Home Office Design Tips

Feeling like you need to improve your home office? Here are some design tips to keep in mind for a productive, comfortable, and healthy work-at-home life.

Location and space

Find a location that minimises distractions and allows you to separate work from home life. Make it a dedicated work space by defining boundaries. Try physical barriers and definitive décor. Include enough space so as not to be cramped, with space for your desk, chair, storage, and space to enable easy movement and access to essentials. Connectivity and power are essential, and space to place the hardware. If you have visitors, make your office readily accessible. For meetings or consultations, consider both business confidentiality and personal, family privacy, including documents that you are working on, or are lying around. Consider making space for a separate visitor waiting area.

Ambience and outlook

For psychological well-being, fill your space with personal items that inspire or comfort you. Nature, daylight, plants and natural materials can help reduce stress. Position your desk near a window with an inspiring view, a sunny garden or a quiet street. Select inspirational furniture for the wow factor and mental stimulation. Designers often use a neutral décor background for easy compatibility with furniture and other accessories Blue can promote feelings of calm, tranquillity and mental clarity, and aid workplace efficiency, though no one-colour fits-all, it’s individual! As part of your décor pallet, consider materiality and texture for atmospheric richness.

Lighting

Ensure plenty of natural daylight as it helps minimize eye strain and boosts your mood. Having light that changes throughout the day aids your circadian rhythm and supplement with adjustable white spectrum artificial lighting for cloudy days or evening work.

Ventilation, heating and cooling

Good airflow is essential for health and concentration. Look firstly for environmentally efficient ventilation, heating and cooling options, such as openable windows and fans. Use energy efficient heating and cooling systems such as a solar powered reverse cycle air conditioner, with an optional fan-only function. For mechanical ventilation consider systems that incorporate a heat exchanger.

Noise

Consider the noise impacts when siting your office, both inward and outward. Add soundproofing to windows and doors, including at the bottom of the door. If necessary, add sound quietening panels and use noise-cancelling headphones.

Ergonomics

Ergonomic furniture helps physical health and psychological well-being. Consider a supportive chair to minimize strain and discomfort, or an adjustable desk for body variation. Add lounge chairs for casual conversations, or when you have a device change, a mind break-out or simply a need for a physical repose.