All Your Need To Know About Home-Offices

Creating a home-office may seem like an arduous and complicated task. For those individuals where space is limited, it may also not seem like a viable option. Consequently, we have devised a list of the top questions / queries our customers have regarding home-office ideas, with the aim of shedding some light on these issues and answering any misconceptions they may have regarding space and home-office designs...

Can you make a home office in a small space?

The short answer, Yes! But this is very much dependent upon the type of furniture you incorporate within your home office. It would be advisable to avoid all forms of bulky furniture that can overwhelm the space, particularly when it is at a premium.

Utilising vertical space is a useful way of ensuring all your important documentation and/or office utilities have their own dedicated place to reside, whilst still providing ample room for you to work freely in the office without feeling too claustrophobic. Indeed, having a defined workplace that is practically organized makes it easier to focus and get down to the tasks at hand.

Zoom-Rooms’ home office solutions take into account the specific dimensions of your room. This way, you can effectively incorporate a piece of office furniture that utilises the room to its maximum capability, thanks to our free design consultation service. This can also be achieved without compromising on style and décor, with our exclusive range of custom cabinetry lines available. Whether you have a modernist design scheme in your home or prefer a more traditional aesthetic, there is a range of home office collections to suit your individual tastes and requirements.

Where should your home office be located?

Having a self contained office space keeps you productive!

If you have it, one of the best places for a home office is in a spare room, providing a private workspace where you will not be distracted and can work efficiently. It also separates your workspace from where you live. The purchase of a desk within its own self contained room/area of the house provides the space you call ‘work’.

One of the major advantages to installing a product such as a Murphy Desk Bed is that it doesn’t have to impede upon your traditional spare room. Even though you want a home office that is designed for maximum work efficiency, the room is not committed to just that one function. For example, our Murphy Bed Desks allow you to have a convenient and stylish desk by day, and a comfortable guest room at night with our fold out desk bed.

This is a fruitful design mechanism for a range of homes across the US, whether it’s for your city apartment (when space may be constrained), or even for the spare room that is never fully utilised in your suburban estate. Zoom-Rooms excellent engineering allows for this with the minimum effort in the least amount of space!

Where should a desk be placed in a home office?

While you can put your desk against a wall, in many cases, regular desks can be placed almost anywhere, including in the middle of the room, perpendicular to a wall or in front of a window.

Lighting has been known to affect workers' mood and it’s scientifically proven that exposure to natural light in an office will increase your productivity, health and overall wellbeing. Therefore, it may be useful to take a good look at your space and the natural light that’s already provided. Do you have a window that gives plenty of natural light? If so, position your desk in close proximity to this to optimise your work output and efficiency.

Our free design consultation service here at Zoom-Room can also assist with the interior transformation process. Working in close proximity with our experts, you can visualise and brainstorm design ideas for your home-office, including discussing desk placement. Once this is completed, you can sit back and let our professionals bring this visualisation to fruition.

How do I set up a home office desk?

A chair and desk can be among the most important investments you make when working from home.

Don't go for the cheapest option, because comfort is key. Only consider chairs and desks designed for computer use. If you sit in an awkward position, this can render serious back pains which can affect your workflow and cause further health implications.

Accordingly, purchasing office equipment that takes into account your body's dimensions (i.e., are your feet positioned flat on the floor and your desk at correct typing / writing height) will help significantly in the long-term. Those notoriously uncomfortable home-office setups are not going to be inviting environments that promote a productive and positive workspace.

How important is a dedicated office space?

Vital. That way, people will know not to disturb you when you're working from home. It can be all too easy for people to think it's OK to call for a chat or for family-matters to encroach on your working time. Also, you can remove yourself at the end of the day and leave work behind. Locations range from attics to garden sheds to dwelling units. A spare room is still the most popular choice, but given the current climate, any dedicated space is desirable.

You'd be surprised at what can be achieved with little space. There are so many home-based businesses that start from desks that fold away under the stairs. Remember, you don't need acres of space to start a business – just enough to call your own. For example, Zoom-Desks provide a place to use your computer or tablet, pay bills, or study. Now you can have a convenient and stylish desk by day, and a comfortable guest room at night with our innovative Desk Murphy-Bed.

Do I need to set up a home office near plug sockets?

To an extent, for printers, lamps, etc, but the beauty of Wi-Fi is you don't need to be tied to sockets when it comes to your devices. Internet service providers usually supply wireless routers for free, which minimise the use of excess sockets and cables on the desk which can take up valuable workspace and create a messy environment.

Zoom-Room Murphy Bed Desks also ensure that less attractive support components are out of sight. Towards the back of the Zoom-Room Murphy Bed Desks, there's room for a 22" monitor, your keyboard and mouse, plus small shelves to organize all of your office needs. We even provide a power strip, USB ports and cellphone/tablet stand that can disappear within seconds once the desk has been folded away! With bespoke units, you can also specify how many power points you want and where cables need to go, making room for necessary lighting, computers, printer, TV, music system and charging points.

What about decoration for my home office?

Light colours make rooms look bigger. For smaller home offices, pale neutrals are the obvious choice to encourage the illusion of space. For a cool, stylish look, opt for light greys or to imbue a sense of warmth choose white for light and airy overall feel.

Colour psychology provides both anecdotal and scientific studies that have shown how colors don’t just change our moods, they also profoundly impact our productivity, for better and for worse. That’s why it’s best to decorate your workplace with a vibrant medley of stimulating hues that increase output and spark creativity. For example, low-wavelength colors, like restful green and calming blue -- two of the most common colors in Mother Nature’s palette -- improve efficiency and focus. Meanwhile mellow yellow, often viewed by color psychologists as the shade of optimism, is energetic and fresh. It is believed to trigger innovation and is best used in work environments where artists, writers, designers, developers and other creative professionals work.

Can I make do with my dining table and chairs as office furniture?

Make-shift offices are fine as a temporary solution, but long-term they can be a hassle from both an ergonomic and space-saving perspective.

A good desk and comfortable position can help keep your body in the most effective angle to work throughout the duration of the day. Unfortunately, while your dining chairs and tables may look aesthetically pleasing to work from, they are probably not the best pieces of equipment to utilise on a long-term basis. Moreover, keeping work files and computer monitors around your daily living quarters can be hazardous and quickly clutter both your workspace as well as your home. While this may not seem like a HUGE issue at first, clutter can often make a room look smaller and detract from the beauty of the space itself.

If you will be working remotely for the foreseeable (or at least some days throughout the working week), then investing in some office furniture is a sensible option. Multi-functioning, convertible furniture is particularly advantageous for optimising your space efficiency and has become the standard in most home designs. Multi-functional furniture helps you reduce clutter by providing a dedicated space for each task (i.e., a desk during the day which can fold away neatly at night), streamlining the look of your room and making it appear more inviting.

Zoom-Room offers a range of practical and stylish zoom-desks which serve a multitude of functions within your home. Whether you need a desk in the day, or a bed in the evening, Zoom-Room marries form and function to help you work in even the smallest spaces. Call our friendly team today to find out how you can own your own convertible murphy-bed desk.