Setting up your own business from home
A guide to creating your home office
Do you consider yourself a bit of a novice when it comes to interior design? You may have just landed your dream job working from home, but now the prospect of designing a room can seem a little daunting. However, there are plenty of simple ways you can create a stunning home office without having to hire an interior designer to do all the work for you. See below a guide to setting up your own business from home.
Fast connection
Before you embark on your home makeover mission, you should plan extensively. Many employees who work from home picture their own home office at the end of the garden away from the main house. Although this may be ideal in terms of privacy; it’s not always practical when it comes to fast internet. No matter how your computer is set up, you’re nearly always going to run into issues with your connection if you’re in a garden. That’s why it’s sometimes a better idea to stay within your house, using a separate room instead.
Start minimalistic
When it comes to designing your office, starting simple is key. It’s best not to over complicate the space when you’re trying to create a productive work environment. You can install your own built-in desk if you’re working with limited space, taking care to leave room for all cables and wires connected to your computer. Sound-proofing the room is also vitally important, especially if you’ll be working in close proximity to your family. Install a soundproof wall or extra padding to alleviate some of the outside noise that could potentially be distracting. In addition, as you’ll likely have expensive equipment in the room, it’s a good idea to invest in private security which could be alarms or cameras depending on your budget.
Balance the room
Once you’ve got your minimalistic base, it’s best to use neutral or plain coloured decorations to create a functional yet bright workspace. However, there’s no harm including a mixture of textures and patterns to bring the room to life – after all, you don’t want to spend your days staring at four white walls.
Softening the room is the perfect way to achieve the balance of comfort and work, a patterned rug in the center of the room could offset the rest of your decoration plans going forward. For artwork and stationery, pick out a few colours from the pattern of the rug to give it a coordinated theme. Finish your home office by hanging a whiteboard or blackboard on your wall to promote creativity and organisation.
Furthermore, open up space with some greenery, including low maintenance in-house plants such as succulents and cacti. Not only do they look great, but they’re also beneficial to your overall health and happiness. Plants are proven to help employees feel more motivated and less sluggish.
Remember practicalities
You need to remember that this space is a designated work area. Therefore, to create the area to be most functional in terms of work productivity, consider the practicalities of the space. Your home office should ideally have windows, but to monitor and control the amount of light coming in, look into the types of blinds that would be best for the room. If your computer is set up facing away from the window, you’ll want to avoid the sun glare that could dampen your work efforts.
Home and work balance
Keeping your home life and work life separate can be interesting, especially if you are operating from home every day of the week. However, if you design your home office with the ideal amount of professionalism mixed with comfort, you’ll find that setting up your home business isn’t as difficult as you may have first thought.