Now that many of us are working from our dining rooms, kitchens, and,
sometimes even our bedrooms, why not create or reinvent your ideal
home office space? Time to take your WFH area—be it a cozy corner or a
complete wood-paneled den—from unruly to unmatched. How to get started?
Follow the four Ds: designate, design, declutter, and decorate.
First off, designate an area or room to be your home office. May be you’re
lucky enough to have a traditional home office complete with the ubiquitous
bookshelf. If you don’t, consider turning an unused guest room or even a
part of the basement or a corner of the kitchen into your unique space. Just
remember: When you’re in this zone, you need to think, “I am at my office.”
Report here at certain hours and actually be productive while you’re there.
Next, create a design. You will be working here so you’ll need essentials: a
desk or table, a comfortable desk chair, a computer, a printer, lighting, and
easy access to electrical outlets. (Hopefully, you’ve already got Wi-Fi all set
up.) Can you be efficient and easily do the tasks at hand without moving
too far around? Make sure there’s plentiful task lighting and if you’ll be doing
conference calls, try to position your desk with natural light shining on you and
not behind you for the best video quality.
Now it’s time to declutter. After all, as you’re Zooming, do you really want to
be wondering, “What’s behind me? Can people see that dirty coffee mug?”
Clear your workspace and keep it free of non-work-related items. Try a Zoom
or House Party call with a friend and ask what they can see, then edit out
anything you don’t want others peeking at (i.e., laundry, personal photos,
open closets, and anything you’d prefer to have under wraps). It’s also wise
to remove any distractions, such as a TV, magazines, or snack foods. Lastly,
the fun part: Time to decorate. Organize your papers, pens, books, and
other necessities to get your job done. Pick a fun color or a streamlined design
scheme and stick with it. After all, your space doesn’t need to be devoid of
personality. Books, art, and colorful home décor, can all be a signature of your
at-home work style. With a few tweaks you can make your home of fice space
organized, chic, and the envy of the video chat.