Home Furnishing

In the current climate, working from home is the best and only option for a lot of office workers. With that in mind, it’s worth considering what makes for a good home office – including choice of furniture.

As many of us are now looking at working solely from home in the immediate future, it’s fundamental that we make the space that we carve out for ourselves as comfortable as possible…

Careful choice of space

When allocating space for working from home, think about how you might want to make use of it.

The need for quiet and the ability to concentrate are among the most often cited concerns. Pick a room that is as far from the general noise of the rest of the house as possible and make sure you can claim it as your dedicated workspace.

Attics, basements and outhouses make good spots for those who want to achieve maximum peace and quiet.

The right set up

Good broadband provision, offering high speed internet access, is a must, along with good ventilation and appropriate lighting.

Like any office, a certain amount of natural light will contribute to general health and wellbeing. An open window and a good temperature will impact positively on productivity as well as adding to comfort levels.

If using a spare room, kit it out as much as you can to feel like a proper office. This will help you to consider the space as your working zone.

Desk and chair

In an ideal world, you will have space and access to a traditional desk which will allow you to create an ergonomically correct workstation.

However, any flat surface or table can be made to work, if positioned at the right level and as long as it has room for a computer and anything else you need to work with.

The choice of chair is highly critical as you’ll be sitting on this seat for a good proportion of the day.

The way in which you sit when working at a computer is different from how you sit when enjoying dinner or watching television. A work chair should promote good posture and provide lower back support. It should have adjustability for seat height, back rest, arm rests and lumbar support.

Tidy space, tidy mind

Home offices can get messy quickly, particularly when there’s no-one else around to judge or cast dispersions on the state of your desk.

Just as it’s probably a good idea to get out of your pyjamas when working from home, and prepare for the day ahead, it’s also advisable to keep your desk and the surrounding space in order.

And remember…

This could be your working space for some time so make it your sanctuary. Think carefully how you want to work and make the space work for you.