WORKIN’
9-5
home office style secrets
STORY BY KATE DUCKWORTH PHOTOS BY GRANT DUCKWORTH PHOTOGRAPHY PAINTING BY CHRISSY MANTZURANIS OF DALLAS
In the wake of the pandemic, more and more people are working from home. Early on, companies and employees alike were forced to adapt to work-from-home models. Now, 2 years in, people have realized they enjoy working from home and neverdesire to go back to being chained to a desk. Companies that previously required employees to report to an office realized that employees could be more productive working from home and that could become a long-term work structure that they embrace as well as an incentive to attract good and quality job candidates. In the interior design industry, I’ve seen a steady rise in the demand for highly productive and attractive home offices. As I’ve been creating such spaces for my clients, I’ve learned some great solutions that I hope are helpful if you’re working from home yourself. 1. Overall Style: Your home office is your chance to express yourself. Don’t be afraid to go with a style that’s different from the rest of your home. I think it’s good to create the illusion for yourself that, when entering your office, you’ve left your home and are now in a different environment. We want our homes to be comforting and relaxing but we need our work spaces to be conducive to productivity. This client lives in a classic farmhouse but wanted her home office to feel bright, feminine and glamorous. 2. Furniture Placement & Flexible Seating: I highly recommend floating your desk in the room, if large enough. It has a completely different feel than having your desk up against a wall or shoved in a corner. Also, aim to orient your desk where you have a good line of sight to a window or door. Staying connected to the outdoors is important when we’re spending loads of our time indoors. Make sure you’re also choosing a desk location where you won’t have natural light reflecting on your computer screen. Lastly, remember you’re no longer
32
LIVING-MAGAZINE.COM // JUNE/JULY 2022
BEFORE
