I’ve been working from home properly for over two years now. In that time, I’ve perfected my own work-from-home setup. Granted, most of it was done during the pandemic so it’s not like we could do much else. However, I realised that the space needed to be practical and comfortable above everything else. Sometimes, the prettiest offices are not the most functional. Now my office (the spare bedroom) is as complete as I’ll get it, here’s my guide on how to set up your office space.
Choose the best space
You might not have a spare bedroom like I do to make it into your office. Instead, it might be a desk in the living room or bedroom or even the dining room or kitchen table. As long as there is space for your computer and other essentials, you can make any space your working space. Some people simply don’t have the luxury of having an entire room for an office so those of us that do are very lucky!
Design the space
Whilst you might want to prettify it, it needs to be functional first. Set a budget, make a wishlist, and price everything up. If you’ve got a full room to play with, it can take some time to hone in on the design. If you’ve only got space for a desk in your bedroom, perhaps you could build a shelf or two above the desk to store notebooks and trinkets.
Measure everything
This means not only measuring the space but double checking the measurements of items. That’s why I like to buy furniture in person because you’d be surprised by how incorrect measurements online can be! Don’t forget to check the depth of items too. Some desks can be very deep, perfect for a home office. If yours is going to be in a bedroom, it might leave you with little wiggle room around it. It goes without saying too to always use the same metrics (centimetres or inches)!
Don’t go overboard with storage or stationery
The point is don’t buy tonnes in advance, just buy these as and when you need them. As a stationery collector, I never need to buy more so I just restock when I’m out of stuff. With storage, less is more. You don’t need all the boxes. My favourite piece of furniture is my trolley/cart from Hobbycraft but you can get them in Ikea too. Learn to live in the space a little bit before you start purchasing extra storage and stationery. You’ll notice gaps fairly quickly. Maybe you want a whiteboard to jot down ideas on? Perhaps you require an extra monitor for working effectively (a game-changer for me)?
Add a fun element
This is personal for anyone: a picture, a mug, a postcard. It should bring you joy or inspire you. For me, I have a pinboard above my desk with my goals written down as well as lots of prints I’ve collected over the years. I also love coloured pens and highlighters so I have those everywhere! Whether you collect trinkets or not, just adding one item that makes you smile when you look at it can do wonders for your work day!
Make your set-up make sense
The more often you use an item, the closer it should be to arm’s length. For me, I have my notebooks and pens next to my desk in my trolley. I also have a couple of coasters stored in there too because I hate putting a drink down without one! This will mostly depend on your job and how often you’ll be at your desk. One thing I always keep to hand is Post-It notes or a jotter notepad. It’s perfect for just that: jotting down an idea or reminder as it appears in your brain.
Make it comfortable
You’ll probably be spending a lot of time in this space so make sure you get the right chair and desk. Read the reviews if buying online or go to a store and try out a few! I’ve had my desk for a few years now but revamped it with a sheet of sticky-back plastic. With my desk chair, I wanted comfort over anything else because of the slipped disc in my back! I have the grey fabric version because it looked comfier than leather and it compliments my marble print desk! On top of that, I purchased ergonomic keyboard and mouse wrist support pads for extra comfort.
I don’t know about you but I love reading about other people’s office set-ups for inspiration. I’ll be redoing mine soon enough so I’ll be sure to re-read how to set up your office space before I do anything else!
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