By

Krista Collard

Founder and Principal Designer, Krista Collard Interiors

Krista Collard Interiors has been a member of My Business member since February 2020.
 

Set up your space thoughtfully

If you’re working from home for the first time you might be tempted to set up your workspace in the dining room, or simply put a desk in the corner of your spare room.

However, taking the time to set up a dedicated work area will not only help you feel more productive by removing house-hold distractions, but it will also help you shut off at the end of the day and achieve better work-life balance.

My biggest recommendation is to carefully choose where to place your office desk, and set it near a window if you can. Natural light is much better on your eyes than the artificial kind and is also shown to improve mood over time.

Once your desk is set, spend some time organising the layout of your desk, making sure that all the necessities are within easy reach.

Spending a few hours now to set up the perfect work area will have huge benefits down the track. 

Pay attention to colours

Chances are if you’re not into interior design and decorating, you probably haven’t spared a thought to the colours in your office. Research shows that surrounding yourself with calming colours can positively benefit your mood and decrease stress, while neutral tones help give a sense of structure and security to a room.

With this in mind, pairing calming blue and green tones with black, white, grey or cream can help your office look sophisticated while also having a positive effect on your mind.

If you’re not into painting or re-decorating, think of other ways you can include colours in your space. Perhaps you need a new corkboard or some stylish desk drawers? Maybe you need shelving or a filing cabinet?

There’s plenty of ways to consciously choose the colours of your office without doing an extreme room makeover. 

Invest in a good chair

One of the biggest mistakes I see when people set up their home office is not investing in a proper office chair. You might think your gorgeous vintage chair is perfect for home Zoom meetings, but if you’re spending a full working week in it you’ll soon find it’s a killer on your back. Likewise, kitchen dining chairs might save you some money now, but you’ll pay for it later when you’re forking out for physio due to poor posture!

If you can put money into one item in your home office, do yourself a favour and invest in a good quality office chair. There are lots of options with various ergonomics to suit your personal preferences and at different price points. If you can, visit your local store so you can sit in some chairs prior to purchasing. A chair that is both height and angle adjustable is your best bet, and is even better if it has lumbar support adjustments.

At the end of the day, those few hours you spend setting up your home office now will be well worth it after a few months of working from home.

For more tips and tricks on office space and interior design, visit my website. 

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of My Business. 

Krista Collard

Founder and Principal Designer, Krista Collard Interiors

Krista Collard Interiors is a full service design-build firm focusing on creating timeless spaces that honour sustainability and functionality across the Greater Sydney area.