While a large home office can be a fantastic place to work if you have the space for one, a well-designed workspace is the most important thing when it comes to working productively from home. So whether you’re setting up an office in a small bedroom, walk-in closet, or living room nook, these tips and tricks from Copper Quail Consulting will help you to maximize the space you have — where it’s 30, 100, or 200 square feet!
Purchase the Right Furniture
To maximize a small home office, it’s important to purchase the right furniture for the space you’re working with. If you’re short on floor space, for instance, you could purchase a wall-mounted table that folds up and down — or a wall-mounted ladder desk that doubles as a bookshelf. Fold-out secretary desks are also great for small home offices, as they save on space.
As an alternative to purchasing a secretary desk or wall-mounted table, several other types of desks for small home offices include mini desks, writing desks, corner desks, and C-tables. House Beautiful shares 23 excellent ideas to inspire you.
In addition to purchasing a new desk to fit your small home office space, you may need to upgrade your seating. Some of the best chairs for small offices include the Branch Task Chair, Herman Miller Aeron, and YAHEETECH Adjustable Task Chair. Floating shelves, desk lamps with USB ports, rolling file cabinets, and laptop stands can also help to complete your small home office space.
Reduce Distractions
If you’re working in your kitchen or living room, sharing an office with a spouse or roommate, or have kids at home with you, some distractions are unavoidable. However, there are a few things you can do to reduce distractions for improved remote work productivity. Here’s how:
- Wear a pair of noise-canceling headphones.
- Keep your office space clean and decluttered.
- Put up a room divider or partition.
- Use anti-distraction apps for your smartphone.
- Close the door to your office, if available.
- Listen to productivity music for improved focus.
- Add rugs, upholstery, and soft wall hangings to soundproof the space.
You won’t be able to eliminate all distractions while working remotely — especially if you have children at home — but these tips will help to reduce distractions and increase your focus.
Decorate to Inspire
Now for the fun part: Decorating your home office space! Even if you only have 30 square feet of office space to work with, it’s important to decorate the area in a way that inspires you. You’ll need good office lighting, wall decor, and plenty of houseplants that cleanse the air, reduce stress, and beautify your small space. If you’re running low on floor or desk space, you can even hang your houseplants on your office walls or from the ceiling.
Can’t Work With the Space You Have?
In some cases, a small office space simply won’t cut it. Maybe you need more square footage for meeting with customers or clients, or perhaps you need an office with lots of storage space. In these types of situations, it might make more sense to look for a larger home or apartment that meets your personal and professional needs.
If you’re not quite ready to buy a home in cities such as Phoenix, renting is an excellent alternative. You can use websites like Rentals.com to look for homes that meet your budget and other housing requirements such as your family’s desired number of bedrooms and bathrooms. When looking for rentals, however, it’s important to take the neighborhood into consideration — especially things like crime rates, access to public transportation, schools for your children, options for medical care, and shopping centers.
The Bottom Line
Most remote workers don’t require a lot of space in order to work from home, but they do need to know how to deal with distractions and motivate themselves for increased productivity. And fortunately, it’s easy to create a productive, inspiring, and enjoyable home office environment — regardless of square footage!
Are you ready to turn your workspace into a happier and healthier space for all? Contact Copper Quail Consulting at 602-512-5849 or by email.
