Gone are the days when ‘work' meant having to commute endlessly to an office far away from home. To the smart entrepreneurs of today, a home office is probably the best way to maintain an ideal work-life balance. Working from the comfort of one's home certainly yields better results, it is infinitely cheaper than renting a commercial space and more conducive to creative work.
Your home office must have all the elements of a productive office, while having the charm of a family home. That being said, it also needs to be professional enough for you to be able to invite clients over to discuss business. A stylish home office therefore becomes a really smart investment for an entrepreneur, when they're starting out.
How do you create a stylish home office?
There are a few things you need to keep in mind while creating a professional, yet stylish home office for yourself.
1) Choose the right colours: A small space can really be livened up with the right shade of paint, or accessories in a contrasting hue and tone. Always go with colours that complement your taste, and the space they are being used in. Avoid flamboyant, loud colours in your home office, go instead for understated, refined, lighter shades.
2) Let's talk furniture: Unlike the rest of your home, your office space needs to have a slightly more professional look to it. So obviously this space isn't going to have bean bags strewn on the floor. Think modular sofas in contemporary shades. Avoid any and all clunky items of furniture such as an elaborate desk with a chair.
3) Maximise ventilation: Ensure that your desks and chairs face the windows in such a way that they get ample sunlight. Natural light is ideal to work with, not to mention the massive savings on your light bills. Cheery, big windows also increase the positive vibrations in the space and make for a conducive working environment.
4) Use space wisely: Avoid large pieces of furniture like elaborate work desks and leather chairs, if your home office is small. Use a wall mounted foldable table with an ergonomic work chair instead. Utilise every inch of space that is available to you. Avoid clunky bookcases in your space, use funky wall mounted bookshelves instead.
5) Create a positive ambience: Not that you will ever wait for the right mood to strike you, but creating a positive work ambience will help soothe frayed nerves. Invest in a pair of portable speakers, that can be hooked up to your laptop and play soothing music. A little water feature will add a little bit of tranquility to your desk. Consult a Feng Shui or Vaastu website about the kind of plants that would add a calming feel to your workspace and invest in those. Simply anything to make your office more productive.
Maximise your home office space with these tips and enjoy the freedom and flexibility that the space provides. A home office can always be a stopgap between a job and your very first office space, and in the long run can be used by any member of your family as a workspace, ergo it is never a dead investment!
