Among many people working from home, at home office designs have become common. But how do you set up a space that guarantees productivity regardless of the size you’re working with? Start by figuring out the purpose of your space; if it’s a space you’ll use every day, creating a different feel to the rest of your house can help you focus.

On the other hand, if you’re using your space as part home admin center, home office, or study, it might be better if the dandeacute;cor matches the rest of your home. Whether your home office is a nook in your lounge, a dedicated space, a dressing table that doubles up as an office desk, a flip-up table in the hallway, or the space underneath your stairs, this review has numerous at home office designs to help you set up your space how you want.

The Right Shade of Paint

The right shade of paint in your home office depends on the type of work you’re doing in the space. If you deal with numbers, a calming yet motivating shade is best to keep you going. On the other hand, if you’re a writer or any other type of creative, you should pick a color that helps you create more and better. Some of the best shades for offices include:

Capri Teal

Capri teal is common in at home office designs because it adds the right amount of energy to a space without making it feel juvenile. Capri teal is calming and inspiring; it matches well with creamy or white shades as well as light blues and greens.

Iron Ore by Sherwin-Williams

If you’ve ever wanted interior painters to do dark tones in your house, your home office is a nice place to start. One of the best dark tones for home offices is Iron ore by Sherwin-Williams. This vibrant dark-grey paint creates a moody tone in your space. It works best in compact offices due to its vibrancy, making a tight space feel larger.

Persimmon Orange

If you need a shade that lifts your mood in the mornings when you don’t feel like working, then perhaps you’re looking for persimmon orange. Orange naturally boosts mood and gives off a lot of energy, but this shade isn’t blinding or overpowering. It’s a reddish-orange shade that works well when combined with beige or off-white shades.

Pointing by Farrow andamp; Ball

If you want contemporary and minimalistic at home office designs, you need a shade like Pointing by Farrow andamp; Ball that isn’t too plain. This shade is a rich off-white that’s buttery enough to provide a calming sense but still vibrant enough to open up compact offices. The manufacturer claims it’s named after the lime pointing color used in old-style brickwork.

Vanilla Milkshake

If you want a shade comprising white and warm undertones to add some softness to at home office designs, then you should call a home renovation company to apply Vanilla Milkshake to your home office walls. This buttery white shade works wonderfully as a wall color applied everywhere or when applied on built-in units like floor-to-ceiling shelves. This color is convenient for people who work in their home office a lot because they need a color that makes them feel very relaxed whether in the morning, afternoon, or evening.

Natural Lighting

If there is something you shouldn’t overlook when implementing at home office designs is natural light coming from a skylight, vent, or window. Natural light can provide warm tones, which improves productivity. Then again, this doesn’t mean your windows should be plain; you can use these window treatments to increase or minimize natural light:

Cellular Shades

Cellular shades, commonly known as honeycomb shades, are utilized in at home office designs thanks to their noise reduction and sun-blocking properties. They prevent extreme heat and cold from entering your space and keep the cold or warm air circulated by your HVAC unit inside your house. They’re relatively affordable and durable, and you can find them as automatic shades, albeit the price is slightly higher for these variants.

Metal Blinds

Metal blinds are used in home offices due to their functionality and practicality. These inexpensive window treatments are durable and, at the same time, fashionable. They’re available in various shades and styles, so depending on your preferences, you can get neutral blinds with a matte finish or brightly-colored blinds. If you can’t find metal blinds, you can get wood blinds; they offer similar functionality and practicality.

Shutters

Shutters are available in various designs, such as California and plantation, which can add style and sophistication to your home office. These beautiful window treatments can increase your concentration by blocking noise and sunlight. They also help reduce glare which can be frustrating if you don’t have an anti-glare display on your PC. Shutters also blend seamlessly with all kinds of at home office designs, so you don’t miss out on visual appeal.

Solar Roller Shades

Consider solar roller shades if you want a complex appearance, smooth roll-up mechanism, and sun-blocking properties in your office. Not only do these shades give your home office a professional look, but they can also control glare and UV rays. You can get them in dark tones for when you want a totally dark room for video conferencing.

Vertical Blinds

Vertical blinds are standard in offices, so if you have them in your commercial office, why not recreate a similar look and feel at home? They are available in numerous colors, which helps add color to your home. They also help prevent glare and improve privacy.

