Whether you have just purchased a new property or if you are just looking to shake things up in your home, there are many ways that you can breathe new life into your property. These don’t even require a huge budget. You can target certain areas in your home and tackle them one by one. It can truly bring a new essence into your living space. This article will give you some ideas to give a more stylish modern feel.
Outdoor polished floors
Honedoutdoor polished concrete floors are a versatile material that can be used to create s simple, contemporary minimalist aesthetic. They can also stand up to the strength of harsh weather conditions. They can be used in driveways, alfresco areas, pathways, staircases, and water features. Outdoor polished floors offer the ultimate strength and durability for your outdoor areas whilst offering thermal properties that are slip-resistant. Once they are installed, the upkeep of the floor is actually relatively low costing to upkeep. They are even pet and family-friendly. All in all, investing your money in outdoor polished floors can not only improve your house aesthetic but increase the value of your home.
Modernizing old furniture
Providing the piece of furniture is not a priceless antique, you should check how sound the furniture is. Make sure you cannot see any signs of rot or damp otherwise it might not be worth attempting to upcycle. Light scratches and wobbly legs can be easily resolved. Deeper set problems cannot. For those feeling nervous about attempting to modernize your furniture, you can always start small by using chalk paint on solid surfaces. Painting an unfashionable piece of brown furniture with a contemporary color can transform your home’s look.
Customizing kitchen cabinets
One of the first things you can do is covering up the spaces you don’t like but cannot afford to replace is a good start. Veneer kitchen cupboards can be painted if you use the right stuff such as correctprimer and paint. Sanding down the doors can also make sure that the paint has a rougher surface to cling to. If you can, you can also buy replacement doors for your standard-sized kitchen units. One way to save money, though it is more labor intensive, is to head to builders’ merchants and get fresh wood to attach to your cabinets. This will provide a rustic and traditional look to your kitchen.
Cheap Aesthetics
Money can always be an issue for those who are redecorating. However, you can always get yourself some fantastic piece of decoration for cheap prices if you can be creative. You can forage for treasures in nature. Dried poppy seed heads and thistles or feathers and driftwood can work as display pieces in your home. Using local charity shops can also open lots of options for you.
Rejuvenating your home
There is a lot you can do in your home that will not break the bank. All of these improvements will no doubt increase the value of your home but also make you enjoy your living space even more.
Coastal New England offers some of the most beautiful properties in the country. Who wouldn’t want to live on a gorgeous coastal area? There is so much to see and explore in these areas. Those who are attempting to decide between Cape Cod and Nantucket should keep reading so they can make the right decision when deciding where to purchase a home.
Nantucket and Cape Cod Offer Vibrant Lifestyle
To get more information about life in these two coastal regions, it is important to research carefully. Although one must travel through Cape Cod to get to Nantucket, the two areas are entirely different. Yes, they both offer beautiful beaches, but each of these areas is unique. Cape Cod is more of a bustling metropolis, while Nantucket is full of cobblestone streets and a more laid-back atmosphere. Neither is better than the other, but they each appeal to different people.
Nantucket Vs. Cape Cod
Understanding how these two coastal communities differ is important for anyone who is considering moving to one of these areas of New England. These areas both offer amazing views, beautiful homes, and plenty of amenities to keep people of all ages happy. By continuing to read further, individuals can learn everything they need to know about these two vastly different coastal experiences.
Quiet Or Hustle and Bustle?
One of the biggest differences between the two is one offers a quieter setting while the other region is bursting with noise. Cape Cod is filled with tourist attractions, restaurants, and big-name retailers. Many travelers come in and out of Cape Cod, especially during the summer season. Some people love being in on the action, while others require a quieter place to live.
While Nantucket gets busier in the summer, when tourists come in, it is very quiet the rest of the year. Nantucket has a much more laid-back atmosphere that is ideal for people who enjoy peace and quiet.
Size Matters
Cape Cod is much bigger than Nantucket. While Cape Codis 339 miles long, Nantucket is only 100 miles in area. Cape Cod boasts of over 216,000 residents, while Nantucket has a population that hovers around 10,000. When it comes to choosing between the two, the decision depends on preference.
