At home with your work...
Working from your home was a novelty at first wasn’t it? But the novelty soon wore off when your living space became invaded with all the trappings of an office. Piles of papers, printers, scanners, laptops, tablets, files, note books, and tangles of charging cables and extension leads litter your room with no apparent home….and at the end of the day relaxing in front of the TV or eating dinner involves wandering around with piles of papers and books looking for a place to put them. Not to mention the unhealthy aspect of living with your work all around you 24/7. How do you switch off?
We have all read the articles on converting a spare room, conservatory, garage or attic space into an office but most of us do not have these extra spaces or the resources to create them. So many of us are confronted with the problem of making an office space in the living room, bedroom or dining room. But how do we create these spaces without them becoming a huge blot on the landscape, ruining the look of our carefully designed interiors and how do we conceal all the papers so that they are out of sight and out of mind? What if we think we may go back to work sometime? What would we do with all this office furniture that we’ve brought – or that we are considering buying as lockdown continues?
One way to go would be to have a collapsible desk that could be stored behind a sofa or cabinet when not in use. A series of inexpensive stacking steamer trunks will store a huge amount of office supplies and at the same time enhance your decor.
Alternatively, you could buy a nice ottoman to keep your papers in and a multi height coffee table or lift and rise ‘supper table’ to use an old fashioned term! that can be elevated when you want to work sitting at the sofa. Both of these items will be useful when you are not working and want to have a TV dinner and put your feet up.
If you wish to set up an office area then you have a number of choices. You could find a space under a stairway, utilise a bay window, a fireplace alcove or even in front of a full-length window where a small desk would not block too much light. If your situation is temporary then choose a desk or table that can be repurposed after you go back to the office…one that could be used as a dressing table with a mirror, a sewing table or a console in a hallway or behind a sofa. Soften the look of your desk by hanging some tasteful artwork above it, place a few ornaments on your desk and use a lamp with a shade rather than a desk lamp. There are some beautiful shelving units available today. Put your papers in pretty filing boxes and place them on the shelves punctuated with a few ornaments… and of course don’t forget to add some plants to complete the look.
Choosing a chair that is both comfortable and elegant is important, this could be a chair designed for use in an office or a well-padded dining carver or accent chair preferably that compliments the decor of your room. Another fantastic purchase would be an attractive trifold screen which can be used to screen off the office area when not in use with the added benefit that it can be placed behind you when you are in a Zoom meeting to prevent attendees from checking out your living space.
Fitting an office space into your room in a way that is pleasing to the eye can be both challenging and fun. When you have finished the project, you should be well pleased and feel satisfied that you have considered all the options and spent your money wisely. The only thing you will then need to worry about now is a handy place to keep your yoga mat!
- 8th February 2021