Quality Furnishings

Office furniture isn’t considered aesthetically pleasing, but it offers flexibility when designed for home offices. Furnishings to have in a home office include:

Chair

Obviously, your house has chairs but are they ideal for your posture when you’re working from home? The answer is no because they are meant for dining or relaxing. For your home office, you need a chair that’s comfy (cushioned) and offers ergonomic back support to prevent discomfort and/or backaches. Keep in mind that your chair should complement your desk so that you’re able to sit and work for long hours without taking many breaks.

Desk

Picking the right desk for your home office is vital. You should get a desk that’s wide enough for your PC (desktop or laptop) and anything else you need to be productive such as laser printer systems. Therefore, your desk should be 48 inches wide on the lower side. But if all you need for work is a laptop and the occasional notebook you can get a smaller desk. However, if you have a dual-monitor setup, you should be aiming for 60 inches and above. For the height, get a desk that isn’t too high, between 25 and 30 inches. You can also get a height-adjustable desk if you need to work while standing and to stretch your body occasionally.

Shelving

Storage is often an afterthought when setting up a home office. However, having insufficient shelves to store work items such as files can affect your productivity. Consider your workflow and the amount of paper you use per week to determine your storage needs. Also, ensure that your shelves are organized, so your home office doesn’t look chaotic.

A Clean Environment

A clean environment in your home office helps you stay organized and promotes productivity. According to cleanfreak.com, a clean environment can boost productivity when working at home by up to 8%. How can you promote a clean environment?

Clean Your Carpet or Floor Regularly

Your office floor tends to pick up a lot of debris, especially if you tend to eat breakfast or snack on your desk. For instance, it could have bread or chip crumbs as well as beverage spills. If you have a carpet on the floor, you can use numerous carpet cleaning strategies, such as vacuuming your desk’s surface and the area around your desk. If your carpet has a foul smell or is stained, you might want to use a spot cleaner.

Go Paperless

If possible, you should avoid printing documents to avoid paper waste in your home office. After all, it’s easier to find files saved on your PC than on a stack on top of your desk.

Minimize Clutter

One of the best ways to have a clean working environment is to minimize the amount of clutter, including desk decorations, unused devices, and paper. While decorating your desk is a nice touch, the decorations will start to harbor dust which can cause breathing problems.

Schedule a Time for Cleaning

If you want to have a clean working environment, develop a habit of cleaning consistently. For instance, you can decide to clean up at the end of every day, week, or month.

Set Up Your Home Office Near Several Windows

Your home office desk should be near a window, whether or not you have a dedicated office space. Why? Because indoor spaces can have VOCs (volatile organic compounds) produced by elements such as paint. By placing your desk near a window, you improve the cleanliness of the air around you, thereby promoting your overall wellbeing.

Reliable Internet

You might be wondering if your home internet plan is enough for your office; after all, no one wants unreliable internet access in a work environment. What should you check for?

Data Caps

If you’re working from home, everything you do revolves around the internet, and you might need to download some huge files. Some ISPs place data caps on their plans, with the most common being up to one terabyte of data. If your internet plan is capped and you constantly download large files and do conference calls, you might need to change your ISP.

Download Speeds

Download speed denotes the speed of accessing things online. It determines how fast your email opens, how fast you can download files, etc. If your internet plan is under 20Mbps, either change your ISP or upgrade to a bigger plan.

Upload Speeds

Upload speeds determine how fast you can send files and whether or not your face looks clear in a conference call. Confirm that your internet plan has equal download and upload speeds because if the latter is lower, you’ll experience problems.

Some Indoor Plants

One of the at home office designs that can help add some character and life to your home office is getting indoor plants. Not only do plants improve the aesthetic appeal of your home office they also improve air quality. Some of the plants you can get include:

Bamboo Palms

Bamboo palms are perfect for offices because they can survive in low light conditions. They also help filter pollutants like xylene from the air to improve the air quality in your space.

Orchid

Orchids are one of the flowering plants that require little to no maintenance, making them perfect for your home office. You can easily duplicate their natural setting by giving them as much light as possible and about three spoons of water per week.

Peace Lily

Another low-maintenance plant to add to your home office is the peace lily. This plant doesn’t require a lot of water or sunlight to survive, and it naturally purifies the air.

Snake Plant

Snake plant, also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, can be placed in home offices as well as other rooms. According to a study by NASA, the snake plant can eliminate formaldehyde from the air; a chemical present in many cleaning products.

Yucca

Yucca is originally a desert plant, but you can find it in your local garden center. It responds best to light, so you should place it close to the window in your home office.

In conclusion, there are numerous at home office designs that you can implement in your home office. The good thing is that most of these designs and ideas are accessible and relatively cheap, so you shouldn’t have a problem implementing them in your home office.