16 Home Office Setup Ideas

In a world where people work from home, there are plenty of options for setting up the office in the comfort of your own home. These 16 setups will help you create an office that is both functional and unique to fit all your needs.

The “home office design ideas for small spaces” is a blog post that features 16 home office setup ideas. The article includes information about the space, what items are needed and how to stay organized.

For the first time in your career, the COVID-19 epidemic may force you to work from home. If your children are out of school and at home, the adjustment will be much more challenging. You may be asking, as a first-time remote worker, how to effectively set up your workplace for success. We’ll go over various home office setup ideas in this post, including correct insurance, the necessary equipment, and productivity hacks.

Here are 16 things to think about while designing your home office:

Supporting Services and Equipment for Your Home Office

Working from home may be more pleasurable with the correct office equipment, and it can also help you seem more professional to customers and suppliers. An invigorating atmosphere is created by using the right lighting and colors. You will seem more professional if you have high-speed internet and a separate phone line.

1. Get a Standing Desk.

A standing desk is a desk that can be adjusted to allow you to sit or stand. Standing for short periods of time while working is regarded to be a healthier alternative than sitting for lengthy amounts of time. Weight growth, blood sugar levels, and the risk of heart disease may all be reduced by standing. A standing desk may also help with back problems.

For a video conference, use a standing desk to make it seem like you’re giving a presentation to the whole room.

Varidesk offers a variety of standing desks, including ones with built-in standing capabilities and converters that can be placed on top of an existing desk. Starting at $175, you can have a converter standing desk.

“I’m not a good sitter.” I find that sitting at my workplace makes me feel uneasy when I’m working. As a result, I find it difficult to write with concentration, and I begin to experience neck and back stiffness. During the day, I’ve discovered that I need to alternate sitting and standing.

I often begin my day by standing at a standing station in my workplace; after that, I may switch to a Pilates ball or a wobble chair that I can adjust for my standing station or a standard desk. By the evening, I’m usually ready to sit, so I adjust my monitor, remove the standing station, and voila, I’m ready to work like the rest of the world.”

—Susan Fitzel, Learning & Development Consultant, SusanFitzell.com

2. Use the right lighting

The sun’s natural light energises you and boosts your creativity. If at all feasible, situate your workplace as near to natural light as possible. Consider using a seasonal affective disorder light box if you can’t put your workstation next to natural light or if you live in an area where the sun doesn’t shine for lengthy periods of time throughout the year. This light takes the place of the sun’s light and natural energy. You could notice that the light boosts your creativity and attitude.

Furthermore, bad lighting in your workplace might make you seem unprofessional while making video calls. If your video backdrop has a window or a significant source of light, that video lens will concentrate on it, making you seem dark. Having a light shining in front of you and behind the camera is a good idea. You may need to relocate your working place for video chats if your existing office setting includes a light at your back. Consider getting an indoor lighting system for about $100 if your workplace has insufficient illumination.

3. Use an Office Chair That Is Ergonomic

Serotonin (a feel-good hormone) levels in the brain are affected by posture and the way you sit. It’s critical to choose an ergonomic chair, which is one that is intended for comfort in the workplace. Ergonomic usually refers to a chair that adjusts to your body type. Poor posture may be caused by working in a chair that pushes you to lean forward. Wrist strain may be caused by sitting on a chair that is too low. Choose a chair that can be adjusted simply so you can work comfortably for extended periods of time.

Consider the upholstery as well while selecting a chair. Certain forms of upholstery, such as non-organic leather, might cause allergic reactions in certain individuals. Also, ensure sure the chair’s arms are adjustable. Too-high arms might induce frequent shrugging, putting extra strain on the neck and shoulders.

4. Get Your Own Business Phone Line

As a new home company owner, one of the first things you’ll want to do is get a business phone number. This allows you to distinguish between personal and business calls. You may also create a voicemail specifically for your company. You may also buy a phone number with any area code that you choose. This is useful for someone who has relocated out of a city but yet wishes to keep their prior city’s area code for business purposes.

“When you work from home, you need the solitude of a business phone line. Set up a VoIP phone line utilizing your current internet connection to maintain privacy. RingCentral provides customised vanity numbers for as low as $19.99 per month, and it works with any phone that supports the Session Initiated Protocol (SIP). You may also use the app on your smartphone to make and receive calls from anywhere.”

