Creating your home office may seem like a daunting task, but it can serve as an excellent way to boost your remote work productivity. It’s one of the few work-designated spaces that you can completely design, since it’s nestled comfortably within your home.
Whether you’re searching for equipment, trying to host the perfect video meetings or simply illuminate your home office, work is about to get a little more comfortable with these home office design tips:
Create dedicated space
Having a dedicated space is important when you work remotely. That space could be a normal part of your home life, such as a kitchen table or a desk in a bedroom, or it could be a room that you’ve repurposed for your remote work life. Regardless, you’ll want to have some form of dedicated space to help keep you and your home organized.
Make sure the space can be closed off to other household members for meetings and focus time. If the space is shared, try using a room divider or purchase noise-canceling headphones to help keep other distractions to a minimum.
Set good lighting
All offices should have some form of light. However, the type of light you use can have a significant impact on the office atmosphere you’re trying to create.
Try keeping yourself close to natural light to help keep you attuned to your work schedule. Likewise, basic lighting layering, such as using task lighting for meetings to ensure video quality, can bring a significant ease of use to your workspace.
Keep soft lighting to a minimum, though. Adding too much ambiance can have some impact on your alertness or may cause stress while tending to your daily work activities.
Keep a comfortable work height
Maintaining proper work height is tantamount to having a productive and comfortable workday. While there’s no set height for working, some standard setups are fond of placing keyboards and other workspace tools at a height that allows your shoulders to rest comfortably. This height often favors elbows bent at a near 90-degree angle.
Likewise, for those who may want a more customized working height, try an adjustable height desk, monitor stand, laptop stand and other supporting office equipment. You’ll also want to ensure you can comfortably maintain average workday positions, to help eliminate added strain.
Creating a comfortable work environment is a great start to increased productivity and an ergonomically efficient work from home career. Follow these tips to get started and watch your home office slide into one of your favorite household places.
About the Author
Kyung Kim
Hi, I'm Kyung Kim. I immigrated from South Korea to the United States in 1968 when I was 7 years old. I have seen my mom struggle with the English language and work hard to raise her four kids by herself. Still to this day, I don't know how she pulled it off, but she bought her first home in 1979 for $70,000 and because of that decision, she was able to live without worrying about her financial future. I want that for everyone, to feel the pride of home ownership and to build their financial wealth using real estate as part of their financial portfolio. I feel so blessed to play a small role in helping others reach this goal.
I live in Beaverton with my husband, Richard. My mom, who lived with us for several years, passed away in our home in February 2022. Her first home purchase in 1979 made it possible for her to live to the very end, without worrying about her finances. As of August 2022 with a little downpayment assistance, our four children own their own homes. Being in real estate, I quickly realized that if they didn't buy now, they may be priced out of the market in the future. Whether that would have been the case, we will never know, but what we do know is that they are all realizing some good, healthy appreciation in their home values.
As passionate as I am about people owning their homes, I'm also passionate about giving back to our community. I support Compassion First, a non-profit organization that provides aftercare for sex trafficked girls in Indonesia. My husband and I also feel called to financially support social injustice organizations.
I'd love to assist you. Whether you're in the research phase at the beginning of your real estate search or you know exactly what you're looking for, you'll benefit from having a real estate professional by your side. I'd be honored to put my real estate experience to work for you.
