In March this year, most of us had to start working from home, but not all of us had a suitable home office set up.  We had to improvise and make do with what we could. However, the reality has changed somewhat; while some are back at their work office, many are still working from home but can now purchase home office furniture and make limited renovations, and we have some suggestions.

Successful positioning

According to the principals of feng shui, a desk should be positioned in a commanding position i.e. you should not have your back to a door or face a wall.

If due to available space or room layout, you do have to face the wall, mount artworks or a world map on the wall which, according to feng shui, will help make the wall ‘disappear.’ It’s also a great way to create a focal point and add interest to what could otherwise be a boring blank wall.

Let the light in

Working in poor light is enough to make you feel drowsy not to mention how it strains the eyes! Ensure your home office is well-lit and where possible, optimise natural light with shutters. To cut glare on a computer screen simply redirect natural light by adjusting the louvres of shutters.

Working late? Block the harsh light from outdoor security spotlights from shining into your home office with practical shutters that offer as much as 90% light block.

Create order

Create a productive and stylish office by decluttering your workspace. If you feel like you’re drowning in paper, tackle your filing, recycle what you don’t need and consider electronically filing instead of printing documents out.

Breathe in green

Stay alert by ensuring a flow of fresh air in your home office. Open windows and adjust the louvres of shutters to optimise ventilation throughout the room.

You may want to add air-purifying plants to your office. A two-year study by the Agricultural University of Oslo found that people experienced reductions in fatigue, sore/dry throat, coughing and dry skin when plants were introduced into their offices.

So whether you trying to build a successful business from home or simply waiting to get back to your work office when things return to normal, take the time to transform your workspace!