Previously, home offices were considered a preserve of the rich. But this has since changed over the years. With workplaces becoming more appreciative of the need for work-life balance and their strong focus on outputs rather than activities, home offices are increasingly becoming a norm rather than an exception.
Normalizing of remote work has also contributed to the growth of home offices as unforeseen changes in today’s world force people to shift to remote work. As companies continue to ask employees to work from home, there is a growing need for proper office setups in homes to facilitate productivity. Remote employees are increasingly focusing on finding appropriate spaces to work from and even hold online meetings. As home offices become more desirable, they are also shaping the future of housing. Houses that have home offices are becoming more valuable compared to those that don’t.
But by itself, a home office space is not enough to provide you with an effective working environment. You need suitable office furniture to work comfortably from your home office and meet your targets. If you have a home office that you’re looking to furnish, here are eight things that you need to consider when choosing your furniture:
Tasks To Be Undertaken Daily
The first thing you need to consider before choosing home office furniture is what you’ll be using it for. There are numerous duties that people need to perform in an office. They range from typing and meeting clients to filing paperwork, among others. To choose the right home office furniture, you need to be clear on the duties that you’ll be undertaking in the office.
Your ideal office furniture should help you get your work done in a more productive way. Once you know what you’ll be accomplishing every day, you’ll be in a better position to choose office furniture that suits your work. To organize your work better, consider the storage spaces like drawers and shelves that office desks offer.
Budget For the Furniture
Cost is an important factor that you need to bear in mind as you choose furniture for your home office. You need to consider how much you want to spend on the furniture. Even though employers might ask you to work from home, very few of them will be willing to provide you with the financial support you need to set up a home office.
This is largely because a home office is a private space, and the furniture that you place in it will ultimately belong to you as an employee. As such, you need to be realistic when choosing office furniture. Opt for something that you can afford to pay for comfortably without straining your finances. Better still, focus on balancing the cost of the furniture and the comfort that you need to work effectively.
Design of the Office Furniture
When you’re buying office furniture, you need to consider furniture design, suitability, its ability to enhance your focus on work. There are several things that determine the design of office furniture. This includes the height, the number of drawers in the office desk, and the size of the top, and even its appearance.
The beauty of considering the design of home office furniture is that there no rules. This means that you can have fun choosing a design that suits your taste. When choosing a design, go for furniture pieces that reflect your style-whether that’s modern or rustic.
Opting for office furniture that has a warm, gray finish is a great way to bring a farmhouse feel to your home office. At the same time, picking a desk that has a durable glass tabletop and metallic legs will instantly give your office a contemporary look. Whichever option you pick, ensure that it’s a piece that appeals to you in terms of design and style.
Features of Office Furniture
Modern office furniture is designed with different kinds of features to make work much easier and comfortable. Some of these features include built-in file drawers, pull-out keyboard drawers, and height-adjustable chairs and desks.
Before you settle down on office furniture, consider the features that you want your furniture to have. If you need to free up space on your desk, choose an office desk that comes with a keyboard drawer. Office desks that are fitted with bookcases and in-built file drawers will come in handy if your work involves filing paperwork and you need storage space.
Size of the Furniture
A good home office should not be cluttered, closed in, or cramped. To avoid this, you need to consider the size of the furniture with respect to that of your office before you buy furniture for a home office. This will enable you to get pieces that fit in your office space proportionately.
To achieve this, get the total measurements of the space where you plan to set up the office and use them to pick office furniture. If you are dealing with a relatively small space, consider simple furniture designs that come with the features you need but are not too big in size. This will enable you to move the furniture around easily when the need arises.
To be able to move the furniture around, it needs to be lightweight. A very heavy piece of office furniture will be difficult and tedious to move. This means that in addition to considering the size of your office space, you also need to pay attention to the weight of the office furniture that you need to buy.
Comfort That the Office Furniture Offers
In most cases, office work involves sitting for long periods of time. This can take a toll on your body due to straining of the neck, the back, and the shoulders. As you choose office furniture for your home office, you’ll need to pay attention to ergonomics. This means being mindful of the support and comfort that the furniture offers. Choose office chairs that are designed to promote good posture as you work on your computer.
For the office chair, get one that comes with a tilt-back and adjustable height. This will enable you to shift the chair position with ease and as the need arises. Also, opt for upholstered office chairs that come with additional cushioned layers that allow you to sit more comfortably.
Consider buying an adjustable desk like a standing desk that allows you to work while standing instead of a fixed desk. This is particularly important if your work requires you to sit for long hours. By getting one, you’ll be able to reduce the number of hours that you spend in sedentary positions by adding more activity to your workdays. This will enable you to enjoy the numerous health benefits of standing desks while working in your home office.
Durability of the Furniture
Whenever you’re buying a piece of furniture, whether it’s for your office or home use, durability should be at the back of your mind. Furniture is not something that you replace every so often. When you buy it, you expect to use it for a long time.
Besides, acquiring the furniture for your home office will require you to a considerable investment. As such, it is important that you find pieces that will last for an extended period of time. To ensure that you get the best value from the investment that you make, consider buying teal furniture that is more durable than wooden furniture if your budget allows it.
The Look of Existing Furniture
Getting office furniture is a great way to upgrade a home office. It gives the space a more beautiful look without having to replace already existing stuff. While the functionality of your office furniture is of utmost importance, appearance also matters. Your home office needs to be appealing.
Unless you are setting the office up from scratch, consider the look of the furniture that you already have in the office and choose the furniture that rhymes well with it. These include the bookshelves or office coach that you already have.
Essentially, choose office furniture that blends well with the color and style that you already have in your home office space. By doing so, you’ll be able to create a calming and seamless look in your office because the furniture will match well with what you already have.
Final Thoughts
Office furniture plays a critical role in making a home office functional and comfortable. The kind of furniture you choose for your home office will have a huge impact on the working environment that you create for yourself. This also determines whether you’ll be able to work effectively and productively.
While buying office furniture might sound like a simple task, there are various factors that you need to consider before buying pieces for your home office. If you’re setting up a home office, pay attention to the eight things discussed above. This will enable you to choose furniture pieces that best suit your needs and preferences.
