Even though vaccines are being distributed, working from home may be a permanent change for your company. Social distancing will be necessary even for vaccinated people until the entire country reaches herd immunity, which may not happen until late 2021. Many companies have also realized that they can save money by shrinking or eliminating expensive office space. Such businesses are discovering what companies like Buffer have been touting for years – that a distributed team has a wide range of benefits.
But permanent or even a mixed in-office/work-from-home schedule means you need to get serious about setting up a permanent home office. Let's examine some home office essentials.
Some useful ideas and tips for creating a home office space include –
- Set up privacy with a portable screen if needed
- Plan for other people who use the space
- Pay attention to posture and prioritize comfort
- Use good lighting
- Maximize storage and use your wall space
Where Should I Put My Home Office?
Your home office location will vary by the size and design of your living space and how much free space you have. Ideally, the best place for a home office is in a quiet, spare room, in the back of a house or condo. However, if you're setting up a home office for a business where you will be receiving clients, which may be the case for an attorney, architect, etc., a room with a separate entrance or close to an entry is best.
However, few people have a spare room that can be converted into an office, so other home office solutions are often necessary. A dining room is the most popular choice for home office work. The dining room table can function as a permanent space, or you can tuck a desk into a corner of the room. Similarly, other home office ideas include placing a small desk in a kitchen, family room, or formal living room.
Should My Home Office Desk Face a Window?
No, a desk should not face a window. First, facing the window means too many distractions. Second, the contrast between bright light behind the computer and your actual monitor could make your screen harder to read on sunny days.
Facing a back or side wall is generally recommended. However, that can also create a claustrophobic feeling for some people.
In feng shui, the direction your desk faces depends upon your best directions. If you don't know what those are, "command” position is best, which means placing the desk so you can see the entrance to the room and someone approaching you while preventing someone from walking behind you unnoticed. The rationale is that a command position helps you feel more relaxed because you won't be startled.
Can I Set Up a Home Office Without a Desk?
An official desk isn't necessary for a home office. A dining room table is a common substitute for a desk. Other common home office ideas include:
- A wall-mounted, collapsible desk.
- Replacing a bookshelf with an integrated desk.
- Trying a laptop.
You can even find stylish coffee tables with a top that lifts to become a desk.
Mobile Shredding Will Organize And Modernize Your Home Office
Storage Quarters are leaders in the greater New York City area’s storage industry, including document scanning and shredding. We can help your business convert to a remote team by storing your essentials and digitizing your vital documents. Utilizing our mobile shredding services means we come to your location and securely remove your documents for destruction. You can also schedule weekly, monthly, or yearly visits depending on your needs. Getting a secure and organized home office is an email away. Contact the organizational specialists at Storage Quarters for a free quote today by calling (516) 794-7300 or you can email us.