Small Home Office Ideas, Tips and Tricks

According to the latest statistics more and more people go with telecommuting when looking for potential employment. 2015 statistic claims that 45 percent of people in the US work from home, while today the number is significantly higher. With this in mind, it becomes clear that modern offices exist mostly in digital environment. This makes a lot of people develop an idea of a telecommuter as a person sitting in their undies on a living room sofa with a laptop in their lap. However, anyone who ever tried working this way knows exactly how inefficient this is. For this reason, people working from home usually decide to designate one room and furnish it as a real-life miniature office.

Picking a Perfect Spot

Even though this sometimes gets underestimated, the most important thing about choosing a home office is picking a perfect spot. The first thing you need to worry about is the amount of space you will have. Each office needs a number of appliances (printers, scanners, etc.), but if you intend to just find a place where to put your laptop you could even make an office inside of your bedroom closet. The second thing to consider is the room orientation. For obvious reasons you want your office to be facing backyard rather than the street. Finally, you should also think about the outside noise so if you are living with roommates or family, you may want to pick the most remote room in the house.

Choose the Right Color

The basic behavioral psychology teaches us that our species responds strongly to visual stimuli. This is why different colors have the ability to affect our performance in different ways. Salespeople, negotiators and managers need to be constantly on the edge, which is why they benefit the most from aggressive colors like hues of red or orange. These nuances help keep them awake and ready for action. On the other hand, those who need to focus, like people working on creative projects could benefit the most from relaxing hues like baby blue or cream.

Effective Accessorizing

A lot of people believe accessories are there just to be a decorative element but it doesn’t necessarily be so. For example, nailing an inspiration board on the wall in front of you can help you keep track of all your goals and in this way get you going when the going gets tough. Another great idea is to put up a wallpaper with a world map on it. In this way, whenever you are communicating with someone from another country, you can just check their whereabouts without looking suspicious.

Proper Office Furniture

Finally, you need to think about furnishing your office in the best way. Some may say that any desk that can hold a computer will work, but you should never underestimate the importance of a proper workstation. Experts from a company that specializes in commercial fittout claim that the right setting may even have a long term effect on your health. A quality chair can do wonders for your posture and reduce the chance of back pain. This is particularly important for those who spend 8-12 hours a day in the same chair. Additionally, the height of the desk can have an effect on your vision since looking at the monitor at a bad angle is hazardous to your health.

As you can see, constructing your small home office requires a lot of creativity and resourcefulness. However, it’s certain beyond doubt that, if done in the right way, it gives you a chance to achieve a massive productivity boost. Luckily, unlike designing a real office, you don’t have to do all of these things at once.