— Marc Prosser, Fit Small Business Co-Founder

5. Avoid Clutter By Going Wireless

It’s easy to become tangled up in gadget cables at your office. A wired mess at your workplace may be created by a laptop, monitor, internet router, printer, keyboard, mouse, microphone, and light. This chaos might lead to a loss of concentration and inventiveness. “Cluttered desk, cluttered head,” as many productivity experts say. To declutter your workspace, consider acquiring cordless products such as a Bluetooth printer, mouse, and keyboard.

If you’re on a budget and can’t afford new equipment, Velcro ties may help you manage and condense your wiring. This will not only look nice, but it will also make detangling easier if you need to relocate any of the pieces.

6. Get a high-speed Internet connection

To accommodate your working-from-home duties, you may need to enhance your internet account. Video calls may use a lot of bandwidth (the amount of data sent over the internet), particularly if you work for a remote organization with dozens or hundreds of individuals on a video conversation. You don’t want to be the employee who has a terrible internet connection all of the time, resulting in grainy video or audio interruptions.

If the cost of upgrading your internet is prohibitive, acquire quotations from various businesses and compare them to your present provider. Cox, Comcast, and Spectrum are just a few of the internet businesses that Business Services Connect gathers quotations from. Other commercial services, such as phone systems, are also available.

Home Office Decorating Ideas

The décor at your workplace has the power to establish a tone and set energy levels. Colors, the position of your chair in regard to the door, and aroma may all influence your mood. If you’re short on room, you may also use shelves to declutter your workplace and give it a more orderly appearance.

Plants are a great way to become green.

Plants in the workplace help to create a calm atmosphere with clean air. Plants produce oxygen while also removing dangerous pollutants like formaldehyde and benzene. Plants in the backdrop may also provide a relaxing touch to a plain wall or window if you’re meeting customers via video.

Consider purchasing a few air-purifying plants such miniature date palms, spider plants, and Chinese evergreens. Consider hard-to-kill plants like dracaena or aloe vera instead if you have trouble keeping plants alive.

8. Create a furniture plan that is adaptable.

It’s possible that on your first attempt, you won’t be able to organize your workspace the way you want it. Consider arranging your environment, working in it for a week, and then re-evaluating your situation. Were you at ease in such situation? Did you anticipate entering the room with bated breath? What was the quality of the lighting in the room and during video calls?

Never have your back to the door as a basic workplace organizing tip. If you’re standing with your back to the door, it’s possible that you’ll feel stressed and your cortisol levels may rise (a stress chemical in your body). Having your chair face the door is often considered a power move if you’re seeing customers from home. Everyone is different, so experiment with your new configuration, see how you like it, and don’t be scared to switch it around.

9. Use energizing colors to decorate your home.

Colors in our surroundings have an impact on our ability to concentrate, stay energized, and be productive. The psychology of color is a complex subject, but in general, adding blue or green to a space provides a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere that decreases tension and promotes peace. Colors that are brighter, such as red, orange, or yellow, elicit energy, encourage invention, and inspire optimism.

You could wish to select colors based on your personality. If you often have a lot of energy, for example, you could want to include blues into your workspace. Consider adding red or orange if you’re fatigued and want to feel more calm. Of course, you don’t want your desk to be too colorful. Use the previously mentioned colors to complement more neutral hues like gray and white.

10. Make the Most of Vertical Space

Consider employing floating shelves if your workplace is overly crammed with goods. Items that don’t weigh much, such as a compact scanner or office supplies, may be stored on a shelf. Shelves may also be used to store plants, photographs, books, and other items that are important to you. Displaying more personal stuff allows clients and customers to get to know you better, which is a terrific approach to create a connection with you.

11. Include energizing design elements

Other elements around your workplace, in addition to color, might help to calm or energize you. Your office’s vibe may be established via artwork. Brightly colored abstract art may elicit a burst of energy and inventiveness. A soothing atmosphere may be created by a nature painting with cool color tones.

Aromatherapy, which diffuses essential oils into the air, may also help to establish an atmosphere in the workplace. To utilize aromatherapy, you’ll need a diffuser as well as an essential oil to put in it. Use essential oils like peppermint, spearmint, sweet orange, and lemon to boost your vitality. Lavender, jasmine, bergamot, and lemongrass are all relaxing essential oils.

Productivity & Financial Home Office Setup Tips

If you’re constantly distracted by family and nagging personal to-do lists, working from home may easily lead to diminished productivity. Working from home may potentially incur extra financial expenditures, such as higher insurance premiums.

