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Merging a home ambiance with a serious office atmosphere might not be the first thing on your mind. But if you have a remote job then having a dedicated workspace can be the best investment. Whether it’s a quick zoom meeting or a tranquil hour of peace, having a formal home office design creates a holistic environment that helps you thrive at work.
We have curated a complete guide for setting up a well-functioning and equipped home office space that encourages a productive working experience.
1. Ergonomic Tables
Ergonomics plays a vital role in managing productivity, muscle fatigue, and efficiency in the work environment. It also enables a strong and healthy posture, making it a basic necessity for a home office setup in the long run. A table that aligns with your posture is a basic requirement for a home office design. Thus investing in a functional yet stylish work desk is a good place to start.
Here are three types of ergonomic desks you should consider adding to your home office
a) Height adjustable desks
Investing in a height-adjustable desk that can be converted into a standing desk so that you can switch between standing and sitting through your workday is also a great choice. We highly recommend buying an adjustable desk if you have a sedentary job or have a job that completely works from home. Here’s a list of the best standing desks. Look for manually adjustable ergonomic desks, if you are on a budget. On average you want to look for options where the height ranges from 25 inches to 50 inches. Some other reasonable office desk brands are Ergosphere, Desqoo, and Steelcase.
b) DIY Ergonomic Desks
One can always find affordable options at online stores like Ikea, Amazon, and Pepperfry, but they’re often not the best in quality. We personally love the ample table from Desk Talk Shop, a simple, effective ergonomic desk that can be easily assembled in any corner of your house.
c) Laptop Desks
If you are one who enjoys the change of scenery often, and hence you work from different spaces in your house, laptop desks are a great bet. The lapboard from Go With Eleven is an affordable sturdy item besides its usage is for more than just a laptop desk. If you prefer a portable table, this desk from Wooden Street is another great choice
2. Ergonomic Chairs
Now coming to the most important part of the home office design – the chair. Investing in a chair is like investing in a mattress. It’s the one item you will be using extensively and could literally make or break your back. There are 3 components you want to be mindful of while selecting your desk chair for your home office.
a) Find a chair that is made for your height
Many people miss this important factor, but it’s essential to invest in an ergonomic chair where the height of the chair can be adjusted, such that your feet are flat on the floor. In case the chair is too high, keep your feet on a footrest or small stool. The team at Green Soul Chairs seems to understand the cruciality of height. With a wide range of options ranging from gaming chairs to executive chairs, they have a wide variety to choose from, in all price ranges.
b) Adjustable hand rests
It’s important that your elbows and wrists are well supported to prevent you from back or elbow injuries that are known to be notorious for poor sitting posture. Your ergonomic chair should have good lumbar support, head support, and adjustable hand rest so that your arms can rest at an angle of 90 degrees. If you are using a dining chair, use a lumbar support pillow to support your back. Transteel is known to provide affordable, yet highly durable and modern-looking chairs for your home office. And you can check out White Willow for lumbar support pillow options
c) Seat Tilt
It’s important that your chair allows for a seat to tilt, which allows for correct positioning of the pelvis. To keep the pelvis in a neutral position when sitting, you need to sit with an 80-degree angle at the hips, knees, and ankles. So, while implementing your home office design, ensure you look for adjustable chairs which offer the option to tilt your seats to a certain degree.
3. Desk Accessories
The right desk accessories can help enhance your productivity and set you up for success. Think of a stress ball, a green plant, a reading light, and a self-heating mug. Sounds cozy and just about right, right?
a) Plants
If you don’t have a green thumb, finding the right plant for your home office design can be intriguing. Your best bet is low-maintenance plants like Rhoeo, Snake Plant, Money plant, or marble pothos. If you’d like to know more about plants and the best types for your home and office space, follow the queen of plants Sarah Sham on Instagram at Essajees Atelier. If you’re one for details, here’s a resource that details the many types of desk plants and how they vary.
b) Functional Items
Top of our must-have functional items list for the perfect home office design is wrist rests, headphone stands, footrest, and a thermos mug. One of our favorite items for quirky desk accessories is Propshop24, while The Daily Objects and The June Shop are great websites for classy and minimalistic accessories
c) Lighting
Desk lighting can be a make or break for your eyes especially if you work long hours, with limited natural light crossing your work desk. Consider the lighting of your setup before deciding on if you need ambient lighting, task lighting, or just decorative lighting.
The sleek Flos Table Lamp is one of our favorite desk lights while The Dejsa Table Lamp at Ikea is a super cute and affordable option too.
4. Gadgets That Support Technology
No workspace for your home design is complete without the tech support that solves all your practical needs. Be it a portable laptop stand that provides the user with the right height for working on one or a surge protector to ensure you have more outlets to plug in multiple devices. To establish a clean look for your work desk, cable organizers can bring in more usable space. To avoid multiple devices in one place, a multi-purpose printer can be the ideal choice.
a) Printers
If you’re one for being organized and enjoy keeping a paper copy of important things, then how can you not have a printer. The biggest challenge with printers is getting a wireless printer that is cost-efficient. The HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 e is a great printer for the home office since it can print a large number of prints before running out of cartridges and it accepts third-party cartridges as well. Other great options are Epson Ecotank and the Canon Pixma.
b) Surge Protectors
With the home office comes too many devices drawing their energy from one socket. To prevent surges, a power distributor for your home office design is much recommended. Croma and Syska both stock surge protectors that you can easily purchase through their websites. Another great surge protector is APC SurgeArrest 11.
c) Table Organizers
Be it desk accessories or cables, table organizers are essential to help keep you organized and stress at bay. The House Of Things has some great office stationery, while Ikea and Amazon are your best bets for cable and desk organizers. It’s hard to give one recommendation since these platforms are always updating, look out for reviews and seller ratings to make an informed decision.
With these elements, it is also important to know where to set your space up. If there are windows in the space selected, setting the table and others up next to it can bring in natural light and ventilation. The electronic devices can be set up against the light thus having no glare on the screen. Based on your seating and working positions, other elements of the home office design can come together. In the end, it will become a space that is personalized for your official needs.
Amazing! i like the green soul office chair