Nowadays, space costs a lot. Every inch of floor, every bit of wall translates into an asset. Especially in urbanized areas, it’s just too expensive to waste space.
How to make the most out of your home office space
When it comes to the place where you work, you need just enough space to do your job without exceeding your overhead costs. Perhaps this fact contributes to the growing popularity of remote working spaces. Between leasing expensive office spaces and working independently in your own home, the latter offers savings in terms of operating expenses and time.
Making it work
If you work at home, you need to allot a particular area in the house to function well. Small it may be, a well-designed space would help maximize your efficiency and eliminate distractions. Try these simple yet effective ways to get the most out of your little home office. With a little bit of effort, you can make that tiny nook as efficient as a whole trading floor in a bustling city.
Choose your special spot
A home office need not occupy a whole room in your house. If you lack the space, you can widen your options to include under-utilized spaces in your home. These can include a closet you don’t really use, a corner in the living room, or even the end of your hallway. You can even resort to a pop-up, wall-mounted table or a swinging portion of your kitchen counter if you prefer hiding away your workspace when not in use.
Seek space in 3D
While a large floor space is truly heaven-sent, don’t be limited by the restrictions of your floor area. If you only have a tiny space to build an office, expand your work space across the walls or right above your desk. You can opt to have a wall-hung desk or shelves to provide extra space on the walls. Or you can arrange your work space into a loft, coupled with a bed to rest above your desk.
Stick to the basics
Every type of remote worker has his or her own requirements, but a simple desk, comfortable shelves and a few shelves are enough for most home offices. In shopping for furniture, always try them out first to determine if you are comfortable using them over long periods of time. Tables with thin frame support such as this DIY desk from the cafecartolina blog are easier on the eyes rather than traditional bulky desks. Feel free to customize if you can’t find an item that would fit your working area. Building your own table or shelving would also add a personal touch to your home office.
Use light wisely
Good Light can be a friend or foe. It can help you work more efficiently or prevent you from focusing at work. To make proper use of light, place lamps or ceiling fixtures right over your desk. Desk lamps are also useful especially if your work requires prolonged attention to details. This classic desk lamp designed by Arne Jacobsen is one such fixture that provides better task lighting. Opt for cool white lighting to improve your focus and maintain your productivity throughout your working period.
Face the window
A window situated near your desk provides warmth, daylight, and a good view. Light directly hitting your computer monitor, however, produces glare which makes it difficult to see your screen. Position your table right before the window, with your seat facing the view, so that you can avoid glare and easily look outdoors for inspiration.
Use visual cues to seperate your workspace from other areas
If you work in a tiny apartment with only a few rooms, you can locate your home office in the bedroom, kitchen or living room. Use varying finishes to keep the functions of a multi-purpose area separate. A change in wall color or floor finish is enough to tell people where one space ends and another one begins. As an alternative, you can also use portable screens or curtains to enclose areas. Install solid walls as a last resort as these minimize lighting in the room and can make your small space look even tinier.
Build on your wall
You don’t need to be a webbed superhero to conquer your wall space. With some nails and a little DIY, you can expand your home office by adding shelves and writing boards over your desk. If you constantly need tools on hand, install hooks and a perforated board. Explore your local hardware for items that you can hang on walls to increase your storage space. Just avoid placing sharp tools and dangerous liquids over your workspace. You wouldn’t want these things dropping on top of you in case of an earthquake.
Be creative in making space
For those who live in apartments, another brilliant option would be to adapt a loft bed into a combination of a sleeping space and a work area. Place the bed on top of the system and use the lower area for your desk. For additional storage space, you can design the drawers to serve as the steps leading to the bed. Similar systems are available in the market but you can build your own to suit your needs. In particular, this clever design by Graham Phakos would allow you to switch easily between your bed and your desk without clearing up items. It’s a piece of ingenuity that any remote worker would appreciate.
Expand your office on the cloud
If you really have no room for your office items, consider taking up digital storage instead. Apps such as Dropbox or Google Drive can accommodate your office records for free or at a reasonable fee. This would allow you to go paperless at work, saving both space and the environment. Just remember to keep your security constantly in check to prevent hackers from accessing sensitive files.
A small space shouldn’t limit big ideas
Space may be expensive, but there’s no limit in the ways you can maximize it. When it comes to your home office, a tiny space can become an efficient workplace if you are creative. Seek additional area on the walls, above your desk, or even on the internet. You can even turn underutilized areas in other parts of your home into a work nook. At the end of the day, despite restrictions in space, your tiny home office should never restrict you from growing your business. There’s always room to dream big for the future, even if you sometimes have to begin with just a desk and a chair.
We hope this article helped you make the most out of your small home office workspace. What ideas and tips do you have?
