Whether you have a tiny nook in the kitchen, a corner of a room or an entire basement to dedicate to a home workspace, these tips will prove to be essential in creating a space that works best for you!
Color me productive
Pinterest boards can be a good starting point for envisioning your ideal home office space. Choosing the right colors for your workspace can be a challenge. There’s even science to back the idea that the colors in your space can affect your productivity and even your creativity. For instance, orange is associated with endurance; white can create a feeling of openness, promoting creativity; yellow reflects a lot of light; green may also give a boost to your creative mind. You should pick colors that align with your intentions for the space.
Lighting
Depending on the time of day you’re working, your lighting needs can change. If you’re working on a computer at night, backlighting is ideal. Desk lighting works well for close-up tasks that require a direct, tactile focus. Your lighting can also affect the look of your paint, so try to go with the most neutral lighting possible. Neutral light bulbs have a 3100 Kelvin color temperature.
Include a little inspiration
It sounds kind of feng shui, but it works. Whether it’s a plant, some gemstones, a picture or an inspirational quote, have a little something in your space that gives you a boost.
At the seat of greatness
Depending on your aesthetic leanings and your physical needs, choosing the right chair for your workspace is an important decision. If you’re going to be working from home often, you should invest in a comfortable, supportive chair that will serve you well. If you’re looking for more progressive options, you could go chairless and upgrade to a standing desk. There are also convertible sit-to-stand options that allow you to toggle between configurations.
Define your needs, direct the flow & tame the paper giant
Do you really need the flatbed scanner, a printer, the extra hole puncher, the tear-off calendar and a Rolodex? By focusing in on what you need in a home office space, you can save yourself the hassle and clutter of adding things that aren’t necessary. Much of the desk clutter can be minimized through using multi-purpose items like a printer/scanner/fax combo machine and by scanning and shredding unnecessary paper. Keeping your desk accessories, project papers, and other documents in a drawer system will free up desktop space so that you’ll have a more clutter-free workspace. Cloud-based or digital storage technology can be a great way to keep important documents handy no matter where you go. However, you set your space up, make sure that it doesn’t slow you down. Figure out what you need, invest in quality technology and furniture, focusing on utility.
Of course, the roof over your home workspace should be well-tended also! The gutter cleaning professionals at Ned Stevens can help you with all your gutter cleaning and maintenance needs!
