WORK FROM HOME

WORKSHOP

OUT OF OFFICE

Our top 30 tips to help you create a home office that sparks productivity

Text Bea Taylor

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There are three letters that have become increasingly familiar to everyone over the last year – WFH. Whether it’s a little corner of the dining table, a nook under the stairs or an entire room, the work-from-home offi ce has been well and truly test-driven. Here are 30 tips to ensure your set-up is allowing you to work at your most productive.

Location

Creating a home offi ce space that encourages work starts with choosing the right space.

1Consider what you need from your offi ce space. If peace and quiet is a top priority, a separate room or a corner in a less frequently used room is where you should set up camp. If you need to keep an eye on small children, you may need your workspace near a communal family area, in which case a cupboard offi ce or an offi ce nook might be for you. If you’re small on space, look to set up your offi ce in a corner of the living room, or as a last resort, your bedroom.

2It’s important to separate your personal life from your work life when working from home – to make it easier to ‘switch off’. It’s generally recommended that your offi ce is kept out of your bedroom and out of direct sight of the TV.

1 Oak look bookshelf, $55, from Kmart. 2 Lemon wedge pen holder, $14.99, from Typo. 3 Bamboo stationery holder, $6.50, from Kmart. 4 Shorty locker in ocean blue, $269, from Shut The Front Door. 1

3If you do end up setting up your offi ce in your bedroom, have the desk facing away from the bed and use furniture to defi ne the different zones. Try a screen divider, bookcase or set of shelves. This will help you to separate the ‘relaxation’ space from the ‘work’ space.

4Think of your offi ce space in terms of a kitchen. In other words, create a triangle of productivity. For example, if your printer, computer and bookshelf are all elements you use daily, have these close to your desk so you’re not having to get up and walk every time you need to access them.

Storage

Channelling your inner Marie Kondo to create a home offi ce space that’s free of clutter will also help to give you a clear mind for work. And although you might not be able to ditch everything that doesn’t ‘spark joy’ in an offi ce scenario, effi cient and stylish storage solutions will keep those offi ce items that don’t necessarily ‘spark joy’, but are essential business tools, out of the way until you need them.

5Tuck some drawers – you can also use bedside tables – underneath your desk as a clever way to maximise both space and storage.

6Open shelving is a great option for storage in a small space. These will allow you to store items away from the desk without having to take up valuable space.

7Utilise a stylish trolley or bar cart to store offi ce essentials and knick-knacks. This is particularly useful if your home offi ce is set up in a communal living or dining area and you need to clear the space when guests are around – simply roll your offi ce storage into another room.

8Baskets and boxes offer tidy solutions to keeping little bits and bobs from sprawling over the offi ce space. This is especially true of your desk surface. Find an elegant bamboo or wooden box to hold your day-to-day work essentials in to prevent your desk from overcrowding.

Lighting

Much like a good Instagram shot, lighting is a top priority. Proper lighting will reduce eye strain and headaches, help to lift your mood, and put you in a good frame of mind for productive work.

9Allow as much natural light to fl ow into your home offi ce as possible. Embracing natural light will improve energy levels. Keep notice of where the sun will be during the day – you don’t want to have golden rays shining directly into your eyes at any point. 10 If you’re going to position your desk facing a window, look at getting sheer curtains or blinds installed too. These will diffuse the amount of sunlight that comes in (so you don’t have to squint at your screen), while maintaining the look and feel of natural light fi ltering into the room. 11 Well distributed, diffused light will reduce eye strain and glare on your computer monitor. The best way to get this 1

is with overhead lighting or with an up-shining fl oor lamp that will bounce light off the ceilings and walls. 12 Table lamps and lampshades are great for task lighting in an offi ce. Set up your lamp to eliminate shadows across your work surface. For example, if you are right-handed, placing a lamp on the right-hand side of your desk will cause your arm to cast shadows over your work when writing, therefore, place the lamp on the opposite side or further away to diffuse the light. If there’s one thing that’s going to help your effi ciency and productivity in your home offi ce, it’s technology that makes your work easy to get done. 13 One word – wireless. Whether it’s your mouse, keyboard, or both, going wireless not only provides a desktop free of cords but also allows you greater freedom to move around and work in different areas, should you need to. 14 A monitor – or two. If you’re working from home, a monitor or larger computer screen will improve productivity. It’s better for your eyes, your posture and gives you more space for work. If you can accommodate it, two screens is even better. 15 If a monitor is not practical for your home offi ce and you’re strictly a laptop user, invest in a laptop stand (or use a stack of magazines) to elevate your screen to eye level. If you do this, you’ll need to connect your laptop to a wireless mouse and keyboard to be able to work without holding your arms suspended in the air. 16 You should always design your home offi ce with your tech needs in mind. For example, when you’re positioning your desk in the space, think about how you will run cords to a power socket in the safest way possible and whether you’ll need a power bank or an extension cord.

