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With the advent of remote working, home offices have taken on a role of increased importance. Studies show that 92% of Americans surveyed expect to work at least one day per week from home and 80% do so at least three per week. If you want to successfully adapt to the new status quo, you’ll need to carve out a workspace that sparks productivity and focus. Here are 8 tips for a perfect home office from Idea To Plan for the perfect home office.
Organization
The first and most important priority when optimizing your home office is to ensure that it’s functional. This means stocking up on all the stationery, storage space, and devices you would expect from a typical office — think printers, scanners, USBs, paper stock, and more. It can even help to install a clock (or even world clocks, if you’re doing business with people abroad) so you don’t lose track of time.
Furniture
When setting up a home office, it is important to carefully consider the furniture you will use. After all, you will be spending many hours sitting at your desk, and you want to make sure you have a comfortable chair and a well-designed workspace. The desk is the focal point of any home office, so it is important to choose one that is the right size for your needs and has enough storage for all of your supplies. In addition, you will need to purchase a comfortable office chair that provides support for your back and legs. Other furniture items to consider include a bookshelf or filing cabinet for storing important documents, and a lamp for providing adequate lighting.
If you’re going to be hosting clients in your home office, make sure your furniture is clean and in good condition. If any pieces need cleaning, read reviews on furniture cleaning companies to find reputable contractors. Avoid cleaners who promise to use all-in-one cleaning tools.
Air
It’s easy to overlook this invisible factor when it comes to setting up the perfect workspace but air quality, scent, and temperature are all vital to your ease of work. Aromachologists (smell or aroma experts) suggest jasmine, citrus, peppermint, and lemongrass among other flavors to help create better working conditions. If you’re not a fan of flowers, you could try incense, candles, or synthetic air fresheners. Then, for the optimum temperature, set your thermostat to between 70 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit — believed by experts to be the perfect range for productivity.
Making sure you have a comfortable work environment is a big deal, so don’t neglect your home’s HVAC maintenance. Finding the ideal HVAC repair company is no small task when you’re suddenly faced with a dysfunctional AC unit. Instead, develop a relationship with a local HVAC company by having your heating and cooling systems serviced for preventative maintenance. They’ll keep your home office environment comfortable, winter or summer.
Color
Color plays an important role in affecting our mood and energy. Color is also an easy aspect of the room to adapt — try replacing furniture, pillows, curtains, and rugs with more vibrant options. Or, if you want to modify the room itself, you can repaint or try peel and stick wallpaper — it’s removable and repositionable with adhesive backing and won’t leave any unwanted residue. Best of all, it comes in a wide array of designs and colors or can be customized to your taste.
Lighting
When designing your home office, it’s important to bring lighting into serious consideration. Different types of light activate the body’s circadian rhythm, triggering our desire to sleep or to be stimulated. Learning how to adjust this can improve your productivity and ability to switch off after the workday. Try to maximize natural light, if possible, and make use of LED bulbs in overheads and lamps as these are energy efficient and can be dimmed to match your requirements.
Sound
If you really want to improve your focus, it’s important to create an audio divide between your place of work and the rest of the household. There’s nothing more distracting than phone conversations, hoovering, kids’ voices, or pets running around. There are many things you can do to soundproof your study including moving furniture, sealing gaps, installing paneling, or simply investing in a good pair of noise-canceling headphones.
Plant Life
Plants have become a popular decoration for home offices all over the country. Not only do they look great in video calls but they can help to purify the air in the room. Studies have even gone as far as to claim that some indoor foliage can help with mental health and creativity. If you’re unsure which species to go with, devil’s ivy makes for an easy-to-care-for option, or aloe vera is believed to contain healing properties.
Be sure that you have a good environment for helping your plants thrive. They’ll need plenty of sunlight, and home products like a humidifier can help as well. There are a number of potential options available, so be sure to check out unbiased reviews online. You’ll want to make sure you’re making a wise purchase.
Home Value
When modifying a room for your home office, keep your home’s value in mind as certain upgrades can increase its value. Be sure to keep receipts for any work done and take before-and-after photographs.
If you want to improve your home productivity, a few small upgrades can go a long way, just remember not to get too caught up creating the conditions for hard work, rather than actually working hard one of the best ways is to use these tips for a Perfect Home Office!
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