12. Ensure that office hours are adhered to.

If you have a stay-at-home parent or children, it might be tough to concentrate when working from home. Consider just arranging office hours to minimize disruptions. If you have a separate workplace in your house, this will be considerably simpler. If your door is locked, no one may enter into the office unless there is an emergency, similar to the restrictions while working in an office with other workers.

“It’s important to select a home office space that works for you and your family and can be customized to suit your hobbies and job requirements.” The majority of my work is done online, with clients communicating through Skype or FaceTime. I also educate our five children at home. Because it’s close to our living room, where our kids complete their homework, I decided to set up my office in our bedroom. Because this is a small area, I went with a corner desk.

I even purchased a stop sign to put on my door while I’m working with a client so our kids know they can’t interrupt the meeting. My office hours are flexible to accommodate our homeschooling schedule. That works for us; the essential thing is to find out what works for you!”

—Carrie Sharpe, Communication Consultant & Speaker, He Says, She Says

Obtain a Virtual Office Address.

Clients and suppliers will see you as professional if you have a virtual office address in a major city. It’s usually an address in a shared office space, such as a co-working facility. Mail forwarding is included with a virtual address, so you don’t have to go to the physical location to get your mail. Other services, such as a dedicated phone number and a receptionist, may be available for an extra monthly fee at a shared office.

In places such as Chicago, New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco, Servcorp may provide you with a virtual address. It also provides users with a virtual address and allows them to work in one of its co-working locations for up to three hours every day. Virtual addresses from Servcorp start at $79 per month.

Pay a visit to Servcorp.

14. Use the Pomodoro Technique to Concentrate

Working from home may be difficult due to distractions such as housework, pets, social media, and food. Consider using a time management technique called The Pomodoro Technique to keep a laser-like concentration on work and increase productivity. It’s a basic method of working for 25 minutes without interruption and then taking a five-minute break. Repeat four times: 25 minutes on (work time), five minutes off (break time). Take a lengthier rest of 30 to 60 minutes after that. Then go through the procedure all over again.

You are entitled to a five-minute free break after working for 25 minutes straight. The five-minute break refreshes you and prepares you to return to work hard and focused. To keep track of your pomodoros, you may utilize a variety of programs. Tomato-timer.com is a simple and free tool. Set the timer for 15 minutes and work attentively until the buzzer sounds. Set a timer for five minutes, take a break, and then repeat.

15. Take advantage of the Home Office Tax Deduction

Working from home typically qualifies you for a tax deduction for home-based costs. Expenses such as a printer, paper, and writing materials may be deducted. You may also deduct working expenditures including as bills, electricity, and insurance if you utilize 15% of your house as an office. Keep track of your company purchases using small business accounting software like QuickBooks to remain organized throughout the year; you may deduct the cost as a business expenditure.

16. Make sure you’re covered by insurance.

You must obtain both general liability and property insurance if you have workers operating out of your house or if you get client visits. If someone is wounded in your house, general liability insurance will cover you. Your office equipment is covered by property insurance in the case of damage, loss, or theft. General liability insurance for a home-based company costs roughly $640 per year.

“Don’t count on your homeowners or renters insurance to cover your home office. Examine your current policy to see whether you have liability coverage for visitors to your company, such as clients, customers, or even delivery persons.

It’s possible that you’ll need to get a separate business liability insurance coverage. Find out whether you have property coverage for damages to company property, such as pricey equipment, and if so, how much coverage you have.”

—Barbata Weltman, CEO of BIG IDEAS For Small Business

Conclusion

Working from home may seem like a fantastic idea, but if you don’t have the necessary technology, aesthetically attractive design, or understanding of effective productivity practices, you’ll face significant obstacles. Set yourself up for success by include things like a comfortable chair, pleasing lighting, and tried-and-true tactics that help you work more effectively.

For legal reasons, it’s critical to segregate your personal and company funds before launching an at-home business. You might put your personal funds at danger if you register your home business as a limited liability corporation (LLC) and don’t maintain personal and business finances separate. Chase Business Checking offers small companies safe and secure checking. If you keep your checking account balance over $1,500, you won’t be charged any fees.

Visit Chase Business Checking for more information.

The “bookkeeping home-based business” is a great way to make money while staying at home. These are 16 ideas that will help you get started.

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