Work from home office ideas were then impractical but nowadays it is a trend. Work, leisure and sleep are the three core cyclical activities in our society. In the past work was distinct from non-work time, in fact ‘the 8-hour work, 8-hour leisure, 8-hour sleep day’ was at the very heart of past worker movements. But a major shift came when COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2019 and forced people to stay at home and work. Everyone started looking for work from home office ideas to increase their work productivity at home. People got so comfortable working from home that remote work became a 2022 thing. Remote work is a working strategy that allows people to work outside office premises. It could be your home or holiday destination. So, the blur between work and leisure is a postmodern trend which has impacted the way we travel. This change is mainly due to the advances of technology, which have made work outside the workplace a reality even during holidays. Consequently, a hybrid tourism product called “workcation” has emerged and challenges the traditional concept of tourism. According to Hidenori Tomita (2021) (Author and editor of book “The Second Offline: Doubling of Time and Place”) workation is a work style that involves staying in a resort area and working at a local coworking space on a weekly or monthly basis.
Work from home office ideas provided here have taken into consideration both home as well as workcation location.
There was a time when the idea of remote working and working from home (WFM) seemed too unconventional. When the pandemic led to a new normal, our homes became our workplaces; this was the biggest home office inspiration. Finding the right location and setup for our makeshift offices that keep us productive and motivated became a huge concern. It was easy to work on a simple metal desk and a random chair when all we had to do was work out our house bills or organize our schedules. But how to be dedicatedly functional around this space for work when we have to spend at least 6-8 hours sitting there?
If your journey to this article came from a similar concern, time to end the fret! We have covered some creative remote work office ideas that will help you assemble a dedicated workspace at your home and workcation location that is free from distractions and high on the design quotient to keep you motivated while you burn the midnight oil.
In this article gharpedia discusses 10 work from home office ideas to design stylish but simple office set-ups that can be designed at home as well at your workcation locations.
10 Stylish & Smart Work from Home Setup Ideas
Doesn’t matter if your space is big or small, whether your office is permanent or a temporary gig, work from home office ideas work well everywhere. The main idea is to create a work-friendly space that caters to your productivity while also adding to your personal taste. Workcation ideas given here, have considered the simplicity and practicality of your homestay too. So, let’s explore our top picks of creatively and space efficiently assembled work from home setup ideas. Ready to get inspired and tryout some cool home office ideas?
01. Go for the AAA! Ample and Awesome Accessories
Accessorizing can turn anything dull into an exciting nook. If a lush green potted plant or a simple tissue box is what it takes to keep you smiling, then why not put it on your desk? While remote work can give us the flexibility to schedule our work hours, lacking a professional or creative environment can get us all lazy.
Therefore, it’s important to put around stuff that keeps us going. The accessories could be anything from a clock, if the pressure of ticking makes you stick to that chair or a motivational quote, if wise words are your inspiration strategy. A unique way of looking at it is that in offices you were restricted to following the overall ambiance and design ethics. This work from home office idea allows you to put a caricature on your desk even if, it might not be the most professional decor element.
But now with remote work offices (be it your home or workcation), you get to accessorize your desk with anything and everything. So, get creative, go crazy, and use this opportunity to create your dream work desk anywhere and everywhere!
02. Power Pack it with a Table for Two
While creating home office setup ideas we kept in mind that some professionals just can’t function in an environment of solitude. Working alone can be boring or sometimes working along with someone becomes a sheer necessity. Whatever your case is, you could always make room for two.
Include a table for two; simply buy an assembly of two singular units. The folding units are better for smaller spaces and easy to carry on workcations. You can browse stores for what is often called ‘partner tables’.
Besides simply buying the table, you can also get creative with the seating arrangements. If collaboration and group thinking is your intention, you can place your laptop screens along the same side. Similarly, if you are looking for some sense of privacy within your group work, you can place it on the opposite ends.
03. A Magical Closet Office Setup at Home
You might have heard of popular expressions – hiding in a closet or having a skeleton in the closet, but have you heard of an office in a closet? Yes! A workplace right in the middle of your closet!
Many times, if we don’t have ample free space, it’s impossible to bring in a full-fledged workstation. We have to resort to working on our beds. This can be highly unproductive and can also cause back pain due to the lack of seating ergonomics. An easy solution is to optimize your closet space by making it multi-purpose. Add a simple office setup at home by installing a work desk and a bar stool, open the doors, and voila! You’re done.
So, if your intention is to explore some method that could help you save space while also not burning holes in your pocket, then cherish a clutter-free, magical closet office!
For a clutter-free closet, check out our article on how to declutter closet
04. Glam Up A Boring Office with your Accents
Boring home office space is the last place where you want to spend 8-10 hours of your day. Your office space might be a separate spacious room or just a nook in your house (or homestay in case of workcation), as long as it isn’t motivating you, there’s still room for improvement.
Having an accent wall with bright joyful abstracts or paints, a chic wallpaper, or a statement art piece can grant it an absolute edge. It also adds to your personality and design style when you require a decent backdrop for a video conference.
Now next time you need to switch to video mode, don’t worry about hiding the scar and spots.
