Bring the Office Home: Design a Productive Workspace

Curating a Productive Space

Whether you’ve just started working from home or if you’ve been doing it for years, it’s always a good idea to give your space a refresh every once in a while. Making sure your space is set up to spur productivity and also be comfortable is crucial to benefitting from your WFH office.

With anything, there are tactical measures to be considered when curating a work-from-home situation that truly works for you. Before getting into the design of your office, ask yourself about the state of your home office. Do you have good WiFi? When working from home, it can be more difficult to ensure that you have an internet connection that can withstand an influx of users (if you share a home with others), and stay on top of daily video meetings, etc. Do you have a flat, clear surface to work from? If not, clear off a space that is solely for work that can mimic a desk. It’s too easy to make any space a workspace when you’re at home, so take the lap out of “laptop” and create a desk area that supports your productivity! These seemingly small measures go a long way.

Setting Up Your WFH Office

Since we are currently in the middle of the largest work from home experiment, putting together a workspace is bound to have trial and error. While it can create a more comfortable environment to work in, there are things to think about, especially if you’re working in multi-purpose rooms in your house that can cause distractions.

Creating a workspace you love can include many things, and luckily you have the freedom to experiment with different interior design methods, aromatherapy, furniture, and even work boundaries and scheduling. For the majority of people, establishing a space that is only to be used for work can be difficult. Making the most of the space you have is key.

1. 1. Identify a clear workspace in your home. Is there a low-traffic, quiet space in your home or apartment that could be used as a home office? Look for quiet corners of your dwelling space and convert away! 
   
   
2. 2. Sometimes, it just isn’t possible to designate a whole area to just a desk/home office. In these instances, it’s time to get creative: is there an area of your dining table that can double as a desk? 
   
   
3. 3. Space saving furniture that is multipurpose and configurable will be your best friend when designing your WFH office. Ghent has created multiple products that can be introduced to a home setting that serve several purposes. Our Hex Whiteboards and Bulletin Boards serve as noise-reduction, a tackable surface for all your important notes, a writing surface and as integrated functional artwork! Even glassboards like our Coda Circle Glassboard can look like a beautiful art installation while being a magnetic writing surface for any space at home.
   
   
4. 4. Maximize your space by adding floating shelves, giving you the opportunity to have more floor space. 
   
   
5. 5. Get and stay organized. This is arguably the most important part of making your WFM situation beneficial to you. Clutter can make a space – big or small – feel even smaller, even chaotic. Remember to look for desks with built-in storage, handle papers immediately and put them in their place, and stay on top of keeping your desk area minimal. 
   
   

While working from home can provide its own unique set of challenges, it can result in beautiful results. Take the time to invest in your workspace so that it can invest in you.