Coastal Living Is Paradise
No matter which New England region a person chooses, life is grand. Each beautiful coastal community offers its own charms that are enjoyable for residents all year long. When choosing between the two, it is important individuals consider their needs and style of living. It is wise for individuals to visit both areas as a tourist first so they can determine which area is going to appeal to their lifestyle the most.
Those who love the beach will find both areas to be perfect for their needs. There is just something so special about living in a coastal town, whether it is bigger like Cape Cod or smaller like Nantucket.
Conclusion
Those who have been considering purchasing a coastal home have options in both Nantucket and Cape Cod. Both areas offer a distinctive impression of east coast life that cannot be forgotten.
No matter which region a person chooses, getting help from an agent will assist them in finding the property of their dreams. A beautiful new home is waiting for you on whichever community you choose. Get help from an agent and make the process of choosing a new home much more exciting.
Are you getting ready to add a home theater to your abode? Do you want it to be unique and memorable? Are you looking for some popcorn-popping home theater room ideas?
A home theater can give you the same experience as a real movie theater without having to get out of your pajamas. You’ll have front row tickets and no one loud blowing their nose in front of you.
Here are some of our favorite home theater room design tips.
1. Sports Palace
Sports fans will go crazy for a team-themed theater room. Consider hanging your favorite pendants, photos, and framed jerseys while you enjoy the ultimate sporting experience.
Home theater chairs are usually movie recliner chairs that are placed together and have armrests in between. These are a great place to hold your favorite brew while you sit back and watch the game.
Some sports fans get extra-creative with murals or baseball-diamond carpets. Add a mini-bar and you’ll have the ultimate relaxing and viewing experience.
2. Pool House Palace
Is your pool house not getting used? Consider turning it into a theater party all of your guests can enjoy while the lights twinkle off your pool.
Pool House Designs don’t need to be fancy. Place your large screen on a wall opposite two daybeds or futons. Throw up a few framed posters of your favorite screen icons, and you’ve got the perfect place to watch the magic happen.
Your pool house may already come equipped with a bar or bathroom, so making it a great place to host your friends for a great casual get-together won’t be hard to do.
3. She-Shed Show
Accessory dwelling units are a great place to house your entertainment experience. You can find movie theater seats at antique shops or online. Invest in a projector, sound system, and screen, and you’ve got an escape all of your friends will envy!
Decorate using some splashy or subtle paint color ideas and your favorite movie memorabilia. It’s the perfect place to enjoy your favorite flick away from the pressures of work and family.
4. Basement Family Room
Your basement is one of the most classic places to house an entertainment space. It’s also possible to create a theater in a small basement as long as your screen isn’t too big.
You’ll want your movie room to be as shielded as possible from distracting noises upstairs. You can soundproof your movie section by adding a second layer of drywall, or by replacing your existing drywall with sound-reducing wallboard.
It’s also important to know exactly where your audio-visual component rack will be. Your screen, cable box, and streaming box will all operate from the same unit. It needs to be near an electrical outlet and capable of bringing in an Internet source wire.
Your lighting system can be anything from simple track lighting to an elaborate system with dimmers and rope lights. You can add decor like red velvet walls, tiered seating, and even a popcorn maker. Before long, your basement will get transformed into a cinematic wonderland.
5. Science Fiction Fantasy
If your family’s favorite films to get lost in are all out in space, a science fiction hideaway may be the perfect place for screenings. Consider lights that dim and tiny twinkling lights embedded in ceiling tiles. The best colors for these types of rooms are grays and purples that will really enhance the spaceship experience.
6. Rustic Filming
If you have a side room or family room in a farmhouse style, these can be a great place for your home theater. Exposed beams and light woods look great when coupled with comfy leather couches and throw pillows.
A cozy farmhouse theater is a great place to invite guests to, or simply to get the whole family together for the viewing of something heartwarming.
7. Spare Bedroom
Maybe you’ve just bought your first home or you’re living in an empty nest. This could be a great place to create a movie room, although you’ll want to prepare it first.
You’ll need to insulate the room and prewire the sound. Make sure you know where your speakers are going to be so that you can run cables to them. You’ll also want to prewire your video projector and put the wiring in place for any special lighting you’ve got in mind.
Drywall and appropriate sound barriers will need to get installed. You’ll also need to set up your video and sound systems before bringing in your theater-style seating. Decorating is completely up to you!
