3 motivating and practical work spaces
As the holidays come to an end, it can be hard to get used to office hours again. Although it might not seem like it, your work environment can help a lot with this transition. So, if you work from home, it’s important that you set up your working-from-home space correctly to make the return to work easier. We’ve got lots of ideas to help you get everything ready. Take note!
1. A work space in a shared house
If your flatmate, partner or another family member works from home too, why not create a shared office space? A shared space can make you feel like you’re in a real office and the atmosphere will help keep you in a good mood. You’ll motivate one another and it will make the post-holiday transition much more bearable.
The first step is to choose the right place. The best option is a shared space in the house, such as the living or dining room. You could add a large table and sit either side, making sure that you both have enough space to work. It’s important to keep the table free of clutter so you can work in a more organised way and don’t invade each other’s space.
Your chairs should be comfortable and have a backrest and wheels, so you can move them easily if you need to change location.
To make it easier to keep your desk clutter free, we recommend using a drawer unit on wheels. This extra storage space will help you to keep your documents much better organised. They’ll be easy to access too, as you can wheel the unit from one place to another. And, as you can see, you can label each drawer so you can tell exactly which one belongs to whom, making the unit much simpler to share.
Although it’s important that your office space has natural light, we also recommend that you add some lamps to provide a little extra artificial light when you need it. A floor lamp, like the NYMÅNE, might be the ideal solution, as it doesn’t take up space on your desk and allows you to direct the light wherever needed.
Another tip is to add some memo boards, to which you can pin documents relating to your projects, ideas for inspiration, calendars or reminders. And if you add some spotlights too, all the better! That way, everything you need to focus on for the day is clearly displayed and well lit.
As this is a shared space, we recommend that you mark out each person’s space to avoid misunderstandings and maintain a happy working relationship.
2. A cheerful and low-cost work space
If you find it hard to get back into work mode and are new to working from home, then take note! These ideas will help you create an affordable office space, with a bright pop of colour to put you in a good mood at the start of every day.
First, you need to choose where you’re going to set up your office. It’s important that the location you choose gets good natural light, otherwise you’ll struggle to create the motivating space we’re trying to achieve. Once you’ve chosen the perfect spot, all you need is a table top, a drawer unit, some table legs (preferably in a bright colour) and a comfortable chair on wheels. As you’re going to spend several hours sitting down, we recommend adding a cushion like the one shown in the photo, which will also add a pop of colour to your little office.
As you’re going to need storage and likely don’t have lots of space, the best option is to place your drawers and shelving units on a nearby wall. If you choose a modular storage system like EKET, you can tailor it to suit your needs now and then extend it later if you or another family member needs more space. This system allows you to create various combinations and therefore maximise the available space.
As we mentioned, keeping your desk tidy is vital for maintaining concentration and making the return to work easier. The drawers and organisers you’ve placed on the wall will go a long way towards reducing clutter. But if you want to keep your ideas organised too, why not add a SVENSÅS pegboard or blackboard to help you keep track of everything you need to remember for the day? It will help you clear your head and you’ll work much better.
3. An outdoor work space
A great way to ease yourself back into work mode after the holidays is to move your home office to an outdoor space like a terrace. An outdoor office will get much more light and you’ll be able to make the most of the last few weeks of good weather while you work.
As you might not want to work outside all year round, use whatever table you already have in the space and make an existing chair more comfortable to work in by adding a cushion. If this doesn’t work for you, you can always bring an office chair on wheels outside for the time being, as it will be easy to move elsewhere later.
You might also like to use a drawer unit on wheels or a trolley to store all the things you need, so you can wheel it outside whenever necessary.
If you have an enclosed terrace, you can use your new office space for longer and enjoy lots of sunlight and a pleasant work environment every day.
Don’t worry if you also use this space for other things, like hanging out the washing. If you organise your terrace carefully and schedule your various chores, you won’t have any problems. And, if you already have a storage area, you can reserve a spot for your office supplies. Two for the price of one!
What did you think of our ideas? If you still need a little help to create your home office space, check out this video.
We love it when customers use our products in a creative way. Why not try to do something new with them yourself? But do remember, any modifications or changes that you make to IKEA products will prevent them from being resold or used for their original use, thus invalidating IKEA product warranties and your right to return.
