With the growing gig economy, working from home is fast becoming the norm. This has made condo renting even more convenient, as the place now functions both as a residential space and an office. Condo living has now become even more cost-efficient. As you will be spending a lot of time in your home office, make sure it is more than just a wooden desk and spare chair squeezed into a corner. Putting more attention to your condo home office will not only make your home look more put-together, but it will also help you achieve a better work-life balance. Here are ten tips for a stylish and functional work space.
Where it’s located
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Location, location, location! The importance of location applies to the position of your home office in your condo as much as it does to your condominium itself. Some of the things you need to consider are traffic flow and your distractibility. Are you the type who works best when there is much going on around you, or would you rather be tucked away somewhere quiet? Will there be clients coming over? If yes, how much seating space would you need? Even if you would not need to entertain clients, make sure you are generous with space. Keep in mind that you are likely to spend the greater part of your day in your home office. So no, forcing your office into a small windowless corner is not worth the room you save for a rarely-used guestroom.
Prioritize function over form
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Aesthetics matter, but not to the extent that you would sacrifice function for form. Your chair, desk, and storage are there to serve a function, not only to look good. That huge narra table may look wonderful in your home office but if it is too high for someone of your physique to work on, then you must move on to another option. For a more effective shopping, you must first consider your workflow, your own body type and behavior, and the items you may need easy access to. Have everything written down. Once you’ve got the essentials in order, you can start focusing on style or aesthetics. Have your office complement your home. If your interiors lean more on the classics, hardwood furniture pieces and a Victorian accent chair would make for great choices. If you have contemporary interiors, modern metal furniture and avant garde art pieces would look great in your home office.
Invest in an ergonomic chair
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You might have already heard about it, but recent studies show that sitting is the new smoking. This means that sitting for hours on end has now become one of the leading causes of deadly diseases. As a matter of fact, sitting for long periods can increase the risk of heart attack by 125 percent and death by 50%. To avoid this, people are advised to sit less and move more. While this is not always possible, the most you could do is invest in an ergonomic chair. Sitting adds stress to the structure of your spine. To avoid compounding or developing back problems, you must have a chair that evokes good posture and supports the lower back.
The combined effects of a job the requires a lot of sitting and a sedentary lifestyle can lead to many health problems. Choosing a suitable chair is a critical step to prevent health problems for people who have no choice but to sit a lot.
Choose a color you love for your wall paint
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Having a home office gives you a chance to forego “office beige”, so choose the color you love for your wall. Go for something that gets you going. For some people, this may mean a cheery color like lime green or orange. While for others, it would be a calming shade of sapphire blue or botanical green. Observe yourself, and see how certain colors affect your mood.
Indulge yourself in a good view
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Position your desk where you can stare at a good view. Make it more interesting than just a blank wall. Looking through a window with a natural light would be ideal. If your home office is windowless, you can hang a pretty picture instead or position your desk so that it faces the door.
Go for homey accessories
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One of the greatest things about working from home is that you get to stay home. Do not shy away from stressing this fact. Choose accessories that lend your home office a homey feel, like a wicker waste basket, a pretty mug for a pencil holder, and trendy sticky notes and notepads. You can also wrap your bulletin board in a decorative fabric and cover your bookshelf using the same material. Hang your favorite inspirational prints, your kids’ artwork or your knitting projects on your wall.
Make the most out of available space
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Condo units often have a limited space. Make the most out of your space by organizing horizontally and vertically. Hang floating shelves for additional storage, preferably for books, that do not consume any floor space, and add file folders on your desk for documents you’d prefer to reach easily.
Organize your equipment
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There is not much you can do to change the way your office equipment look, but you can at least conceal unsightly cords. This can be as simple as making sure your equipment is close to outlets or you can encase the cords in an attractive fabric cord cover and feed them into a desk grommet that guide cords through a hole and hides them underneath the desk. Use a wire organizer, tubing, and cord winders to tame the cord jungle at your home office.
Have ample lighting
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Make sure you have ample light in your home office so you can avoid eye strain and headaches. Place your computer in an area where it would not get a glare from an overhead light or a window. Place a small lamp on your desk so you can have task lighting.
Keep yourself inspired
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Set up a mini shrine in your office that will hold a photo, a framed artwork, and knickknacks that have a special meaning to you and will motivate you to get your work done. A photo of your children may remind you of why you work hard, or a print of Paris may drive you to keep hustling until you literally reach places.
Condo living in the Philippines has been made more accessible by developments like DMCI Properties. Make the most out of your space as you turn it into your home base not only for your family but your work as well. Keep living the good life!
