When you’re working at home, home office setups are a must. However, there are so many ways you could go about furnishing its layout. It can feel impossible to sift through all your choices. Well, look no further because the property managers in Washington DC have sorted through the best of the best to give you the greatest home office ideas that will raise your productivity.
Consider Your Needs
Before you design your home office setup, think hard about the space you have, what you need from your space, and how you can meet those needs with the material conditions you have. For instance, your plans will look vastly different depending on the size of your space. If you have a large amount of space, you could incorporate a wide desk into your layout. However, if you are working with a smaller space, a better home office idea might be a compact desk.
Reduce Distractions
When you’re working at home, you don’t want to get distracted. So, you should minimize flashy décor or tools. One way to accomplish this is by keeping the area minimalist and uncluttered. You also can do this by using baskets and desk drawers as subtle storage to hide important items.
Make an Office from Your Closet
If you have little wiggle room for extra furniture in your home, closet offices can be a perfect home office idea. You can place your desk in the closet and add shelves. Or you can repurpose already-present shelving for files, outlets, and other tech equipment. Even better, at the end of each day, you can shut the closet doors to create a boundary between work and leisure.
Blank Walls are Your Canvas
Even blank walls can be workspaces if you mount a floating desk on them. With this, you can squeeze in a computer, bulletin board, and wire baskets for your files. This strategy does wonders for keeping your home office setup organized and nimble.
Furnish Vertical Spaces
You can strike gold with vertical spaces at home, like the corners of rooms. This option can be especially helpful for maintaining focus if you position your desk to the wall, away from disruptions. In these spaces, you can install adjustable shelving units to carry all your work tools. As your work tasks change, you can adapt the space settings to match these changes.
Make Use of the Unexpected
You can tap into unconventional tools that you might least expect to hold your space and office supplies. These ideas illustrate how you can use even the most unexpected materials at home for a functional home office setup.
- Containers: cardboard photo boxes and magazine holders scattered around can serve as document holders. Then, you can stick labels onto each piece to differentiate categories.
- Portable Offices: If you are on the go a lot during work hours, portable offices can be an efficient solution. Furthermore, creating one doesn’t have to be a laborious endeavor. You could simply use a server tray or other foldable desk and bag to fit your supplies. Or, you could utilize a caddy to take with you that neatly holds your stationery. By creating this layout, you can move your at-home office to a park, a coffee shop, or virtually anywhere else you can imagine.
- Bulletin Boards: Bulletin boards can give you a virtual reminder of your to-do list and other important papers. You can spruce up the home office setup by having multiple boards for each category. This adds variety to your space and simplifies organizing.
- Lighting: Light is a fundamental feature that you need for work at home. If you can point your desk towards a window, that can be a natural remedy. Otherwise, you could benefit from lamps, string lights, or ceiling light fixtures. These lights will keep your eyes sharper throughout the day.
- Secretary Desks and Chairs: Old-fashioned secretary desks and chairs are petite and pint-sized, yet classy and elegant. The desk shelves are deep enough to hold loads of heavy supplies, and if you need even more storage, the writing area can do wonders.
- Chalkboard Surfaces: A chalkboard surface can be an easy, convenient home office idea for brainstorming sessions. You could use magnetic chalkboard paint on the board’s back wall to arrange labeling magnets on the board. It would be a creative way to make your work hands-on, instead of using the old, tired pen and paper.
Reuse Leisure Furniture for Work
A simple way to create space for your home office setup is to make use of the furnishings you already own.
For example, you could make your dining table or dresser your work desk. Or, if you have a staircase, you could put your workspace against the staircase’s wall. After all, many people don’t take advantage of that unused spot at home. Again, you might consider transforming a section of your kitchen into an office nook.
Even better, this tip is economically efficient, too. It could spare you hundreds or perhaps even thousands of dollars you would otherwise spend on new furniture. You save time, effort, and money, all at once.
Set Up a Mini Coffee Bar
If you set up a mini coffee bar in your at-home abode, fresh cups of coffee will be just an arm’s reach away. There will be no need to go back and forth from the kitchen anymore. You can buy a small plug-in burner to get work and coffee brewing done at the same time.
Find Your Dream Home with BMG Rentals
With a few creative fixes, you can make spaces like your closet or dining table into the ideal home office setup. You can maximize your productivity to new heights. If you want a home that has the perfect space for a home office, Bay Management Group can help. We connect tenants with the best housing available that meets their unique needs. Let us handle the stressful process of finding a good fit so it’s all seamless for you. Contact us today to turn a new leaf.