More and more professions are related to working at a computer desk. You are in the office for 8 hours or more a day, so it is pretty normal to take the time to turn it into a cosy place that will charge you, inspire, motivate, and calm you. How to create a cosy office?
Working in an open office leads to stress, lack of concentration and low productivity. But working in a cosy office space increases efficiency, quality of work, motivation, inspiration for work, self-esteem, and employees’ happiness. Therefore, pay special attention to your office.
A sense of comfort
Bet on upholstered furniture and round shapes that create a feeling of cosiness. Choose and follow a style in the furniture to achieve the desired harmonious environment in the office. Avoid ultra-modern furniture solutions, which usually have the opposite of the desired comfort effect.
Choose warm colours (mahogany, chestnut, orange, burgundy) that have a calming effect on furniture and walls. Or choose something fresher to give you energy and inspiration when you work (white, lime, yellow, lavender). The colour should be consistent with the nature of your work, character, and temperament. But avoid colourful patterns and a mixture of many colours in the room, which will harass your mind.
Creating a cosy office – why and how?
Excellent addition to your office is air curtains/blinds in tune with the overall interior so as not to block the light in the room.
Regarding flooring, a parquet or thick carpet creates a tangible warmth and comfort.
A shelf or a small section of books, the ones you like and use in your daily work, are the perfect touch to your cosy work environment. Everything you regularly use while working must be at your fingertips.
A personal touch in the office
A small flower on your desk and a larger plant around you in the office are a good solution to create a harmonious, creative, calm and cosy office environment.
And, of course, a photo of a loved one or family. Personal handwriting in your office is one of the important things to achieve comfort.
You can consider custom furniture and your taste if you have more money. To do this, take the time to browse interior design magazines, and you can also consult with a designer to give you advice or make a realistic design.
Home Office Tips
If you work from home and are about to furnish an office corner, choose a sheltered corner of your home where you can have peace and privacy, even better if it is by a window. Regarding furniture for your office corner, it is essential to be as practical as possible in your choice, as you have limited space. Set on a small desk or table, with shelves on the walls, where you need things for your work, and a chandelier with a simple lantern, which falls low just above your workplace. One or two small landscape pictures or photographs on the wall next to you will create a feeling of space and inspire and soothe you. And to encourage concentration, productivity and work habits, you need to feel as comfortable as possible in your work area. For this purpose, pay special attention to the chair, which should be comfortable and easy on your muscles.
Where to locate the home office?
The location of the home office often makes it difficult for people. On the one hand, you need a work area. On the other hand, a place that is no less cosy and fits into the home’s overall atmosphere. The ideal option is to furnish a separate room, but not everyone can afford such a luxury, so you have to think practically and ideologically.
You can set aside a work area in the corner of the living room or dining room, but in no case in the bedroom or children’s room. Some prefer to isolate themselves when working, so they “enclose” the home office with a screen. Others skilfully combine it with the atmosphere in the room.
Another option for a home office layout is an unusable closet, built-in closet or niche in the wall. After light cosmetic repairs, including glueing coloured wallpaper and installing a small counter top instead of a desk and several shelves for organising things, the seemingly unnecessary space becomes a comfortable office corner.
Home office furniture
The choice of home office furniture depends on personal preferences for individual home styles. Traditionalists would choose a standard desk (preferably L-shaped to have more space to swirl), an office chair and a shelf for books and folders.
If you want to break the situation:
- Risk more non-standard solutions.
- Use fabric furniture (shelf with pockets) to save space and look original.
- Replace the oversized desk with a dining table, under which there is a shelf to arrange your belongings.
Use an old coffee table as a removable document cabinet. Pre-paint the shelves or cover them with coloured foil. Put folders, notebooks and other stationery on it. A forgotten chest of drawers can also be helpful. Combine the upper drawers into a joint compartment with a drop-down door that works as a counter top. That way, when you’re not working, the home office will remain hidden.
If you are a fan of vintage looks, look in antique shops for an old desk. Next to it put a large white chair with a soft cushion of floral motifs. Keep only a suitable pencil case and a jug full of fresh flowers on the desk.
Some decorators recommend that you furnish your home office with wheel furniture so you can easily reorganise the space to be as functional as possible.
Colour mood
Usually, office colours are reduced to black, grey, or white. But since this is a home office, no one is limiting you. Orange, yellow, blue, and green can bring the mood to the work area.
Good organisation. Working from home doesn’t mean you have to be in trouble. Arrange paper clips, staples, and flash drives in jars or suitable boxes. Put letters and recent documents in baskets. Arrange coloured folders or panels on the shelves.
Non-standard pencil cases. Instead of the usual pencil cases, use an old can, painted in a playful colour or wrapped in twine. Another option is to arrange three identical porcelain cups with exciting decorations. Define one for pencils and pens, the second for markers, and the third for side tools (lines, scissors, etc.).
Reminder board. The tasks do not end – to avoid missing any, put them on a particular board. It is easiest to bet on the cork. Another more broken option is to stretch a rope on one wall or from one end of the bookshelf to the other, to which you can hang your notes with the help of clips.