Over half of the US workforce has a job that can be (at least partially) done from home. Yet prior to the pandemic, less than 5% of Americans worked from home. Recent events have changed how (and where!) we complete our work and will likely have a lasting impact on the concept of ‘going to work’.
Those of us suddenly working from home have found ourselves scrambling to convert dining room tables and guest bedrooms into office space. Cramped, uncomfortable, disrupted, distracted… any/all of these describe your home office? Who knew how hard it was to focus on a conference call when you’re surrounded by children eating Captain Crunch? Now is the time to take a step back, reset, and create the home workspace you need to be your best!
So what exactly do YOU need to be your best? Room to pace and think? Natural light? Silence? Isolation? For a second, picture your home as a blank empty slate. If you could put your home office anywhere, where would it be? Now how can you make that happen? Your furniture is not nailed to the floor. Consider the options you have for moving things around to fit your current needs. If the sofa table in front of the bay window currently enjoys the best view in your house, it’s time to relocate the sofa table!
Once you’ve decided on a location, it’s time to do some shopping! A desk and a chair are musts. Arguable no piece of furniture comes in as many different shapes, sizes, and configurations as the desk. There is a solution for any sized space available. Take the time to find the piece that fits your space and work needs. Few people would buy a car without at least sitting in it. Nor should you buy an office chair without a ‘test drive’. After all, you may be spending more time in this chair than any other seat you own!
Now that you have the backbone of your home office, consider what else your work at home demands. A file cabinet to keep things organized? A bookcase or shelf for books, binders, and manuals? A printer station? And if you find yourself short on floor space in your new home office, consider utilizing the vertical space with some floating shelves or storage cubes.
Many of us now find ourselves immersed in the world of video conferencing. And being able to manage and alter the lighting in your home office is essential. Without some window treatments to control the sunlight, that window in front of your desk might make you look like Casper the Friendly Ghost! If your new office is in a dimly lit space like a sub-level family room, consider adding some accent lamps that can brighten the room when you need to be on camera.
When you’re ready to create that perfect home office, the staff at Furniture Solutions are ready to help! Start with some online browsing on our website http://www.furnituresolutionsinc.net then come in and see us to ‘test drive’ that desk & chair combination that is your ticket up the ladder of success!