8. Sophisticated Theater
Maybe your movie room will be more for business than pleasure. Dark woods, recessed lighting, and leather couches welcome visitors to catch up on the news or hold video conferences.
Decor placed in more business-like theater settings is more subtle. Consider adding black-and-white photos or personal touches like horse-racing or polo memorabilia.
A minibar with leather stools makes this type of room a great place to meet with colleagues like you would in a corner office. And with so much work being remote lately, you may find it’s the perfect place to make professional connections!
Home Theater Room Ideas
Home theater room designs keep evolving as they become more and more popular in individual homes. They can reflect your favorite movies, personality quirks, or house style. With a little creativity, you can find the perfect home theater room ideas to make your entertaining space an amazing escape.
Don’t stop getting smart about home designs now. For more inspiring ideas, read our blog today.
Like many things in interior design choosing a rug can seem like a perfectly simple decision. In many ways it is, but like many other pieces a rug can literally make a break the flow, mood and appearance of a room theme.
Of course, practical restraints like budget and cost come into consideration. The perfect rug for your ideal room might be made of organic wool sourced from New Zealand or Scotland. But we can’t all have that luxury.
Unlimited budgets aside, the main points are simply style and size. So, let’s get started.
What Size of Rug is Right for My Room?
The answer to what size of rug do I need really comes down to your preference of how you want to room to look.
The first option is if the rug is going to be the defining style for what the eye sees on the floor. Do you want the main visual on the floor to be the rug? I.e. your furniture sits on it completely? If so then you’re going to want to leave at least 12-18 inches of floor visible from the wall on all four sides. This helps create a nice separation between the wooden flooring underneath and the style of the rug.
The second option is if you only want the front two legs of your major items of furniture to sit on the rug. This is more budget friendly than a ‘whole room’ rug, but still gives the rug a commanding presence in the room’s appearance.
The final option is what is referred to as the ‘no legs’ option where a smaller rug is simply placed in the centre of the room. The only legs touching a rug of this size would be all four legs on your centre piece coffee table. As you would expect this is also the lowest cost option as it uses the least material.
What Style of Rug Should I Choose?
There is obviously no ‘correct’ style of rug, it is completely down to your personal preference. But a rug that you like the look of in isolation might not work with the theme of the rest of your room.
So here are some simple rules to help you get it right:
1 – Know your colour contrasts
In most cases you’re going to want the colour of the rug to contrast with the colour of your furniture. You can look up colour palettes on a number of differentinterior design blogs to help you get started. But a trend which is in just now and helps demonstrate the concept would be contrasting a grey furniture palette with a mustard rug and cushions.
It’s important to create these visual contrasts to make the room flow correctly and give it an appealing look.
2 – Patterns only belong in one place
If you like the look of a patterned rug, such as a rag rug then you need to make sure that your furniture is not pattered as well. Keep the furniture plain and let the rug do the talking if you want a vibrant and visual patterned rug as a centre piece.
This is an easy mistake to make, because even a subtle imprint pattern on your sofa and chairs for example can really cause a clash and ruin an otherwise carefully constructed room design.
3 – Be careful with texture matching
Similar to pattern matching you need to be careful on the rug texture as well. If you have a high volume fluffy rug then you need to be careful about what cushions you have on your furniture.
The hard and fast rule would be to match your rug texture with a similar feel on your cushions. For example fluffy rug matched with fluffy cushions. A tight knit firm rug should be matches with smooth cushions.
Final Thoughts…
All in all if you still feel lost you should go to showrooms and take inspiration from displays that you like there. Or if because of current covid restrictions showrooms in your area are close, you can browse Pinterest or Instagram interior design accounts.
More often than not whoever has staged a showroom will get it right and you can copy their design, and the same thing goes for popular social channels.
You should always love the decor in your bedroom. It’s the place you spend at least a third of your life, and it’s sure to take a toll on you if you don’t actually like it.
Maybe you know you want to update your bedroom but aren’t sure of where to start. After all, home improvement can seem like a daunting task, so you may not know the easiest way to breathe some life into your bedroom.
Have a look through these tips. One might resonate with you and be the transformation you need!
1. Pick a Theme
When transforming your bedroom, you could always pick a theme. If your bedroom looks boring, think about something you love.
It can be as simple as a color scheme, or as elaborate as a franchise.
