7 Home Office Setup Ideas for Maximum Productivity

If you work from home, it’s essential to set up a proper office environment. Here are home office setup ideas that’ll boost your productivity.

Nearly half of Americans work from home now and again, with about eight million of us working completely from home.

There are obvious benefits of working at home, not least of which is the commute! It can also have its downsides too, with distractions all too easy to come by.

In order to work productively, you need to make sure you have your home office set up perfectly. You want your office to be somewhere you feel happy to be, rather than somewhere you dread entering.

Read on as we take a look at seven home office setup ideas to help you get more productive at home.

1. Give Yourself Room

If you’re thinking about working from home, make sure you have enough space to do it effectively.

It’s no good cramming yourself into a tiny cupboard without enough room to stretch out your legs. You’re never going to be very productive if you’re not comfortable, or feeling claustrophobic.

Make sure you have enough space to work comfortably on a day-by-day basis. You’ll also need room for office storage as well as your desk and chair.

2. Think About Lighting

The benefits of sunlight are clear. If at all possible, set up your office in a room with an external window.

If this isn’t possible, you need to ensure that you have appropriate lighting. You don’t want to be straining your eyes to see your computer screen. Combining a desk lamp with overhead lighting is a good way to guarantee you will always have enough light wherever you need it.

The type of lighting you use is also important. Harsh fluorescent lighting isn’t ideal for a working environment. Consider slightly warmer lighting that won’t be as harsh. You could also go for modern smart lighting that you can adjust as your mood takes you.

3. Invest in a Comfortable Chair

You’re going to spending a lot of hours sitting in your desk chair if you work from home.

You’re not going to be productive if you’re feeling uncomfortable after an hour or so. Make sure that you invest in a good quality desk chair that will offer you the perfect blend of comfort and support.

There is a wide range of ergonomically designed chairs out there. Don’t be tempted to go for a cheaper option; this is one area where the investment will be more than worth it.

4. Consider a Standing Desk

Sitting for extended periods of time can be bad for your health.

Not only can a standing desk help to minimize the amount of time that you spend sitting at your desk, but it can also help to make you more productive. Standing up makes you feel more active and empowered and could provide more motivation to work. You can also alternate between sitting and standing to mix things up.

You need to make sure that your desk is at the perfect height for you to work comfortably. A standing desk height calculator can help you to work out exactly how high your desk should be.

5. Paint the Walls

If you’re spending hours every day in your office, the last thing you want is to be surrounded by drab or dreary walls.

Beige walls aren’t going to inspire you to be super productive. What color you should opt for depends on your personal preference.

You might want something that will perk you up for a productive workday, such as a bright orange. You may prefer something that will make you feel calm, such as a nautical green or ocean blue.

Make sure you don’t choose something too dark as this can make your office feel a little oppressive.

6. Give Yourself Something Else to Look At

When you’re spending hours on end in the same room, looking at the same walls and the same computer screen, you can begin to go a little stir crazy.

Give yourself something else to look at, not only for your sanity but also for the health of your eyes, allowing them to work a little less hard for a while. The ideal is to set up your office so that you have a great view out of your window.

If you don’t have a window, then try to provide something else instead. A nice painting or another piece of art on the wall can give you something else to look at now and again.

As tempting as it may be, don’t put a TV in your office. You’ll have enough distractions as it is.

7. Minimize Clutter

If you want to be truly productive in your home office, you need your workspace to be as efficient as possible.

If you’re surrounded by piles of clutter then you’re never going to get as much done as you could. Try to keep your office space organized and tidy, giving everything a place and making sure you always put things where they belong.

A filing cabinet is an ideal solution, allowing you to store your paperwork but also be able to find the documents you need at a moment’s notice. If you don’t have space then you’ll need to get creative with your storage solutions.

Have You Found These Home Office Setup Ideas Useful?

We hope these home office setup ideas have given you some inspiration. Remember that if you’re working from home, you want your office to be as practical and comfortable as possible.