To say life and work dramatically changed with the onset of the pandemic would be the understatement of the millennium. Labor shifted from the office to the home. Socializing segued from face-to-face interactions at the water cooler to the digital realm with impersonal online chat forums.
If you are like most people, you now spend some or all of your week working from home. Living and working in the same confined space can be a bit cramped and even depressing unless you proactively address the situation. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t make the most out of the space you have! Redesigning your home office is a great way to increase your productivity and a spark of fun and enjoyment to the workday.
If you’re looking for inspiration in creating your dream modern home office setup, you’ve come to the right place. Check out the modern home office ideas listed below, incorporate them into the area of your home designated for work and you’ll get the most out of your limited space.
How Can I Make My Home Office Look Modern?
Modern home office ideas are highlighted by design trends that drastically differ from those incorporated in the average office. Adding a modern home office desk will certainly help improve your efficiency and happiness while working from home yet it isn’t enough in and of itself.
Modern home office design trends are characterized by minimalism, color, light, efficiency and openness. These words are flowery on the surface yet implementing them into a home office in an artful manner is not necessarily as impractical as you might think. There are several tips and tricks that can quickly transform any space in the most modern ways. Below, we flesh out how to make modern home office ideas a reality in your house or apartment.
Designing and Decorating Your Home Office
The best modern home offices are one part function, one part form. Overfocus on either half of the equation and your home workspace will underwhelm. As is often said, the whole must be greater than the sum of the parts. The nuances of your home office furniture, color, personal embellishments and aesthetics matter a great deal.
Redesign and redecorate your home office by implementing the suggestions below and you’ll find the space’s visual appeal is conducive to working with both fluidity and efficiency.
Carefully Select the Right Desk
You spend the vast majority of your workday seated at your home desk. Choose the wrong desk and you’ll suffer the consequences in the form of poor ergonomics, physical pain and a reduction in the quality of your work. Look past the traditional dark wood desk, especially if you’re looking to add that spark of modernity.
The best home desks are spacious and ergonomically designed, empowering you to make a quick and seamless transition from your seated work position to standing, relaxing with your legs extended on a footrest below or swiveling around in your chair to grab a phone call. Above all, your home work desk should facilitate the completion of actual work.
The Beflo Tenon desk is specifically designed for those who work at home. Give the Tenon desk a try for yourself and you’ll find its luxurious sit-down-stand up design makes it easy to be productive without sacrificing comfort. This is the ideal desk for workers who are health-focused yet do not want to sacrifice aesthetics for functional purpose. The Tenon’s ergonomic design is conducive to maintaining optimal posture, working comfortably and reducing physical stress.
Let There be Light
Save the blackout curtains for the bedroom and liven up your workspace with an infusion of light. The right combination of lamps and windows allows the light to shine bright, lifting your spirit and boosting your productivity all the more.
Position your desk so it faces a window, ideally one that faces in the direction of the rising sun. Surround yourself with light from overhead hanging lamps to adjacent standing lamps and more. Open up the blinds as soon as you begin your workday and you’ll find yourself genuinely loving working from your home office.
Color and Decor
The subtleties of your home office aesthetic might not seem like a big deal yet they play an important role in your psyche. Though few people are likely to visit your home workspace, its look and feel still matter. Take a moment to write down a list of colors and shapes that you find pleasing to the eye and the spirit. Do some shopping for home office paint, wallpaper and artful decorations to add throughout your home office.
If you are on the fence about a certain color, opt for a neutral hue for your workspace to make the area look less visually busy, ultimately freeing your mind to focus on what matters most: work. When in doubt, opt for minimalist yet subtly artful wall décor to avoid eye-catching distractions.
Adaptability
When it comes to modern home office ideas, flexibility and adaptability are the operative words. A static home office that is rigid in form and function is not conducive to productivity. Though there is certainly something to be said about maintaining a laser focus on work, the best home offices are adaptable for extensive functionality. In short, most home offices are multifunctional, serving more than one purpose. Choose home office solutions and designs that allow for multipurpose functionality including family needs and web conferencing with colleagues. Many people will not be able to dedicate a room solely for home office use.
If you fall in this category, consider furniture and accessories that can be multi-functional and fit both the design ethos and needs of a given space. Furniture designed with modern principles, like the Tenon, don’t necessarily scream “corporate America,” making these items a great choice for seamlessly blending into existing apartment or family room spaces.
Overall, you can reduce clutter with the right desk, open up your space to accommodate kids, pets and other unexpected challenges as they inevitably arise and make the most of the area you’ve designated for work in the home.
Prioritize Ergonomics
As noted above, picking the right modern home office desk is important for reasons beyond space maximization and aesthetic beauty. The same can be said of the chair you sit in for 8+ hours a day while typing away at your keyboard, adding data to spreadsheets and conferencing with coworkers through video chats. Choose a comfortable and ergonomic office chair designed to stand the test of time and you’ll minimize the chances of injury.
The best office chairs are strategically designed with seating posture in mind while simultaneously heightening productivity. Focus on finding an office chair that is supportive yet does not sacrifice functionality or mobility and it will boost your productivity all the more.
Your Computer Monitor Matters
There is a common misconception that a stationary computer monitor is standard across the board. Do some digging into the options available on the market and you’ll find plenty of computer monitor options. Ideally, your computer monitor will be positioned at eye level. If the monitor were positioned above or below eye level, it would lead to neck muscle strain.
Be honest with yourself and recognize the fact that you will raise and lower your office chair while working. If you are like most people, you will switch to a modern home office desk at some point down the line. Opt for a computer monitor arm that adjusts the height of your screen and you’ll be empowered to adjust it as the dynamics of your workspace change. You might also consider adding a desktop monitor stand like the Basalt for a touch of sophistication and to hide unsightly cables.
Let it Flow
Any modern home office desk is incomplete without its accessories, and that’s definitely the case for the Tenon. For your convenience, we’ve bundled our must-have items into an optional add-on Flow Kit. Not only will it be having you work more efficiently, the Flow Kit is also the epitome of modern home office design. Featuring items like the Granite accessory management board and the Pebble Pro Portable Dock 8 in 1 - 135W docking station, it is the perfect intersection of functionality and luxury.
The Flow Kit even features a fully integrated Syncline Laptop Holder that empowers you to use your laptop similar to a traditional PC with a connection to the Pebble Pro. Add a Beflo Moss desk mat that matches your home workspace and you’ll improve the comfort of your desk workspace all the more.
Why Designing Your Home Office Matters
Instead of plopping down any old chair and desk in your spare room and calling it a home office, be strategic with the design of this important space. Run the numbers and you’ll find half or even more than half of your waking hours are spent seated at a work desk.
Invest a little bit of time planning the design of this essential part of your home and it will pay exponential dividends. A fully personalized workspace hikes personal productivity while simultaneously boosting your work-life balance.
It is the subtleties of your personal workspace that matter the most. From the quality of your office chair to the flexibility of your work desk, ergonomics, lighting and blending pragmatism with aesthetics, the small stuff matters.
Carefully shop for new additions to your home office, designing the space with productivity and comfort in mind. The strategic setup will prove conducive to a healthy work-life balance.
Upgrade Your Space with Beflo
Beflo is here to bring out the best in your home office. Whether you are new to working at home, want to liven up a home workspace that has gone stale or are more interested in boosting functionality, we’ve got the solutions.
Tap into our modern office design expertise, add the Tenon desk along with other Beflo solutions to your home workspace and you’ll view working from home in a different light. We invite you to check out our home office solutions available online through our website.