Work it, baby

Whether you’re hybrid working or need a place to do household paperwork, create the perfect home office space with these stylish solutions

BELOW STAIRS

The little-used area under the stairs is often an ideal spot for a mini home office. Paint the walls with bold and invigorating sunshine shades and ensure that you use good lighting to keep the space bright and inviting – a place where you would like to spend time. A wall-mounted memo board is ideal for keeping to-do lists and notes close to hand while maintaining a clutter-free desk. A comfortable chair is essential too.

Creating a smart home-working solution needn’t mean compromising on looks. Ladder desks are not only practical, due to the shelving options that come inherent with the design, but they look super-stylish too, and they are easily personalised with plants, family photographs and small, fun office ornaments to keep the space looking studious, yet cheery.

BIA Pro Electric sit stand desk, from £899; Varier Variable Plus chair, from £599; Varier Variable Balans kneeler, from £349, all Back in Action

Sit in style

Back problems caused by sitting at our desks for too long are on the increase. By investing in a good ergonomically designed chair or kneeler you can keep backache at bay. Combine this with a rise and fall desk, which allows to you adjust the height and even use it as a standing desk, to help encourage you to change your working position.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

If you’re lucky enough to have a dedicated room for your home office, keep it looking serene by using a combination of open shelving and closed cupboards. If budget allows, fitted office cabinets will make the maximum use of your space. This will allow you to keep the most often-used items close to hand, while less attractive objects can be hidden. When planning an office layout, try and position your desk area in front of a window to make the most daylight.

TOP TIP Room design apps help you visualise a space

PROBLEM SOLVERS

Oak leaning ladder desk, £279; folding chair, £70; oak leaning narrow shelves, £159; oak leaning shelves, £179, all Futon Company

Ladder desk, £59.99, VonHaus

Aero industrial corner desk in Brass, £299, Swoon Editions

From pop-up coffee-tables to slimline ladders and clever corner fillers we’ve got small spaces covered

Secolo table in Grey & Brass, £399, Dwell Feature Anna-Lisa De’Ath

If you only have space for a home office area in your living room, help it to blend seamlessly with the rest of the room by using furniture with the same aesthetic. Choose a desk and chair that use similar materials and colours as your living room scheme and look for designs that feature slimline or hairpin legs to encourage your eye to flow uninterrupted around the room.

Rayner dining chair in Mustard, £69, Cult Furniture

IN THE ZONE

In a large open-plan room, it can help to create a dedicated area for your home office. One of the easiest ways to do this is by using wallpaper. Choose a design that either soothes or inspires you and use it just up to picture-rail height to allow the rest of the room’s décor to flow around it. Alternatively, you could use paint to create a similar effect. Keep the lines crisp with masking tape, and experiment by using painted triangles, rectangles or circles to zone your working corner.

TAKE A SEAT

Say goodbye to boring black office chairs and pimp your desk with one of these beauties

Eldberget/Malskär swivel chair in Yellow and White, £39, IKEA

TOP TIP Bring a work space to life with pretty papers

Restore Midnight wallpaper, £65 per roll; Resistance Durable matt emulsion paint in Breather, £46 per 2.5L, both Graham & Brown

Wren office chair in Vintage Tan faux leather, £199, Cult Furniture Cooper wall light fitting, £128; 14cm wizard pendant shade in Ruby silk with velvet tape, £32, both Pooky

Tucked away

Alcoves are ideal spaces in which to create a bijou WFH area. They lend themselves perfectly to rows of floating shelves, offering you plenty of storage space for books, files and a few inspiring decorative accessories – the brighter the better to help inspire a positive mindset. Try to keep the projection of your desk to the same depth as the alcove if you can to prevent it jutting out into the room too much. An adjustable wall-mounted lamp will act as perfect task lighting to illuminate your working area without taking up precious limited space on your desk.

Ellwood wood Venetian blinds in Pearl White with Clay tape, from £102, Hillarys

THROW SOME SHADE

When you’re sitting at your desk, there’s nothing more distracting than unwanted glare on your computer screen, especially in a south-facing room that gets direct sunlight for most of the day. As well as considering your office furniture, it’s really important to choose the right window treatment to allow you to work comfortably. Wood Venetians make it simple to control light levels throughout the day, while voiles create privacy, as well as reducing screen glare, as they allow light to gently filter through.

Bed and boardroom

If you need to put your home office in your bedroom, try to not let it dominate the space. Fitted wardrobes and a desk area that incorporates matching cabinetry will help the office to blend seamlessly with the rest of the space. Add softening touches to office furniture, such as a plush velvet office chair, a cosy rug or dimmable lighting. You could also use a decorative folding screen to hide the office too.

Manhattan home office with Manhattan bedroom in Dove with Lilah Satin Brass handles, from £2,000, The Home Collection, Sharps

EXPERT ADVICE

Catherine Quinn, President of the British Chiropractic Association, shares her tips on how to WFH Essential adjustments Take time to position your chair correctly. Your feet should be flat on the ground and your knees bent, but with a slope from your hips to your knees. Relax when sitting into your chair, making sure you have your bottom against the seat back with your shoulder blades touching the backrest of the chair. Remove any obstacles from under your desk. Get up! Incorporating movement into your day is so important, but start small – take a 15-20 minute walk on your lunch break. It’s all about manageable, bitesize chunks! Mix it up Try to mix up your position and consider a laptop stand that will allow you to work standing up. It’s fine to get creative – especially if you’re still working from home. Just make sure your screen is at eye level.

Find the light Try to ensure you get enough daylight, particularly during the winter. Vitamin D is an essential part of maintaining well-being. Getting enough sunlight can help improve your sleep and mental health.

TOP TIP Use task lighting to help zone your office space