Working 9 to 5 in your home office

Dedicating a room to your workspace – without distractions or temptations – is fundamental to your focus and productivity.

To improve the functionality, try to position yourself somewhere with natural light, power outlets, and space for a desk, chair, and computer.

Potential spaces could include:

• The garage (consider heating, drafts, and electricity)
• Spare bedroom
• Desk in your bedroom
• Desk under the stairwell
• Desk in a nook

After selecting the ideal location, curate the space around you by creating a vignette of decorations and accessories, ensuring the visual environment correlates with your professional persona.

Studies have proven that houseplants improve productivity and concentration as well as helping to reduce stress. Natural mood boosters, seeing greenery has a direct impact on a feeling of calm and relaxation.

Depending on your available space, you can simply add a pot plant or go large with lush palm varieties such as monstera, strelitzia nicolia, or opt for something dainty and fragrant like a small basil or mint. Even the smallest desk can accommodate a low maintenance succulent or cactus.

To keep your workstation in line with the breezy feel and natural scenery, incorporate sheer materials, minimalist textures, and organic colours.

A mix of functional and decorative lighting is important to reduce eye strain, whilst looking good on screen and having a well-lit working surface.

Ensure you have a light source coming from behind the camera or at the side to illuminate your face. To look your best, position task lighting behind the screen rather than overhead. Setting your desk up facing a window or side on to one will reduce glare, give you access to a view, and flatter your face on screen.

Fabric lampshades can cement your personal design style using pattern and colour – you could even incorporate your brand colours.

If you are lucky enough to have an abundance of natural light, sheers can help you control light and glare as well as softening the lower angle of the sun in winter.

Finally, if you’re wanting to add style and drama, hanging pendants will give your space a luxurious yet professional feel and are offered in a myriad of styles.

We all want to work in a space that inspires us. Vibrant accent pieces and accessories are the perfect canvas to express your personality and visually stimulate a space.

An upholstered pinboard is a great way to compile artistic items or vital information whilst acting as an acoustic buffer and injecting a burst of colour, texture, or pattern.

Create a gallery wall by using removable wall strips to hold your prints up (giving you flexibility to change out the look) this looks great in black and white for a graphic monotone effect.

Hang up a daily calendar. When your to-do list is always in your line of vision, you’re more likely to want to cross things off it.

A desk chair that is comfortable, stylish, and ergonomic is vital to remaining comfortable sitting for long periods.

A desk could be anything really – as long as it can fit what you need and is a sturdy, flat surface of a suitable height. Shop around to find the perfect fit for your personal style – be it a decorative antique or simply a desktop resting on two filing cabinets.

Storage is essential. This could be filing cabinet, a stylish box, or a basket for your bits and pieces. A wall mounted shelf above your desk can house regularly needed reference books, textbooks, or files you need through the day whilst keeping clutter off the floor.