Feb 10, 2022
Having a comfortable space to work from home has become more important than ever in these unprecedented times. Remote jobs in Canada have become the norm, and virtual interviews are more common than ever these days. While some of you can work from the comfort of your couch, having a dedicated workspace or home office helps remain a sense of normalcy and retain the professional touch when you’re working from home. Today, we want to give you some great tips on how to make your home office look professional and how to make a home office in a small space while working remotely.
Location, Location, Location!
Make sure that while choosing the location of your home office, you take into consideration the noise or traffic factors. For example, if your home office is closer to the street, you may hear loud traffic noises, so try to find a space where the noise is minimal. If you are working from home, do consider the traffic inside your house and try to place your home office away from common areas, kitchen, or the bathrooms so that the noise won’t disturb you while you’re working. If you have small children at home, it might be best to place your home office close to their playroom so you can monitor them closely.
Get plenty of natural light
Vitamin D is essential to maintaining a healthy body and mind, so it is vital that you set up your home office in a place where you can get tons of natural light. Vitamin D is essential to maintaining a healthy sleep cycle, and this happy vitamin also helps you stay in a good mood! Aside from these health benefits, having natural light will help you reduce energy consumption and get rid of artificial lighting.
Prioritize your comfort
Remote jobs have become norm in Canada and the rest of the world, and it’s not going away anytime soon! When you’re creating the perfect home office remember to make your comfort a priority. When you’re sitting at a desk for long hours without proper back support, it could lead to long term posture problems. Remember to invest in ergonomic chairs with lumbar support so that you can protect yourself from any long-term health issues.
Invest in smart storage solutions
Most home offices don’t have a lot of space to work in, so how do you make a home office in a small space? The answer is quite simple; invest in smart storage solutions! The right kind of storage solution will help you keep everything that you need for work nearby and reduce clutter around your workspace. A less cluttered and less messy office space will not only keep you organized, but also reduce your stress levels.
Go Paperless
Before you take that printout, ask yourself if you really need it! Especially if you’re working in a small space, you don’t really need all those documents spread around your workspace. Digitize your address book and keep your calendar online so that it’s always at your fingertips and not buried under a mountain of paper. By digitizing, you can allow yourself to can and shred documents for recycling, prevent further use of paper and protect our planet in the long run.
Add some green to your workspace
Working at home is better than working in a stuffy office building, but you’re still stuck indoors, so why not add some green to your workspace? Adding some plants to your home office can help you bring the outdoors inside and add some freshness to your workspace. Constantly looking at your laptop or computer screens can be fatiguing to the eyes, so when you have some greenery around you, it’s easy on the eyes and helps you feel more connected to nature.
Hide your cords or go cordless!
Wireless scanners or printers are a great way to hide those ugly wires out of sight, and also avoid tripping over them. You can get cord management systems off Amazon or other online stores that help you hide your wires as well.
Make it your own
Last but not the least, make your home office your own by adding your own personal touch to it. Displaying your favorite things, for example, if you’re an artist, display some of your artwork. If you’re an accountant who loves to travel, keep some souvenirs from your travel nearby. Little things can bring big inspiration to you when you need it the most.
How to make a home office in a small space
A home office can be set up anywhere you want, be it in a cozy corner or in your basement, the options are only limited by your own imagination. If you have small nook under the stairs or in your hallway, it could be well suited to fitting a small desk and chair without it encroaching upon the space itself.
If you’re in a small space, you can even consider having fitted home office furniture that will help you create a workspace that can maximize your available space. Having a built-in shelf or desk can mean that you can position everything exactly as you want it and in accordance with the features in the room such as sockets, doors or awkward alcoves and windows. This maybe more expensive than other off-the-shelf options, but custom furniture is well worth the effort if you use that space every day. It can also be a great option for a using as a multifunctional room such as a guest room.
You can even convert a barely used space like your garage into a home office, but do ensure that it has plenty of light, heating and is ventilated properly. Working from home can be a challenge for many people, but with the right home office set up, you can make things easier for yourself. A well-designed home office will help you stay focused and enable you to be more productive without having to leave the comfort of your home.