Tips and Advice for Organizing Your Home Office

Home offices have been in a renaissance for the last handful of years and continue to grow in popularity. Although these should be spaces for focus and work, it's common for people to struggle to create an area that works for studying and working. Thankfully, you're not alone in this!

These are some of the best tips and advice for organizing your home office and what you can do to create a zen space for work and focus.

What Makes Home Offices Such a Good Choice?

Home offices were pushed into the mainstream by Covid-19 in 2020 and have since become the way to work. Although there's no right or wrong way to work from home, most agree that having a separate room for work is the best way to ensure that you'll be able to focus instead of having to struggle with your attention span every workday.

Home offices also ensure employees can feel more comfortable at home, able to make more nutritious meals, and take more enjoyable breaks than they would if they were stuck in an office.

1. Block Out the Distractions

One of the largest issues with working from home is the distractions. In order to get the best home office possible, you need to plan for these distractions and be ready to stop them in their tracks. Noise is the worst of it since a third of Americans rent or live in apartments and can't help the sound that surrounds them. Getting acoustic wall panels will not only stop outside noise from getting in, but it will also stop your voice or conversations from carrying outside of the room.

Getting a soundproof door and making sure to keep it closed during work hours will also help you keep your mind on work and away from the comforts of a bed or couch while you're on shift.

2. Understand the Importance of Comfort

Comfort is one of the most important parts of work. Employees that are more comfortable will be more capable of handling a longer shift or focusing fully on work instead of discomfort. You don't need a full stone veneer fireplace to make it cozy, but adding a small fridge and drink bar can be a great way to make your office feel like a comfortable and work-focused space. 

3. Consider Who’s Seeing This Space

If you're planning on having video calls while you work, you need to prepare for an attractive yet plain backdrop. You can still have flashy and fun art and personal pictures, but make sure they're on the wall you're facing and not the wall that your associates, clients, coworkers, or employer will see.

Avoid anything too bright or clashy that will take away from what you're saying in a meeting; it's your words that matter the most.

4. Give Yourself Enough Storage

Storage is the most important part of any room, but this is especially true for a home office. Storage will give you the option to hide hobby things in this room or use the closets for storage instead of having everything piled up in boxes. Have a clear filing system for any important paperwork, including work-related mail and tax information you need to keep within reach.

5. Set Boundaries For the Space

Make it clear to everyone in your home that when you're in the office, you need to be focusing. This will ensure that you can keep your eyes on the task at hand instead of struggling through a conversation at your door while you're supposed to be coding or creating something for work.

This can be as simple as a conversation, but many set up a sign on their door that alerts the world when they can talk or when they can’t be interrupted.

6. Protect Your Floors From Your Chair and Furniture

A rolling chair can be hard on carpet and other softer floors. If you have hardwood floors, look up the best polyurethane for floors within your budget to protect them from wheels and scraping furniture. Although this can seem like a small deal, using plastic floor mats can be a headache over time since they curl and catch on chair wheels.

7. Use Lighting to Your Benefit

Our circadian rhythm is part of what makes us capable of focusing or leaves us tired, so it's important to stop and plan your office so you get a little sunlight throughout the day. Direct sunlight, however, can be incredibly distracting and leads to headaches and vision issues when you're supposed to be working. Adding sheer white curtains to your office will diffuse the light so you can still enjoy it without harming yourself.

What Helps You Focus?

When you're working, it's important that you're able to stop and put your full focus into what you're doing. Instead of fighting against your natural curiosity and creativity, work with Liberty Interior Design to create a space where you can aim all of it into your work.

Interested in learning more about how we can work together?

Contact us today!

Our designers are true professionals and excellent at helping you transform you space. We proudly serve Chatham Kent and surrounding areas. We also provide design world wide with our E-design services.

Natalie Akins is a freelance writer that loves sharing her knowledge and expertise on interior decorating and remodeling. She lives in her hometown of Austin, Texas where she enjoys spending time with her husband and decorating with her children. Natalie’s work as a freelance writer can be found on Building Product Advisor, a new construction industry resource site.