the home. We are, of course, referring to your flooring, and its importance should not be overlooked or underestimated. It is the largest design element in the home, which means it tends to serve as the foundation of the look and feel in the room. It has the ability to make or break your space and is subconsciously the first thing we notice in a room. Since it is used consistently, it must be durable and functional for the particular area, whether slip-resistant or waterproof. Flooring should also complement the overall design style you choose and be carefully considered before finalizing your choice. Here are some aspects to remember when making your selection.
The kitchen backsplash tends to be overlooked during the planning session for a renovation, but it has a big impact on the overall look of the design, and it should not be underestimated. To many, it may seem like such a small element, but it has the power to bring style, class, and protection to the heart of the home. When walking through a model home or flipping pages in an interior design magazine, the kitchen always has a backsplash that often draws our eye. Coming in multiple sizes, styles, and shades, the kitchen backsplash has come a long way from being a simple surface to creating a glamorous highlight that immediately draws the eye.
Walker WoodworkingThis deficiency has led to a readjustment of space, a call to renovate the home, and to provide a more functional design for everyone. There are also other reasons motivating homeowners to reevaluate their current living situation, such as greater flexibility at home, an open concept, personal space, and plenty of storage. While kitchens and bathrooms are still among the most renovated areas in the home, new emphasis is being placed on four additional sections in the home, which we want to highlight today.
Walker WoodworkingYou love your home, but there are some areas that are no longer working for you, if they ever did at all. You have made the big decision to renovate your kitchen, to give yourself the space you have always envisioned, but it feels overwhelming. How do you know which layout will work best for you? Which style best represents you, and what wood type will pair perfectly with certain colors? The kitchen can be a more difficult renovation because it involves multiple facets, such as plumbing and electrical. Adding in the appliances, lighting, and cabinets decisions can be enough to make your head spin. Planning is a critical part of a kitchen renovation, making it a key area of focus, which is why an experienced designer can help you accomplish your dreams on time and on budget.
James Martin Vanities has not disappointed us but provided many of our clients with a bathroom vanity that suited their unique needs, and the shorter lead times have allowed them to get the upgrades they needed within their timeframe. Our goal will always remain to provide our clients with the best possible products that fit their project, whether that is a custom, semi-custom, or predone option like the James Martin Vanity. We are here to assist you in finding the vanity that works for you, which is why we offer a variety of options. Are you ready for a change? Come visit our showroom where we have multiple vanities available for you to browse, and if you like one, you can take it home with you.
