If you have the luxury of working from home, then you likely understand the importance of having a productive working space.
For an area that you’ll spend countless hours working in, you want to have a mixture of comfort and work-conducive decor. Picture a room featuring a comfortable and stylish modern sofa paired with a calming fountain.
However, neglecting to include style can make your office feel drab and boring. Your working environment is crucial to helping you work effectively, but it can also slow you down.
This is why you need to carefully plan out the furnishings for your home office so that you can make the most of the time you do spend inside it. We’ll take a look at five key elements of a great home office below to help you start decorating.
Adjustable-Height Desk
The first thing you’ll want to have is a desk with an adjustable height.
As the name likely suggests, this is a desk that can go up or down to stay at the exact height you need it to. This can serve one of two purposes.
First, it can make sure that your sitting position is comfortable and natural. This will prevent your arms from getting tired and your neck from straining. Desks that are at an improper height will make them difficult to work or very long.
The other purpose is that it will allow you to use your desk while standing up. Many people enjoy the ability to work while standing up because it allows them to stretch their legs and move around.
With an adjustable desk, you can fluctuate between sitting and standing as you desire. Better yet, most adjustable desks are quite modest, which allows them to fit into just about any design scheme.
Quality Chair
One of the most important features of a home office is a high-quality chair.
This is a piece of furniture where you get what you pay for. If you enjoy sitting while working, then you’re going to spend a long time sitting in a chair.
For this reason, you need to find one that is extremely comfortable. Fortunately, this doesn’t mean that you need to sacrifice style in the name of comfort.
Many leather office chairs are roomy and cozy while maintaining a sleek look. Try to avoid fabric chairs because these will stick out like a sore thumb. Keep an eye out for executive chairs if you want a long-lasting choice that you’ll never want to get up from!
Lounging Sofa
As important as a good desk and chair are, you should also look for a lounging sofa. This can serve two great functions.
First, it gives you a nice break from sitting at a desk if you have a laptop that you can also work from. A slight change of view and sitting position can help you push through a few more hours of work.
On the other hand, it also allows you a nice spot to lay down, relax, and even take a power nap if you need it.
Going to your bedroom for a nap can make it incredibly difficult to wake up later. Napping in your office can help remind you that there’s work to do still, making it easier to wake up when you need to.
A sofa is fantastic for giving you a mixture of an alternative work location and a cozy spot to relax in. Even if you’re a hard worker, you’ll need a break eventually and a sofa gives you just what you need!
Adequate Lighting
Your furnishings are crucial, but the lighting of your office cannot be overlooked.
If your eyes are constantly feeling strained and it just doesn’t seem like there’s enough light to see what you’re doing, then it’s time to improve your lighting situation.
You can do this by providing multiple, layered light sources. Your room light is probably your worst enemy because of the distant, dim lighting it provides.
Instead, consider using a desktop lamp that sits just above your monitor. You can also add some hanging wall lights around the room for light from multiple angles.
If you can’t fully see what you’re working on, then you’re going to dread every time you need to sit down and work!
Charming Decorations
Last, but certainly not least, you’ll want to add some personal flair in the form of charming decorations that add personality to your office.
If your office feels boring, then that’s how you’re going to feel every time that you try to work. It will be hard to focus and you won’t want to spend much time in there.
Alternatively, you can spice things up by adding some artwork, succulents, or even a water fountain for ambiance. You want your office to feel inviting, so it’s helpful to have decorations that make it so.
That said, you don’t want to include a bunch of distracting artwork and decorations that beg for you to look at them. Try to find additions that subtly add to the room and help encourage productivity.
Closing Thoughts
Home offices are a great place to get work done, but your progress can be inhibited by a poorly designed room. Take some time to carefully plan your furnishings so that you enjoy working in your office.
A few great furniture ideas include a height-adjusting desk, a quality chair, a lounging sofa, plenty of lighting, and personal decorations that add to the room’s ambiance. Make sure none of these additions are distracting and that they share similar color schemes to give your office some style.
While your office is certainly meant for work, don’t be afraid to make it playful and inviting to avoid making you feel miserable. Liven your home office up to help yourself be more productive while you’re working!