Visionbedding has some great ideas for a country theme if you want to bring a touch of the South to your room!
2. Paint!
Do you think you have a boring bedroom wall? Time to give it a splash of paint!
Sometimes updating your room is as simple as choosing a new color for the walls. It’ll make the whole room feel completely different, even though only one thing has been updated.
3. Choose Some Great Art
A boring bedroom makeover isn’t complete without some great art.
You don’t have to paint the whole wall; maybe you just need to hang some art up! Think about some styles or images you love, whether it’s nature, wildlife, cityscapes… and find some great art to put up.
It’ll breathe some much-needed life into the room and remind you of all the things you love, hopefully improving your love for the room too!
4. Get New Lighting
If your bedroom looks boring, sometimes new lighting will make a world of difference.
Pick a new lamp for the bedside table, or decorate your bed with some romantic string lights. Some mood lighting can make it feel like an entirely new room, even though you’ve only updated one thing.
Try to make sure the lights are warm and inviting, as cool lights will only make your sleep quality worse when you lie down and try to fall over.
5. A New Headboard
You don’t need an entirely new bed, but a headboard can make it look like you got one.
Headboards come in a variety of shapes and styles, transforming the look of the place you sleep. If it’s your bed that’s really bothering you but you don’t want to buy a new one, this might be the solution you’ve been searching for.
Your Boring Bedroom Can Be Easily Transformed!
A boring bedroom isn’t good for anyone. Even though you only sleep there, you want to lie down in a room that’s both comfortable and aesthetically pleasing.
If you’ve been looking for ways to makeover your room, try one of these. You’ll be surprised at the difference it makes.
For more home improvement tips, check out the rest of our site!
If you’re a fan of period décor, then the Victorian style can be a very popular choice for many rooms of the home. A Victorian-style living room, bathroom, or bedroom can allow for a warm and inviting space filled with key Victorian influence and design.
If you love the thought of having a Victorian design scheme in your home but aren’t quite sure where to start, the following steps can help you.
#1: Choose Victorian-Style Furniture
This is key for seating and tables especially, as you will want to opt for darker and more intricate wood patterns, as well as embroidered fabric and furniture with legs. Winged arms and backs for chairs or couches is preferable, and the more layers you can create with sumptuous throws and cushions, the better.
#2: Use Dark and Rich Tones
Whether you’re opting for plainer walls with rich furniture, or dark walls with plainer furniture, using dark tones in the room, in any way, is a must. Fabrics and colors should be rich, like deep burgundy or plum, and layering darker colors together can add to the dramatic effect.
#3: Install a Victorian Feature Fireplace
No period room is complete without a fireplace, especially if you’re planning a traditional holiday season gathered around the fire. Having aVictorian fireplace fitted, or choosing a Victorian-style mantel surround for a current fireplace, ensures that your room has one of the key features known for this time.
#4: Use Curtains Instead of Blinds
Your window treatments should be full, textured, and bold, which means thick fabric curtains and tiebacks are a must, as opposed to modern blind installments.
#5: Choose Intricate Picture Frames
If you want to display wall art in your room, then you need to avoid simple or basic-looking frames. Bold and embellished gold frames, or highly ornate surrounds, will be key, and the bigger, the better. That goes forany mirrors, too.
#6: Install the Right Flooring
Victorian-style flooring can be wood or patterned tiling if you’re looking to fully commit. You might want to install a highly patterned classic tile, or you can simply opt for plain wood, which you can layer up with thick fabric rugs.
#7: Fabric is a Must
The more fabric, the better, and the more rich and patterned it is will be more beneficial. As well as the obvious additions like fabric chairs, cushions, curtains, and rugs, you may even want to add more texture by a fabric wallpaper or textured wallpaper.
#8: Add Period Finishing Touches
Finish off the room by adding period ornaments and Victorian accessories. Think sumptuous lampshades, golden candlesticks, a mantel clock, trinket boxes, footstools, and general overcrowding of shelving accessories and shiny features.
Ideally, pet owners should consider other flooring options for their home other than carpets. Carpets and pets do not go well, generally. Why waste a good carpet or rug when you know that dogs and cats will most likely scratch the heck out of it? Even with your best puppy trainingskills, animals will still do what they do -scratching, biting, and peeing over stuff. But we understand that sometimes you must have carpeted floors and you just have to make adjustments to make it co-exist with your pets.
