Home Office Improvements That Make Working From Home Easier In Baltimore
For many, remote work has become a way of life -- and brings some unique obstacles.
Whether you’re a work-from-home connoisseur or want to carve out an at-home workspace temporarily, the concept of working within your living space doesn’t have to mean working from your living room couch. The key to an effective workspace in your home is finding items that make life simpler for day-to-day activity. But this place should also comforting since you have to live here, too.
From space-saving desks to faux wood interior shutters, check out these five easy home improvements that allow you to work from home easier.
Your Home Office Should Be A Separate Space
While plopping down on the recliner and banging away on the laptop may look nice at first, not splitting up “home mode” from “work mode” can become a damper to your productivity.
If you haven’t yet, create a committed office space in your home. This place should be yours, a distinct space from your non-work life. This may help you keep away from distractions. You don’t need an executive oak desk with a wall full of motivational posters, but at least try to have a table and stool that is “work only.”
Have a corner in the living room that would you can use as a home office? Create a independent place by installing a simple, elegant sliding barn door or panel track as a partition.
Pick A Work Space That Fits With Your Work Tools
As a lot of the day is spent in a chair, you need a workspace that uses ergonomic support while accommodating your space needs. And that means setting up the perfect work surface.
Now, beware: don’t go for a “that will do” desk solution. A decorative table that poses as your workspace from 9-5 will only become frustrating. You need a space that conforms to your workplace rituals. If you only use a laptop, a mini office desk or dedicated table is fine. But if you’re juggling papers, or want a complicated desktop setup, you may want a bigger desk.
If you rather not buy a traditional desk, build one from alternative materials. An old door or particleboard on top of storage cubbies can easily transform into a adequate work center. The more you can make your workspace fit your needs, the easier work from home can seem in Baltimore.
Adjust Natural Light With The Right Window Coverings
It’s no surprise that adequate lighting can greatly affect your daily Zoom call. Not enough backlight and you’re shrowded in darkness, but an overexposure to sun glare, and you’re looking like a ghost. The amount of outside light can also be the difference between a efficient workday, and one that sees you making numerous visits to the coffee maker.
To make work at home easier, you’ll want a window treatment that can handle light. Plantation shutters, for one, have louvers that can be adjusted so that your home office always has enough natural light without sun glare. They can block outdoor noise, like passing cars or pedestrians. And if your plantation shutters are made of Polywood®, they can also help with energy-efficiency.
Luckily, interior shutters are a wonderful window treatment for your work space, not to mention they are a snap to wipe down and operate.
Change Out Your Seat From That Uncomfortable Chair
Once you have some time in your new and improved work from home space, you figure out that using that wooden folding chair just isn’t holding up.
Opt for an ergonomic office chair to make you more productive, or enhance your chair with a little extra back support to make it last a bit longer. Then again, you can opt for a standing desk, and then you don’t need a seat at all.
It’s OK To Experiment
One of the advantages of telecommuting is that you are able to arrange your space outside the ordinary office layout. However, sometimes finding the best set-up takes time and some trial-and-error. That means thinking from beyond the cube.
Always question yourself about what the best way to set up the office. Perhaps you need dual computer monitors instead of one 15-inch laptop. You might even prefer three. Or you might find you perform best when using a wireless keyboard and a few larger screens attached to the wall. Whiteboards, foot massagers, and overstuffed recliners -- it’s all about you. And if it doesn't work like you thought, just switch it all without having to go through an expense report.
