Hark the Brave New World for the traditional office worker: no longer are we chained in 9-5 servitude to the company desk pod. The trend for workers to easily split time between the office and home is becoming more and more entrenched. WFH (working from home) isn’t (usually) seen these days as playing hooky but a clever way to maximise productivity.

That said, many people’s home environments have stubbornly refused to adapt to the trend. The home work space is often still an afterthought. In some cases it may be a cluttered kitchen table where peanut butter spread sits side-by-side with a sheaf of files. Or it could be a desperately cleared corner of the family study. Even if you don’t have the luxury of a dedicated room for a home office, we’ve got some interior design ideas which will up your WFH ante.

HACKS FOR THE HOME OFFICE

Invest in a great chair
Too often we work from home perched perilously on a completely inappropriate stool or knobbly chair. Bad posture does nothing for productivity, not to mention your silhouette. Invest in a beautiful ergonomic chair that will support all the right pressure points and look good to boot. Ensure it is at the right height and angle for your desk, otherwise WFH will literally become a pain in the neck. Or the lumbar region.

Ergonomic desk chair from Herman Miller. Image: Minimalisti

Go vertical
Hack the wall space around your desk. This is a great way to get more storage real estate when space is at a premium. There are oodles of fun, creative shelving ideas. Get a chalk board to scribble inspiration as it strikes. Need to store files or magazines? We love this vertical wooden ladder that instantly gives a kooky twist. No impersonal steel stacking dividers in sight.

A wooden ladder makes an ideal open filing cabinet. Also handy if you need to reach a high cupboard. Image: Freshome

Tempt yourself into organisation
Filing is by far one of the most tedious tasks ever invented and who hasn’t at one point or another found themselves absolutely swimming in a sea of paper? If you’re not constrained by the solutions provided by the company stationery cupboard, getting creative with your organising can make tidying a secret pleasure. Woven baskets, boxes on a pulley system, draw dividers in cool batik prints. Make it fun and make it work.

Multi-tasking storage baskets in a home office. Image: Ikea

Indulge in your favourite colour
The psychology of colour is one reason to be careful what you surround yourself with at home. Yellow and orange can inspire optimism and energy but also be garish and disturbing to the psyche. Working from home gives you the freedom to step away from the dingy neutral favoured by many older office buildings (unless you work in the techni-coloured world of Google). Studies consistently show that blue is very soothing and favoured by both genders as their favourite colour (men – 57%; women – 35%). Juxtaposing white with a splash of colour gives a clean vibrancy without being overwhelming.

Shabby chic home office design by designer Luis Caicedo. Image: Freshome

Create an elegant balance between home and office
The point of working from home is just that – you should feel at home. The privacy and more relaxed aspect can increase productivity if you strike the balance right. It’s meant to be comfortable and cosy and should reflect YOU in a way that a company office designed with the masses in mind cannot. So surround yourself with your inspirations, colour and creative touches to maximise your working life.

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