Offices

With remote working practices on the rise, more and more businesspeople are choosing to set up their desk at home rather than travel into a central office. Therefore, establishing a calm and relaxing work environment within your property, where you can be both focussed and comfortable, has become a new interior design priority. For your projects to flourish, you need a cohesive space where you can be both driven and creative.

Lighting your office

A healthy office design that encourages productivity needs to be spacious, bright and airy. Choose a room with plenty of natural light pouring in through large windows that preferably look out over a quiet garden or courtyard rather than bustling streets. When picking artificial lights, search for bulbs in warm sunlight hues rather than white or blue colours to create a relaxed atmosphere. 

Around your desk, place high-intensity pendant or table lamps that illuminate your work surface without causing screen glare. Exposed bulbs with simple wire and metallic fixtures are a simple way of incorporating an industrial aesthetic into your office design, especially when mounted on exposed brick walls.

Choosing office furnishings

Your long-term productive output in this space will rely on you being comfortable, and therefore on certain ergonomically designed pieces of furniture, such as supportive office chairs and appropriate desks. As well as your central work station, you could also add a cushioned wingback armchair to one corner of the room, so you have a comfortable spot in which to read documents or make phone calls. Equally, vary your working positions through the use of a standing desk to promote more physical movement throughout the day without compromising on your working hours.

Laying out your office design

To create a welcoming home study where you're happy to spend hour after hour, you need to put some thought into its layout. Take the emphasis off your desk as being the only productive area and delineate the room into certain thought-based zones, such as an 'ideation space' and a 'hard-work space.' You can do this using divider shelving units, folding screens or just a coffee table and rug.

Picking office accessories

A productive mind is at its best in clear and uncluttered surroundings, so make sure your work surfaces are bare and cleaned regularly. Whiteboards or chalkboards mounted on the wall are ideal for promoting creative mind mapping, while some people prefer a simple notepad and pen next to a comfy chair.

Your study will also need shelves and surface areas for storing office necessities like a printer, scanner, storage boxes and spare stationery. If you have clients visiting you, have a low table placed next to a couch where you can both discuss business, and add a few industry-relevant books or magazines for them to peruse.

Browse this category for in-depth discussions on arranging your home study, as well as current ideas on commercial office design.