With 30% of the UK workforce working from home at least once a week, it's no wonder that people are turning their attention to their home offices and considering how to make the most of their space. You may have previously used your home office infrequently, or as more of a storage room, or may not have had one at all. However, if you now feel a need to create a fully functioning office in your home, you'll no doubt want to get the design just right so it's a productive and comfortable place to work.
If you are redesigning your home office, make sure you plan it out first. A well-thought-out office design will combine practicality, functionality, and beautiful aesthetics to ensure that your home office is a productive space where you can spend a lot of your time.
Office design ideas - where to start?
When you are redesigning your home office, there are many different elements that you need to take into consideration. Before you start, it's always a good idea to accurately measure your space. This way, you'll know the area you have to work with and can plan your furniture choices and layout accordingly. Once you have done so, you can work out the other big decisions, such as theme and style, colour schemes, furniture choices and lighting, before adding the finishing touches to the room.
Deciding upon a theme
If you hope to achieve a contemporary aesthetic, look to the most popular styles for home office design ideas and inspiration. While you can opt to theme your office around current trends in interior design, it is always wise to remember that opting for a timeless style will help ensure that your office never becomes outdated.
Since offices are places of work, many people generally opt for a minimalist, clean, and clutter-free approach. Simple, clean lines, maximising on space, and plenty of storage will help keep your office organised. However, that's not to say you can't inject some of your own unique tastes into the room. You may wish to add some metallic furniture for a tough, industrial look. Or perhaps you admire the muted colours and natural tones of the Scandi-style? If you are more of a traditionalist in your tastes, pick pieces of furniture that reflect this so that your room matches your preferred aesthetic.
Picking a colour scheme
When considering different home office design ideas, deciding upon a colour scheme can largely influence the rest of your purchasing decisions. The colours you opt for may well depend on the type of work you do. To set the tone for a calm and stress-free day, you may prefer a more muted colour palette. Whites, greys, beiges, and light browns can keep things looking natural, or you could opt for calming pale blues and greens. Alternatively, choose brighter colours to add vibrancy and energy to the room and spark your best creative and innovative ideas. Yellows and oranges can add warmth and keep things cosy or use lots of white to add light and a sense of space.
Selecting furniture
675 Chair in oak / black leather
Picking out the furniture you need for your home office is arguably the most critical part of the design process. You should consider what's crucial and then build upon that. A home office desk to work at is the most obvious place to start. Clean lines, robust, high-quality wood, and inbuilt storage are popular choices and styles that suit almost every room type. If you are short on space, plenty of more compact options still give the room a sleek, designer look while allowing you to make the most of the space you have. Choosing an office chair is another important decision where comfort and design must perfectly harmonise so that your chair adds to the overall look of the interior and provides you with a supportive and comfortable place to sit and be your most productive and innovative self.
Once you have decided where to position your desk and chair, you'll have a better idea of the remaining available space and what you want to do with it. Shelving and cabinets are popular for storing files and other paperwork and can help keep you organised. Tall, slim shelving works well in smaller offices, where you can choose something more imposing and eye-catching if you want to fill space and not make the room appear to empty.
Desk placement
Desk placement is important as this is likely to be the room's focal point. In-built desks can be handy for those short on space, but if you have more room, positioning your desk in the centre can create a striking effect. Deciding on your preferred view point is another critical decision. Facing the window will provide you with lots of natural light, however, this will leave you with your back to the door. Alternatively, you may want to be able to face and greet anyone that enters.
Deciding upon lighting
A well-lit room will make it easier to create a productive workspace. The gloomy atmosphere could easily affect your mood and productivity if you don't have sufficient lighting. Make sure you invest in quality lighting and powerful enough bulbs to keep the room bright and light. Choose interesting light shades, desk lamps, and floor lamps to create different levels of light and add interest to the room.
Adding the finishing touches
Once you have decided on the above, you can choose the finishing touches to enhance your theme and show off your unique style. Rugs, cushions, desk lamps, artwork, and plants can all add colour and texture to your home office space. Avoid being tempted to add too much. A few select pieces will make more of an impact and will keep your office serene and clutter-free, so you can ensure you feel as productive and focused as possible whenever you need to work in it.
Browse the office furniture collection from Case today
We have collaborated with innovative furniture designers to bring you a collection of quality home office furniture designed to create the ideal working environment and allow you to get on with what you do best in comfort and style. Browse our collection to find new pieces today, or get in touch with us for any help or advice.