Carpets will definitely accumulate pet hair, absorb stains, and retain odors, but these can be dealt with if you know how to take care of fabrics from the mercy of your pets.
Here are some tips on taking care of your carpet as a pet owner:
#1 Choose Stain-resistant Fabric
This is the least you can do if you insist on having carpeted floors even with pets inside the house. Stain-resistant fabrics are usually more expensive than ordinary ones, but the toughness of the fabric makes this carpeting last for a very long time, thanks to protective layers inserted into the fibers. You can vacuum, spill, and steam-clean all you want with this fabric and it will still come out looking good even after a while.
#2 Apply Scotchgard on Non-stain Resistant Carpets
Scotchgard is a line of water-repellent products that protect fabrics from spills, stains, and other liquids. If your carpet is not stain-resistant, you should consider putting these protective guards on the fabric. It’s better to have this done professionally to make sure that every inch of the carpet gets treated. If you do this yourself, you might miss a spot, which leads to those spots still vulnerable to stains. You may have to repeat the process after a while and if you intend to keep your carpet for a long while.
#3 Learn How to Take Care of Pet Urine
No matter how good you are at puppy training, your adorable pooch can still have accidents and pee on your carpets. The key here is to act immediately when your pet urinates on the fabric. The quicker you get to it, the better the chances of removing the stains.
A classic trick is to press an old terrycloth towel over the stain to remove as much moisture as possible. This is not enough though, because you also have to clean the spot with a mixture of warm water and liquid dishwashing detergent. Several drops of this will do and then you have to rinse the area with water and towel. Next, you blot the surface with vinegar and water mixture. The smell will discourage your pet from soiling this spot again.
#4 Use Tiles or Hardwood For Your Home Entrance
Keep your dog’s muddy paws from soiling your carpets by putting tile or hardwood at the entrance of your home. Your dog will walk through this first and his paws will be clean by the time he steps on the carpet. You can also place a towel near the entrance so you can easily wipe your dog’s paws off before letting him enter the house.
#5 Trim Your Pet’s Nails
Scratches are another common problem you have to deal with in relation to pets, especially with cats. Your kitty can use your carpet as a scratching post. Numerous scratches will eventually make the fabric unravel and ruin your carpet after a while. Nip this problem in the bud by trimming and filing your pet’s nails.
#6 Sprinkle Carpet Powder
Spread the powder over the carpeting and allow it to remain on the fabric according to the time indicated on the product’s package. Vacuum the carpet thoroughly afterward and go over the length of the fabric twice.
#7 Vacuum Your Carpet Twice A Week
This removes not only shedding but dander as well. Running the vacuum over the carpet at least twice a week should accomplish this. Remember to move the furniture if necessary in order to vacuum hard-to-reach areas. Hair and dander can travel and spread underneath furniture.
#8 Have Your Carpet Steam-cleaned At Least Once a Month
This will clean your carpet thoroughly and will remove all hair, dander, and saliva squeezed into the fabric. Only mild cleaners should be used in order not to ruin the structure of the carpet file.
Carpets do require high maintenance, whether you are living with pets or not. Having your furry friends indoors means you have to put in extra work in keeping carpets clean and tight. It’s important to keep this in mind just in case you are choosing which flooring options to put in your home.
With so many of us living in smaller spaces where outdoor gardening opportunities are limited or non-existent, container gardening is a big trend. It’s not just a matter of demonstrating that you have a green thumb. Container plants serve a range of purposes from providing food to cleaning indoor air and being living sculptures that make a bold statement.
Getting it right means choosing the right plants and the right containers to grow them in. A look at modern commercial planters will give you a hint of the current trends to follow. To be more specific, we take a closer look at what’s trending right now.
Urban Farming
Urban farming is a massive trend, and it extends to real commercial farming ventures based in derelict factories, on rooftops, or even in shipping containers. In its most basic form, urban farming is practiced by apartment dwellers who still hope to harvest fresh produce despite the lack of a traditional outdoor gardening space.
As with so many trends, how you do it is more important than what you do. Tacky plastic pots and high maintenance are out. Low maintenance and stylish containers, some of which automatically feed, water, and provide light for plants, are in.
