When you are lucky enough to be able to invest in a dedicated room to set up an office at home, there are a few rules to follow to make it both attractive and functional. Because decoration is also that, being able to create an atmosphere that inspires us but also and above all in which we feel good every day! Teleworking, self-employed, more and more of us are working at home. So, if you are lucky enough to be able to enjoy an entire room, I offer 20 tips for setting up an office at home!
1. Take care of the desk layout in the room
To set up an office at home, the first thing to take into account is the layout of the desk in the room. You will be spending several hours a day there, so the view from your chair needs to be taken care of! Some advise placing the desk facing a wall to facilitate concentration, but it’s all a matter of taste! If you prefer to enjoy the view like me, nothing prevents you from positioning it in front of a window.
In any case, place the desk close to it as much as possible to benefit from natural light. If you are working on a screen, avoid having windows behind your back because of the reflections: prefer a window in front or to the side, and invest in curtains or blinds that allow the light to be filtered. If the size of the room allows it, having the desk in the middle is the best option! Also, avoid having your desk with your back to the door.
2. Optimize storage
Plan open and closed storage according to your needs. Place items you use less in closed storage to visually lighten the space. If you use materials or documents on a daily basis, place them about an arm’s length away from your office chair. This is the ideal distance to have everything at hand!
If you are starting out in your business, supermarkets now offer modular storage : a good option to avoid having to change for lack of space later! Also consider the desk with drawers or storage boxes that slip under the desk to keep your documents nearby.
3. Plan a work surface adapted to your activity
Do you need an adjoining work surface in addition to the main office? Of great depth? of a tilting plane? Set up an office according to the answers to these questions, creating an additional work area if necessary. You can even make one to measure! The trick is to turn to the kitchen department! Finally, also think about the material of the desk: it’s not just the visual aspect, the touch is just as important when spending several hours with your hands on a desk.
4. Don’t neglect the light
Artificial light is just as important as natural light in designing a home office. Vary the light sources and intensities to avoid too much contrast: bet for example on a ceiling light, but also on auxiliary lamps that will allow you to light the room in a softer atmosphere.
And of course, don’t forget the desk lamp! Dimmer lamps are ideal because they allow you to modulate the light according to your needs. In all cases, give preference to articulated or adjustable lamps. If you have a profession where color is important, choose a light that offers faithful color rendering. This rendering is indicated by the IRC score for the bulbs: choose the higher than 85 for optimum fidelity.
5. The importance of accessories
Office accessories provide a tidy and organized work surface. Provide storage and accessories to have everything on hand! To fill up with ideas, I offered you some time ago a selection of smart and pretty solutions to tidy up your desk!
Arrange the objects by respecting some basic rules: If you are right-handed, place the lamp on the left to avoid being bothered by the shadows of your hand, and the pencil holder on the right. If you are working on a screen, it must be at least 50 cm from your face.
6. The chair, the sinews of war!
To avoid back pain, it is necessary to opt for a chair that will adapt to your position and therefore adjustable: seat height but also the position of the backrest. If you have to move the length of the desk or turn around regularly to look for documents, for example, bet on the wheels.
7. Shared office? create privacy and define the space
Sometimes setting up an office at home means sharing it. If so, set the spaces. You can of course separate the desks by placing them on either side of the room, but you can also install them on a single worktop. It is important to set up an office where everyone can have the necessary space. Make sure that it is long enough not to be too close to each other and to have space.
You can symbolically separate the two spaces with a storage unit. Creating an L-shaped desk is also a good way to optimize a rather square room. Finally, why not place the desks face to face? To create a double desk, trestle desks are a good option.
8. Need concentration? Eliminate visual distractions
If your activity requires great concentration, favor neutral and sober atmospheres. We of course avoid piles of files lying around but also and above all anything that is not directly related to your professional activity. The office room can quickly become a “catch-all” corner or store the ironing board, the bike or the vacuum cleaner… not really relaxing! For small rooms, you can bet on the built-in storage that blends into the room and is the most discreet.
9. Set up an office at home with a touch of greenery
Promote concentration, clean the air, soothe us, plants have a thousand and one virtues! On top of that, they’re pretty, so don’t miss out on a touch of green!
10. Bring your decorative touch!
Once you have optimized the layout and organization of your office, the coolest thing to do is decorate! If we often recommend a neutral decor to set up an office at home, that does not mean without personality!
Bring your touch and arrange here and there objects that inspire you. For lovers of sober working atmospheres, indulge yourself in small accessories of character: a lamp, a pencil holder, a poster. If the stronger atmospheres stimulate you, dare the color or the wallpaper. Or, a “moodboard” cork wall to pin your sources of inspiration. Treat yourself!
11. Choose a comfortable seat
Since you’re going to be spending most of the day – maybe even night owls – at your desk, it’s best to be seated there. For maximum comfort, say goodbye to small stools and other folding chairs, reserved for more occasional uses and prefer seats (chair and armchairs combined) that are much more enveloping. A pretty Bertoia chair warmed with (fake) fur, a leather armchair, a chic country armchair , a retro toad armchair , an Eames chair … Take your pick! As a bonus, add a small cushion on your back to help you settle down.
12. Take care of the decoration
Once you have cleared the space in accordance with the Lagom inspiration and put away what needed to be – such a mess of documents – you can give free rein to your imagination to enhance this workspace. On the walls, we opt for cards and posters embellished with feel-good messages and motivating mantras, which we tape with colorful Masking Tape. And why not jump on the trend by greening the office area with dried plants and flowers? It’s up to you !
13. Photo frames
The office is a very personal place. Do not hesitate to decorate the wall with frames and other objects that represent you (family portraits, trophies, souvenirs etc.)
14. Floating shelves
To keep your books in sight, nothing better than designer floating shelves!
15. In the center of the room
The office is the star of the room. Invest in this furniture above all. Choose it for its practicality and aesthetics. Then, place it in the center and not against a wall to show it off.
16. Fabrics
Indeed, like the different rooms of the house, the office can also become a comfortable room. Play with fabrics and rugs to give the office a real personality.
17. Set up an office facing the window
If lighting is important, natural lighting is even more important! Make sure you have enough light and also not to position your desk back to the window but rather facing it to bathe in the light without facing reflections.
18. Think about the other
If there are two of you working at home, try setting up a double work area. Each will have their own small space and can therefore be productive in their own way.
19. Provide space around the desk
Prefer, if the size of the room allows it, an office area around which it is possible to move around and which therefore does not obstruct passage.
20. Canopy
We love a glass roof that elegantly defines the office and other living spaces. Perfect for creating a cocoon of privacy.
