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Working from home isn't just a lifestyle choice; it's a challenge to balance work and life, and depending on your setup, where you sit can be central to the issue.
Architect, TV presenter and lecturer George Clark said:
“A well-designed space is designed with productivity in mind, not just aesthetics,” Clarke emphasizes.
“The design process should combine style and functionality and set a direction that improves performance and work ability.”
he continues. “Home office space is a powerful tool that enhances our professional output. Therefore, the design should reflect that.”
How to position your desk for optimal lighting
According to Clark, desk position is determined by the actual activity you're doing and your personal preferences for what you want to see while sitting at your desk.
“For example, I have two desks at home: one for sketching or drawing architectural plans, and one for sitting at the computer to write or edit photos. is.
“My sketching desk is in the middle of my home office space, which has great views of the garden and lots of natural light.”
“For sketching and drawing, it's best to have more natural light than artificial light,” explains Clark.
And in his case, “uniform northern light and strong sunlight from the south, which is what every designer or artist wants to create.”
There's also a small desk area for a desktop computer, Clark reveals. “This desk area is actually part of the worktop built into the wall.
“While the position of a desk like this isn't really important because you're often facing a large screen and facing a wall, it's still nice to have some visibility to the left and right of the screen. ”
Clark says being able to look out from her garden makes staring at a computer screen for hours a little less tiring.
“A wall-mounted desk provides all power points and a route for data cables to connect to your computer, so it’s all very practical.”
How to make a small workspace at home productive
Clark says everyone works in different ways, but if you have a small workspace at home, here's what you need to do…
Declutter: “Try to have as little stuff in your space as possible. Keep it very simple and keep only what you need for the day's work around you.”
“Store things you don't need on a daily basis in a separate location. The less clutter you have, the more productive you will be.”
Avoid tons of paperwork: “This means fewer paper files in your home office and more information stored online.
“Online information doesn't take up much space, and files are often easy to find. Therefore, storing all your information in the cloud is more space efficient and increases your productivity.”
Keep the space as quiet as possible. “My home office is incredibly quiet with very few distractions, which definitely improves my productivity.”
How to best design your home office
For something as personal as a home office, Clarke suggests that the best way to “design” it in an existing space is to basically measure the space and make a plan for what will fit where. I am.
“Even just a quick sketch or drawing can help you decide what works for you and what doesn't. Measure out some space, get some graph paper, and use whatever you have available to scale. Draw a space.
“Then we start sketching out some options, including everything from actual desks to shelving to fixed drawers and units,” adds Clarke.
If you're hiring a carpenter or other contractor to build your new desk area, he says a quick sketch or drawing can help them understand what you have in mind.
“They then help refine the design and make it 100% accurate.”
Additionally, if you're thinking of building an outdoor office or small structure in your garden, the possibilities are endless, says Clark.
“There are some great companies out there that can design and build your new home garden office space to suit your needs.”
George Clarke appears on Olympia London's Ideal Home Show, discussing all things architecture and property on stage at the show. Until April 7th. For more information, visit idealhomeshow.co.uk.