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1 Oh Shift wireless keyboard in mustard, $39.99, from Typo. 2 Pebble wireless mouse in rose pink, $44.90, from Logitech. 3 K580 slim multi-device keyboard, $119.90, from Logitech. 4 Putney table lamp in blush, $199, from Freedom.

Ergonomics

A comfortable working environment equals higher productivity. It’s as easy as that. 17 Before setting up your ergonomic workspace, you will need to start with a blank slate, which means a major de-clutter. When you’re adding things back in, think about what you need immediately on hand and place these items in reaching distance. Then, create zones for your other items and store them as such. 18 Your desk should be deep enough for your computer screen to sit an arms-length away and high enough for your legs to fi t comfortably underneath. 19 Your chair should have proper back support and be high or low enough for your feet to be fl at on the fl oor (or on a foot stand). 20 Check your posture. Your chin should be parallel to the fl oor, shoulders should be even and knees bent at 90 degrees when sitting. Your elbows and underarms should lie straight on the desktop or the armrests of your chair with a 90-110-degree angle at the elbow. Your eyes should be equal to the top of your computer screen. 21 Before heading out to buy offi ce furniture, fi rst measure your home offi ce space to get a rough idea of what size furniture you are looking for. Then, take your measuring tape with you when you shop. That way, you can triple check that the chair you’re buying will fi t under the desk you want, and more importantly, they are the correct heights for you to be comfortable while working.

1 Pike dining chair in seafoam, $199, from Freedom. 2 Workspace writing desk, $149, from Warehouse Stationery. 3 Oren off ice chair, $229, from Freedom. 4 Workspace Moda bookcase desk, $199, from Warehouse Stationery.

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Decor

Once you’ve got all the functional elements taken care of, make sure your offi ce is a place you want to be in by styling it with your favourite things. 22 Art on the walls. Not only does art bring in colour, personality and style, but it will give your eyes somewhere to rest when you’re staring off into the distance waiting for inspiration to come. 23 Plants. People tend to feel happier and spend longer in spaces where biophilic design is prominent (when nature is incorporated to building design), and the easiest way to do this at home is through indoor plants. It’s also been found that having greenery in the offi ce helps to replenish our attention capacity and encourage creativity. 24 Stationery. This is your party, so you do what you want to. If that means going bold and graphic, or natural and organic, that’s up to you. Fun stationery that stamps your style in your workspace is a great way to make you feel happy about doing the mahi. 25 Objects of interest. Add your personality to the space by incorporating little decor items, candles, vases of fl owers, a special mug, or family photos.

Always working in the background, colour plays a part in how we feel and work in our homes. 26 Green, blue believed to and yellow are all inspire focus, optimism, efficiency and creativity – essential elements conducive to a productive environment. 27 If you need to define an office area within a larger open-plan space, paint the walls a different colour around your desk. It could be as simple as a partial feature wall, or if you feel like getting creative, try your hand at a mural (see page 118). 28 Adding limited colour to just to your office isn’t paint. You can also add these colours through art, cushions, plant pots and stationery.

1 Pocket sticky note set, $11.99, from Typo. 2 2021/22 mid-year planner, $29.99, from Typo. 3 Everyday gel pens, $12.99 (three-pack), from Kikki-K. 4 Mini pastel highlighters, $12.99 (five-pack), from Kikki-K. 3

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Routine

There’s nothing like a daily routine to help get you ready for work and this shouldn’t change when you’re WFH. 29 Set do clear while boundaries for ‘at work’ when what you you’re at your home office. This might mean you’ve got a set of ‘work clothes’ that you get changed into when you’re WFH (it can be a power suit if that’s what helps you to be more productive, but comfy loungewear is also more than appropriate). 30 Shut off at the can be harder end of the day. It to switch off when you’re already at home. When you’re done for the day, turn your computer off, switch your office lights off, change out of your ‘work attire’ and do something that helps you to relax.

All things beige and beautiful

Taupes, beiges, terracottas and dusky pinks are an easy way to create warmth in a room. In this children’s room they work harmoniously together to set off the rattan accents. For more about this house, turn the page.

MAKEOVER

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Neutral territory A dated ’50s gem in Tauranga reaches its true potential.

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DIY project A paint job that will make your walls really pop.