Let the Plant and Pot Combo Do the Talking
While super-arty pots with at most a nod towards the plants they contain still have their place, choosing minimalist styling for pots and letting the plants themselves enjoy the limelight is a definite trend to watch. That doesn’t mean the containers aren’t an important part of the package, but you’re looking for clean, crisp lines and natural shades. The plant is the focal point, but the container is nonetheless the frame in which it is displayed.
Harmony is the key. Both the container and the plant work together towards the overall effect, and neither upstages the other.
Gardening with Sculptural Plants
While just about anyone can enjoy a potted Begonia or Chrysanthemum, longer-lasting foliage plants with sculpted growth habits are far more in the vogue. Sure, your granny (and secretly, you) love the flowers, but the durability of sculptural foliage plants mean that they’re a once-off purchase. As for their growth habits, they make a perennial statement. Ornamental grasses, grass-like plants, palms, and succulents with bold, strappy foliage are super-popular in interior design.
Once again, the container serves as a frame rather than a feature in itself. Choose pots whose form will compliment the shape of the plants – and in this instance, you’re looking for snappy lines and angles rather than the more traditional, rounded pot shapes.
Vertical Gardens
If growing plants is something you can’t resist no matter how small your space is, vertical gardens let you pack in a lot of material in the space a feature painting would take up. But, a word of warning: while a vertical garden in its prime is a thing of beauty, it has in-between stages that are far from attractive. That’s especially true if you’re using a vertical module for growing veg. After all, there’s a gap between sown seeds and a cascading bounty of produce.
Consider using flat-growing perennial groundcovers with a cascading growth habit as a basis for a vertical garden. You can fit in your veg and herbs as fillers, limiting the visual impact of refreshing your food plants with new seedlings.
We Love Plants, But Containers are the Prime Investment
Plants in the home or office are a joy, but from a design perspective, choosing the right containers is the key to success. Simply put, if your plants don’t hide the containers, the container, rather than the plant, will be the make-or-break design consideration. Even the look of the most stunning plants will be spoiled by bad container choices – and the container is the longer-term investment. Choose carefully, and enjoy years of indoor gardening pleasure – even when you find yourself having to rethink the plants themselves.
Neutral fall decor is my favorite look for the season. I know that we are very used to seeing those vibrant orange, red and yellow tones or even rich eggplant and burgundy for the fall season – but if you know anything about my personal taste, neutrals are my style!
What I love about neutral fall decor – is it is so simple to add to your existing palette because very simply – it’s neutral! The fall season is so full of amazing natural textures so by decorating with neutral tones you can really celebrate and embrace gorgeous textures straight from nature (like wood, botanicals and stone).
Neutral Fall Decor Inspo…
Let me share with you some inspiring neutral fall decor home decor images. I always like to seek out new ways to add touches of the season to my own space.
Adding just a touch of a fall hue is a nod to the season but isn’t overwhelming with rich colours. I like to add pumpkins in my kitchen, entry, family room and if I’m entertaining the dining room. I love heirloom pumpkins because their tones are muted and balance well with other soft neutral tones.
I love to play with texture in general but there is something about mixing texture when it comes to decorating for the fall season. Mixing wool with leather (or faux leather), linen and adding those natural elements like (faux) pampas grass or (faux) cotton stems. It adds an immediate feeling of comfort and makes the space feel cozy and welcoming. Again not everything needs to be orange and rusty red just a few pops of those tones will do – or opt for a completely neutral theme.
My top 13 Neutral Fall home decor favorites…
So now that you see why I love neutral fall decor – I have done some of the legwork for you by sourcing out some great pieces available on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases which go towards supporting content on this blog.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of employees were asked to start working from home to lower their risk of acquiring the disease. Although many welcomed this idea, a lot of workers were also hesitant about trying out this new arrangement.
This is because working from home comes with its own set of challenges that people new to this arrangement may find difficult to handle.
Focusing on your work, for one, might be challenging since you are surrounded by more sources of distraction, such as the TV, your kids, or pets.
When working in the comforts of your home, you will also encounter challenges in staying organized, managing your time, communicating, and collaborating with others.
Leading interior fit out companies say that working in a well-designed home office can help you overcome these common telecommuting obstacles. With the right workspace, you can stay productive and motivated even if you are in your personal haven.
