Part command center, part personal brand, and part guardian of personal and professional distinctions. A dedicated home office space serves many functions. But if you're still stuck with your haphazard setup from the early days of the pandemic, or if you haven't yet abandoned your dining room table in favor of a separate work area, you may find that arrangement a little dated. yeah.
That means it's time for a refresh! Check out tips and trends for creating a home office design to maximize productivity, stay zen even when there's a lot of Zoom, and express your personal aesthetic.
Create a home office design that increases productivity
form follows function
Before embarking on your design journey, you must first decide what role you want your home office to play in your home and life.
“No one wants a calmer workplace more than a productive workplace,” says Meg Behrens, founder and lead designer of Meg Behrens Design. “Often clients are working from their kitchen tables and in the midst of family gatherings. Renovations involve closing off formal dining rooms to create offices.”
Stephanie Pohlman, owner and head designer of Stephanie Pohlman Designs, sees a growing need for functional home offices.
“If you think it would be more convenient to utilize your space for multiple uses, consider built-in or flexible solutions that provide exactly what you need,” Pohlman says.
Stop the flow—in some cases
Behrens believes that having a physical door is important to the home office experience, creating a physical boundary between work and home life.
“This allows you to quiet down and actually think while you work, or block out noise during a Zoom call,” she says. “But many still choose steel and glass doors because they want to know what their family is doing.”
So how much does this home office project cost?
“We typically spend between $8,000 and $10,000 on a full room design,” Pohlman says. “Costs vary depending on how elaborately finished the furniture and cabinets are.”
Behrens says the final cost can vary depending on the square footage of the room and what's already installed.
“If you have to add walls or glass doors, it will cost more than an office that is already enclosed. Good office furniture is something you use five out of seven days and spend a lot of time in, so it's an investment. I would like to consider it.”
eliminate clutter
To ensure you get the job done, think elegantly simple. Behrens asks his clients to remove televisions from their home offices, but Pohlman believes personal items should be kept to a minimum.
“This creates a separation between work and life balance,” she adds, adding that clutter can also add stress and distraction to the work environment.
“We like to store built-in furniture and furnishings so we don't have additional electronics or paper files on our desks,” she says.
Installing floating shelves will give you easy access to what you need, increasing efficiency and reducing stress.
calm colors
Another stress-reducing factor in your home office comes from your furniture and paint color choices.
Color has a huge impact on our mood, which is why House Beautiful recommends carefully chosen shades. Looking for something calming? Think blues, greens, and neutrals. If you want to feel energetic or increase your creativity, choose bright shades.
“We like to keep the overall color palette neutral for a calming environment,” says Pohlman. “It's important that artwork and accessories are simple yet eye-catching.”
“I love putting cute potted plants in the corner of a room or on my desk,” adds Behrens. “It connects you to the outside world and actually helps you breathe as well, if it's a real plant.”
Expected trends in 2024
Looking for more inspiration? Or are you looking for a way to inject some personality into a calm space? Behrens feels that home office aesthetics tend to trend in one of two directions. .
“People either want a natural office with lots of organic materials, or they want it to be dark and moody,” she says. “For example, we are getting ready to finish an office, and all the built-ins and walls are painted Farrow & Ball Beverly #310 (a muted moss green). There are golden sconces at the top of the building. We polished it up and installed a stunning chandelier to highlight the entire space.”
Pohlman's clients still request flexible workstations that can be used for multiple purposes, such as adding a murphy bed or using the office as a homework room.
“We continue to receive requests for a nice focal point behind the desk,” she added. “In some cases, that means built-ins or accent walls with interesting woodwork details.”
Behrens added that people are also thinking about the context of Zoom and want it to look curated.
“We specify fun wallpaper, wainscoting, or trim walls,” she says. “People want accents and assertiveness.”
Photo provided by: asbe/iStock