Designing the Perfect Home Office - A Simple Guide

The first job I ever had where I had home working privileges was several years ago, and when I accepted the contract, on the basis I'd be at the office two days a week and working from home for the other three, it didn't actually enter my mind that I would need a home office.  I had, if I am totally honest, envisaged myself lounging around in my pyjamas on the sofa, or even in bed, tapping away at my laptop.

In actual fact, my company had health and safety policies that insisted I had a proper desk and chair and all kinds of other quite specific stuff (basically the same stuff I had at the office), and I needed to make sure my home workstation met with those.  Of course, I did try out the sofa and the bed from time to (often hungover) time, but I soon agreed that my company had the right idea. Even now, working from home full time as a freelance writer, I certainly wouldn't be productive without a decent home office set up.

If you need, or even just want, a home office so that you can work from home here are some simple tips to help you set one up for yourself.

Location

If you have a room you are going to use as your home office, then this is pretty much a no brainer, but if you don't you need to have a think about where you can set it up. You may want to have it in your living room, or even your bedroom, but you need a reasonably large area you are prepared to completely dedicate to work.  This is psychologically very important – just as experts say you will sleep better if you only ever use your bedroom to sleep, because your mind will always associate being there with resting, you will be more productive if you only ever use your home office space for work.  Don't think of it as a space that is only “sometimes” an office, and sometimes a kids' play area, a place you do hobbies, or anything else as this will lower your productivity even if you don’t realise it at first.

Basic Office Furniture

Most people will opt for a standard office desk and office chair, and you can obviously match the style of these to your preferences and the overall style of the room, from modern glass and metal to classic wood and leather.  Normal office chairs must be adjustable in terms of height and recline, give decent lower back support, and move on five wheels.  These are the standards most offices use, and how office chairs are generally designed, so it won't be too hard to meet these criteria.  Some people pick alternatives such as ergonomic kneeling chairs, and if you want to give these a try go for it, but never try and use a standard dining room chair or similar for prolonged periods of working.

Your Computer

If you use a desktop computer, it is pretty obvious what you need to 

do – set it up on your office desk.  If you are a laptop user, then you may well find it more comfortable working for long periods if you set up a docking station and use a separate mouse, keyboard, and monitor.  If you're a developer, designer, editor, or anyone else who often has to look at multiple windows, you may find you prefer to work with two (or even more) monitors, too.  In any case, the height your screen is at should be adjustable, and you should also consider rests by your keyboard and mouse mat for your hands if you find these more comfortable.

Working from home is something that many people dream of but it can soon turn into a nightmare if you don’t have your home office set up correctly in a great location that maximises your productivity.

Don’t underestimate the importance of good office furniture either as the last thing you want is to be aching and uncomfortable whilst you are trying to work.