Creating the Perfect Workspace in Your Home
Below are some tips for designing a home office that will help you stay productive and efficient even if you are not in your regular workplace:
Although having a laptop and wireless connection means you can work anywhere, such as your bedroom or living room, these areas are not the best places to concentrate on your tasks.
1. Choose the right area in your home to set up your office
An unused bedroom is the perfect place for you to create your home office. In the absence of one, choose an area in any room spacious enough to hold a desk, chair, cabinets, or shelves. However, make sure you partition off this workspace using screens or folding dividers.
Additionally, try to select an area with or near a window since doing so will elevate your workspace.
2. Set your desk near a window
There are several advantages to be had from working next to or near a window.
With natural light illuminating your home office, you will minimize your use of electricity to brighten up the room. You will only need to turn on the lights at night if you need to work overtime.
Sunlight also helps boost your mood, which you may need before you start working and while you are in the thick of things. Additionally, seeing natural scenery such as trees, shrubs, flowers, and even the blue sky can also build your morale and give you the positive energy you need to power through your tasks.
Lastly, one window can drastically change the way your home office looks and feels. It makes the space look bigger than it actually is and appears more relaxing and conducive for working.
However, no matter how beautiful the view is outside your window, avoid placing your desk directly in front of it. If you do, you will subject your eyes to glare. You may also get easily distracted from your tasks at hand, which can cause you to take longer than usual to complete your work.
3. Ensure that the room can be outfitted for productivity
Your home office needs more than a window, partitions, and furniture. You also have to ensure that this room enables you to do your job as usual.
This means making sure that your work area has sufficient sockets. It should have enough to allow you to plug in and use your computer or laptop, printer, and router or Internet device simultaneously.
Also, check if you can place the phone lines and Internet devices in this room. By doing so, you can call anyone and answer the phone quickly. If you are having difficulties with your wireless connection, you can troubleshoot it immediately since the router is near you.
4. Prioritize comfort
Since you will be spending at least eight hours in your home office five times a day for the next several months, or even permanently, it is important that you are comfortable here.
Start by investing in an ergonomic chair. If your budget is not enough, pick one that offers sufficient support for the natural curve of your spine.
Next, adjust your chair so that when you are seated, the desk will be around the height of your elbow. This will allow your forearms to rest parallel to the floor.
Investing in a standing desk is also a smart idea if you want to have an ergonomic workspace. Studies show that spending more time standing up instead of sitting down offers various health benefits. These include an increase in muscle activity while working, which improves blood circulation
Using a standing desk also reduces back pain and helps keep the hips from becoming tight.
The layout of your home office will increase your level of comfort and productivity in your home office as well. As such, think carefully about how you will organize the cables, your headset, printer, filing cabinets, and shelves.
5. Invest in good-quality furniture
Aside from considering the comfort and ergonomic qualities of your home office furniture, you have to think about their durability and longevity. You need to have fixtures that will last a long time since there is no telling when you will go back to your normal work environment.
When shopping for home office furniture, look for ones that are sturdy and made of good quality materials. If you have a significant budget for setting up your workspace, consider investing in bespoke pieces.
Companies that specialize in interior fit-out services have experts who can build customized desks, chairs, and storage solutions that meet your requirements. The contractors will also take into consideration your home office space to ensure the fixtures are perfect for your workspace.
If you are having a hard time designing and setting up your home office, an interior fit-out company can do everything for you to ensure that you have a comfortable and conducive workspace that supports your productivity.
6. Decorate your home office
Lastly, your comfort, mood, and productivity in your workspace will be affected by your surroundings. As such, put some thought into its interior design.
Consider installing wallpaper to make your room stand out and look more interesting and stylish. Hang a few wall decors as well, such as a tapestry, framed paintings or photos, and shelves.
Don’t forget to put some accessories on your desk to showcase your style and prevent the room from looking too “office-y.”
Place a few potted plants inside your home office as well. Aside from making the room more appealing, these natural features can also enhance your mood and productivity.
Even when the pandemic is over, there is a chance that telecommuting will be around for a long time. Be prepared for this possibility by creating the perfect workspace in your home.
AUTHOR BIO
Rachel Hennessey manages the Pools and Landscaping Division of Hennessey LLC. She also works on Tender and Pre-Qualification and brings in new business to the company’s Construction, Interiors and Civils Division.
