Home offices aren’t just for pandemics. They had been around for centuries – read any Victorian novel. And ask anyone in the gig economy, and they will tell you they were the OGs of the modern home office phenomena. During Covid, almost everyone needed a workstation at home. The couch and the bed proved perilously unfruitful.
While some office spaces at home are getting less busy as WFH is easing, others are here to stay busy. Whether you work remotely, full-time, or partially, these key considerations will help you create functional home office spaces.
Budget
Do you have a loft space or a garage going spare? One of the best ways to trim your budget is to convert an existing space. Your loft conversion doesn’t have to be an elaborate or expensive affair. A roof light conversion builds into the existing roofline without any structural changes to it. It is the least disruptive. Rooflights, often Velux, offer good lighting and ventilation.
Loft conversion ensures your loft gets insulated, which is crucial for a more energy-efficient home. The average household can save between £330 and £590 a year on energy bills. An uninsulated home can lose up to 25% of its heat through the roof.
You can also convert a defunct garage into an office space. And, if your garage is in use, no worries; there’s always the possibility of building a floor above. It is much cheaper than building a new free-standing structure from the foundation up.
Those with garden spaces can consider a garden office or pod. It saves you from knocking through walls and structurally consistent build work that needs to complement the rest of the house. Plus, who wouldn’t want to work in their garden? You can put your creativity to use and come up with a design that merges with the outdoors.
Placement
A functional home office requires the work-life home-life divide. The whole point of creating a workspace is to immerse yourself in work comfortably. Constant distractions are not going to help you focus. When it comes to separation, a garden office is ideal, but only if you have enough garden space. Encroaching an already limited outdoor space can be counter-productive.
A loft space can also offer the isolation your office space needs. Consider soundproofing if your home or neighbourhood can get noisy. Minimal footfall and outside sounds help you focus and get into work mode.
A room with a view has inspired many. Staring at a computer screen for hours is dismal and unhealthy. Views of the natural world are refreshing to the eyes and mind. Consider a working space that has garden or rooftop views.
Lighting
Natural light is your best friend when it comes to home office design. Good lighting at work is like a vitamin that energises you. A study on natural light’s workplace impact showed that workers in offices with natural light experienced 84% less eye strain, blurred vision, and headaches.
If you are converting a loft space/garage, building a garden shed, or adding a kitchen extension, increase glazing. Add oversized skylights, ceiling-to-floor glass windows, picture windows, and glass doors to harness natural light. If you are working at night, consider ambient/subdued lighting for the room and a desk lamp to create a soothing atmosphere with comfortable visibility at the desk.
Ventilation
A well-ventilated space can create a sustainable home office. A roof light just above your head, a window right next to you, air vents, or bi-fold/sliding doors can make even a small space a viable workspace. Research shows poor air quality affects productivity and cognition in office workers. You can even use an air purifier to improve the air quality in your home.
Insulation
Come sun or snow! An office space should have the microclimate to ensconce you in comfort. After all, you will be spending a great deal of time there. And insulation pays for itself by reducing your energy bills. Consider floor, wall, and roof insulation. Draught-proofing floors, windows, and doors not only prevent chilly air and dampness but also heat loss. Fit carpets with underlay. Use double glazing.
Interior design choices
Be your own interior designer and create a home office with anti-corporate aesthetics you love. It helps you to be in your element. You can also use design features to maximise space. Use the bare wall space to put up shelves. The shelves do not have to be linear, you can use a floating wall shelf design to spot and reach objects better.
Minimalism is the way to go in creating a comfortable office space. Cluttered spaces can become eyesores. The American Psychological Association found that when it comes to office space, less is worth more. That doesn’t mean you can’t give your office personality. Personality is vital to its success.
Add therapeutic elements that can relax you when stressed, such as soothing pictures, houseplants, a goldfish bowl, and fidget toys. Use soft neutral colour palettes and pastel shades. Dark colours can introvert you.
Think ergonomically designed furniture – more function, less fanciful. Adjustable chairs and tables with sleeker frames, taller backrests, and lots of legroom will prevent you from slouching and getting cramps in the leg.
Comfort is the keyword in a home office, which means you should be able to move freely from designated places. Invest in an adjustable, folding laptop stand, so you can sit by the window to work when it’s pretty outside.
Hire a professional team
The outcome of your conversion or extension should be a satisfactory one. Nobody wants to sit in a living space they hate day in and day out to do important work. Hire home improvement specialists who are familiar with home office ideas. If your head is swimming with ideas, they will put concepts to paper and conceive functional and practical designs that suit your home and work.
They will give you a better idea about the budget you need and the options available. When building new spaces, there are many things to consider, from planning permission to plumbing to wiring. What you need is a team that takes care of it all.
Conclusion
The concept of a home office is ever-evolving and ever-relevant. Our careers will never remain fixed to 9-to-5. Whether it is company policy, your entrepreneurial spirit, or the flexibility of hours you put in, it’s time to give yourself the office space you always wanted.
Good Design and Build are specialist Victorian and 1930s home remodellers offering loft conversions, house extensions, and garden office pods. Design-led and quality-assured, we create bespoke spaces to fall in love with. Get a free consultation today.
