Designing Your Space for the Work from Home Era

Raise your hand if you thought we’d be back in the office by now. *remembers that we’re still working from home so there’s no one around to listen to these mid-day musings*

Working from home (WFH) is all well and good when the weather is nice and you can take calls from your porch and recharge with 10 minute walks around the block, but what happens when the weather turns and we batten down the hatches for the cold winter months? Answer: spend some of those dollars that are collecting dust in your brunch and vacation budget and make your home office into a space that gets you excited for work!

Determine the desk that is right for you.

Form, function, or both? Figure out what matters most to you. If you want clean lines and an uncluttered footprint, look at a desk which gives you vertical storage so that you can keep that work station clean. For our peeps who want to keep themselves moving throughout the day, consider an adjustable height desk which can give you the chance to stretch those legs when the afternoon lull hits you like a nap on Thanksgiving. If you already have a great desk but like the idea of being able to stand, there’s always the adjustable desktop workstation. If you’re looking to keep this purchase cheap, you can find some great options for around $100.

Splurge for Your Seat

Sitting at a desk all day might wear you out mentally, but that doesn’t mean you need to be physically fatigued too. If you’re going to spend 40+ hours a week seated, this is definitely an area you should feel comfortable investing in. Get a quality desk chair that is designed to support your lumbar or look at a physio ball as a way to work on your core strength and posture. I personally have a Steelcase Buoy that works great. Much like a physio ball, it steers you clear of slouching,and I love the fact that the height is adjustable!

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Go Green!

If you’re going to be stuck inside, don’t deprive yourself of some daily nature – it’s scientifically proven to lower stress and muscle tension. If you’re a newbie to the plant game, check out The Sill or Bloomscape for some recommendations. They’ll give you great info like which plants are pet-friendly, how much maintenance you should expect and how much natural light your little green pal will need.

Stay active

Walks are great when it’s nice out, but what about when it’s cold, rainy and gross? We grabbed ourselves a pull up bar and a yoga mat for our home office. A couple pull-ups every time you walk through the doorway –trust us, if nothing else, this will deter you from wandering to the kitchen for a mid-day snack! If you’re looking for a lower impact option, try a couple run throughs of vinyasa flow on a yoga mat. It’s a great way to recharge between meetings, keep your energy up and your lower back feeling fresh.

Set up your backdrop for video calls

Don’t be the one on a video call that gets called out in the middle of a meeting for your background. If it can happen to Geoff, a big shot consultant at Bain, it can happen to you! Hang a picture frame, mount a shelf, move a bookcase or just get rid of that duck patterned wallpaper (*cough* Geoff *cough*). Minor tweaks can do a lot for your backdrop. If nothing else, get some quality lighting in front of you by positioning yourself in front of a window or lamp.