There used to be a time when the home office set-up was little more than working on your laptop on the kitchen table. However, since COVID-19, the business landscape has changed so much that now, around 1 in every 3 Australians work from home on a regular basis.
For this reason, many Aussies have taken steps to create dedicated home offices that enable them to be just as productive at home – if not more so – than when they are at their place of employment.
But if you are one of those who haven’t, you might be wondering how you can do so, particularly if you are a parent with young children.
Well, in this post, we want to provide you with some inspiration. So, here are some home office renovation ideas you can implement to facilitate your work from home.
How do I build a home office?
If you don’t already have a dedicated home office space in your floorplan, you should consider undertaking a renovation project to create one.
This could involve knocking down a wall to utilise space between two rooms that you can subsequently cordon off into one. It could also involve building an extension or even a completely separate area on your land (which you might need council planning permission for).
However, if you decide to build your office space, it is worth hiring a professional rubbish removal company like 1300 Rubbish to get rid of the construction debris and materials for you.
That way you can eradicate the risk of your children being injured from it and focus your energies on the decor and setting up of your office.
What if I can’t build a new home office?
If space permits you to build a new home office, then you’ll have to get creative. Luckily, there are several ways you can do this.
One of the most popular is a home office nook, which you might be able to put behind pocket doors or under a staircase. Another is floating desks, which you can add to your bedroom.
Modern-day designers are constantly pushing the envelope of creativity when it comes to incorporating highly functional workspaces into the floorplan of a small family home. So, it is worth contacting one or two of them to see what ideas they can come up with.
How do I design a home office?
Home offices have a specific purpose. So, when mapping out its design, you’ll need to clarify in your mind what it is.
For instance, as a parent, you might want a space where your child can do their homework next to you, quietly play with toys or watch their devices. For this reason, it could be worth including another desk or sofa chair in its design.
Alternatively, if you are an architect, you might need enough space for a big drawing board. Or if you are a web designer, you might need a multi-computer set-up.
Ultimately, the design of your home office is about understanding how you will work within the space and, therefore, arranging it to maximise your productivity.
Fit out considerations
When fitting out your newly renovated home office there are a few considerations you should bear in mind.
Firstly, you will need sufficient desk space to be able to work properly. You may also choose to include multiple desks or enough space for more than two people to work congruently, particularly if you have children you are home schooling.
The home office will need to have good ventilation, heating and lighting, and it is also wise to incorporate lots of shelving and storage space.
You should also include plenty of inspirational artwork and motivational materials to spark your creativity and keep you on track. At the same time a chalk or whiteboard might be useful as well.
Other aspects to consider are your furniture, plants, the technology you need to use to do your work and the degree to which you want the office to look ‘corporate’ or not.
Ultimately, however, you choose to fit it out, your home office should be a space which enables you to work productively. So, make sure you include all the elements that will most help you do so.