Description

working in an office also has itschallenges.Mentally leaving home mode and entering work mode can beadifficult—even downright futile—effort when you neveractuallyleave the house and your bed is right there.the secret,though, iscreating a space that actually inspires you to get towork insteadof back under the covers. How? By following three keyinteriordesign principles, you can create a space that meansbusiness, evenwithin the cozy confines of your home.

Emphasize What the Space is For

First, make sure you have a designated “work space.” It can beawhole room, a corner of a room, or just a table. Gotit?Good.

Now, consider that designers make very conscious decisionsaboutwhat to emphasize in a space, because the objects that areused asfocal points help immediately qualify its purpose. When itcomes toyour home office, it’s important to emphasize those objectsthattell your brain “this is a space for work.” Visually, theseitemsshould command a majority of the attention.

Try it out:

- If you’re working from home, chances are your computer isyourprimary tool. So, it should always remain front and center onyourdesk, serving as a visual reminder that when you’re sitting atyourdesk, you’re doing so for work.
- Don’t let job-related things—like your phone or dayplanner—getburied under clutter. They should always be in plainsight, actingas reminders that you’re supposed to be getting stuffdone.
- What’s better emphasis for important tasks than a brightyellowsticky note? Nothing. (Well, unless you have so many of thempostedaround that they distract instead of help.) Try having twocolorsof sticky notes available—a muted color for jotting downnotes, anda bright color that you use (sparingly) forimportantreminders.

Set a Tone that Gets You Working

Designers use proportion and scale to set a room’s tone. (InplainEnglish, this means that the size and relationship of objectsin aroom affect how you feel when you’re in it.) Think about howamassive, relatively empty cathedral feels grand, or a smallroomfull of couches feels cozy and warm.

Proportion and scale don’t solely refer to squarefootage,though—the way you organize and display objects are alsoimportantindicators of what a space should feel like. When you’rein yourworkspace, you want to feel productive and motivated, sothinkabout how to set that tone. You’ll probably want to arrangeobjectsin a way that feels inviting, yet still formal.

Try it out:

- Keep the clutter to a minimum. A room full of unrelatedobjectswill make the space feel distracting, and an unorganizedspace willjust feel cramped and busy.
- You should also make sure that there is plenty of “negativespace”(empty spaces surrounding important objects) around you.Again, thisis to keep the space from feeling cramped andclaustrophobic—neitherof which are very conducive toproductivity.
- If you’re working in a small space, keep your desk smallandstreamlined, too, so it’s not overly invasive in the room. Youwantto feel driven, not trapped.