Five tips for creating a productive workspace in your home

Five tips for creating a productive workspace in your home

If your summer was a whirlwind of childcare and ferrying the family around, perhaps
with a week or two away on holiday, you might be enjoying the peace and quiet of
September. Now that the kids have gone back to school and teenagers are back at
university, no one is constantly riding the fridge, fighting, playing or asking for yet
another snack. That makes it an awful lot easier to focus on your job, whether you travel
out to your workplace or simply boil the kettle, switch your computer on and settle in at
home.

The trend for remote working seems set to stick around, despite some big brands and
businesses moving back towards an office-based model. Having had a taste of life
without an hour-long commute bookending their working day or the chance to complete
work when and how it works best for them, workers are less inclined to apply for jobs
based full-time in an office. Hybrid models are proving popular, with people heading to
the office for a couple of days a week and then working from home for the rest of the
time.

If you spend any significant time working at home, it’s so important to have a dedicated
workspace, if you can carve out the space for it. Is there space in a spare bedroom that
you could use during the week as an office? Or perhaps a rarely used dining room that
you could share with a desk in one coroner? Ideally you want to use a desk or table
that’s the right height for correct alignment between your eyes and your screen, and a
chair with good lumbar support. If you find yourself working on the sofa, you’ll probably
get neck ache after a while, and working from the kitchen table is only going to work
when everyone else is out. As soon as an inset day/half term holiday/school home time
comes around, you’re suddenly trying to work in one of the busiest rooms in the house!

Whether you’re lucky enough to have a dedicated office at home or you’re tucked in the
corner of a room that already has a purpose, we’ve got five top tips to make it a calm,
welcoming place to get your head into work. Let’s take a closer look:

1. Use a rug to ‘zone’ the room

This one is particularly important if you’re ‘sharing’ space in an existing room but applies
even to dedicated office space too. Adding a rug or large mat underneath your
workspace helps to define it, and it can help you stay comfortable too. If the floor in your
chosen office is hard and smooth or the carpet is very deep, you could find the wheels

on a classic office chair either drifting away from the desk or getting stuck in the carpet.
A low-pile mat or rug, such as one of our vinyl mats, is the ideal choice – your wheels (or
just the legs of your chair) won’t get stuck and there are some fabulous patterns and
colours to choose from.

 

2. Add a variety of lighting

If you’re working from home as the weather turns colder and the nights draw in, you’ll
need to consider lighting your workspace properly. While WFH means you can avoid
the harsh fluorescent lighting of an office, you do need to ensure you’re not sitting in a
gloomy room staring at a bright screen. Why not shop for a stylish desk lamp, add a
table lamp nearby and consider switching on overhead lights as light fades?

 

3. Squeeze in alternative seating

One downside to being based at home is that you can feel a little trapped having spent
all day sitting in the same room. We hear that heading out for a walk before work or at
lunchtime can really help, as can even a small change of scenery at home. If you have
space for an armchair or small sofa, you can move there when you’re not on a video call
for an hour of admin and emails. A small change like that can really help you find focus
if you’re suffering from ‘desk fatigue’ on a long day. We have a range of gorgeous
cushions that are perfect for jazzing up a second hand armchair, so why not take a
look?

 

4. Have a throw on hand for chilly days

Many British families have their heating set to come on in the morning before everyone
gets out of bed and then again as people return home from work and school. That can
mean anyone left working at home during the winter months can feel a chill by
lunchtime. If you’re keen to save on heating bills then layer up with a warm sweater,
thick socks and a cosy throw over your knees. If you’re keen to snap up sustainable
interior accessories, our Hug Rug Woven throws might be just the ticket – they look and
feel just like real wool, but they’re made from recycled plastic bottles! That means you’re
saving plastic from landfill and the throws are soft, machine washable and stain
resistant!

 

5. Don’t forget some happy houseplants!
According to a global study, workspaces that incorporate natural elements (such as
houseplants!) score 15% higher for employee wellbeing and 6% higher for productivity

than offices without them. That’s not to be sniffed at, and, speaking of sniffing, some
houseplants actually help to clean the air in your home by filtering out toxins and
emitting oxygen. So, grab a peace lily next time you’re in the supermarket and pop it on
your desk to reap the benefits.

There are so many other ways you can create a productive and happy workspace at
home, from adding artwork to the walls to investing in large screens and ergonomic
chairs, so whatever you choose to do, we hope our tips help you. If you’re in need of a
beautiful new rug to form the centrepiece of a room or a fun floor covering for a kid’s
room, we have a huge range to browse online. And if you do end up using any of our
products to create your new home office space, make sure you tag us into your pictures
on social media!