05. Minimal Design with Maximized Verticality
Best work from home set up idea is to utilize vertical space. Space savers are a constant hit and people are trying every creative way to experiment with their spaces. If you are a fan of organized minimal desks but still require some amount of storage space around, then using vertical storage is a great choice.
An important thing to know is that there is a diverse range of desk and chair sizes available in the market that you can choose to adjust as per space available in your chosen location be it your home or your homestay for workcation. Once you have the perfect chair type and desk size, accessorize your space with hanging rods, shelves, or hooks–whatever serves to cater to your storage needs. It shall ensure you access to your office supplies while keeping them immaculate and compelling.
06. A Cozy Grind for the Creative Minds
Not into formal office settings? Are you a creative head who likes to get inspired and wouldn’t mind mini-breaks for a spectacular view cherished with a cup of coffee? Try this cool home office idea of setting up corner office.
Then all you need is the one corner of your house or homestay with an appealing view to the outside. Accessorize it with your favorite decor items, your comfortable seating arrangement, go an extra mile for a sound system (a portable bluetooth speaker at workcation) or smart device. You wouldn’t realize until you use it how the addition of a throw pillow, a cozy blanket, or even a candle stand could bring to your office corner.
Don’t be afraid to make your space a little cozy. For all the efforts you spend putting in your work, a comfortable and warm setting is the least you deserve!
07. Take a Break! Sit or Stand
Majority of work from home setup ideas are for sitting posture. Suffering joint pain, back pain, or weight gain are some common issues observed with sitting around for long work hours. Sometimes, we wish our sitting arrangement was flexible to accommodate our working postures in both positions.
Well! If you were desiring the same, then you should get a folding standing work desk. With this, you get the comfort of transitioning around a sit or stand posture and give your body a comfy stretch once in a while.
08. A Floating Desk for Small Apartments
In tiny apartments and homestays, it gets difficult to implement home office design ideas because we usually don’t want to create a lot of spatial divisions. This results from the sheer desire to have an easy flow between spaces. In such cases, having a feature like a wall-mounted unit offers the flexibility to adapt the space as a decor unit or a work desk as and when required.
The secret of every well-organized tiny space is a well-chosen and articulated multi-functional furniture piece.
09. Flexible and Functional: Concealed Desks
What if an arrangement offers to provide you both, the flexibility to conceal your work desk for a clean and tidy interior look while fulfilling all essential functionalities? Yes! With concealed desks, you can now cherish both attributes. Generally present as a hydraulic hinged folding table, these units are space -efficient. This home office desk idea keeps your room intact once work is done and the desk is rolled in.
Moreover, with the amount of area they consume, you can have the flexibility to have such units at multiple places in your home and choose your work environment based on your moods. Homestays should provide this feature so that workaholics can work and then conceal their workspace once done and enjoy the vacation.
10. The Secret Home Office Desk Idea
Remember those secret service cartoon heroes who would switch avatars with a costume switch in a matter of seconds. Imagine if you get a similar superpower to transition from a revolutionary worker to a lazy, couch potato at the travel speed of a couple of steps. Wondering how?
Well, taking this as home office inspiration let us explore this secret office cabinet console. The arrangement beholds a work desk height shelf with hollow space beneath to accommodate a chair and ample storage for office supplies. To add a creative touch to this functional arrangement, there is a sliding door that can be pushed to expose or conceal the workplace as and when desired. People giving away their houses for homestays should highly consider this option as a secret office as it gives a better ambience of the room.
Where do you plan on installing your secret office?
Next, we have discussed a few tips for enhancing the aesthetics of a home office for remote work.
5 Tips for Functional and Aesthetic Remote Work Office
01. Fix a Spot
Before you apply aforementioned workcation ideas first and foremost thing is choosing a location to set up your office as it is an essential parameter that helps you decide the overall ambiance you want to achieve. According to Pradit Songsangyos and Supakorn Iamamporn (2022) (Authors of “Remote Working with Work-life Balance”) Setting a workspace zone that is separate from other parts of the house will help to concentrate on the job. If the house does not have a dedicated workspace, try to find an area or corner of the room and use objects to separate them into a separate workspace. Also, tell the family members not to disturb in this workspace zone.
You might have a different approach if you intend on doing it around an outdoor view facilitating window or just around any extra space in your house. The amount of space you have in the chosen location could also be critical to your layout and decor approach.
02. Add Privacy with Internal Division
Home office setup ideas should take into consideration privacy. It’s easy to get distracted working from home and also risky to operate in common family areas. Some privacy is essential to many professionals. But, it might not always be possible and convenient to completely chalk out a separate space for the same. This is where internal divisions like screens, curtains, and other room dividers like MDF, PVC panels are (It would be good to add supporting images of screens, room dividers, and available curtains). Claim your space!
03. Welcome, Daylight!
Psychologically driven, scientifically addressed, natural illumination is a great mood and energy booster. Consequentially, work productivity improves. Having your work desk arranged around the nook receiving ample daylight can be a great influence on your overall schedule.
04. Be Flexible with a Standing Desk
As much as your furniture offers flexibility to accommodate your comfort instead of another way around, the better it is. Today everyone is growing health-conscious and a major concern with all health issues witnessed currently is due to a sedentary lifestyle. So, home office design ideas emphasis on this factor and incline you towards moving to standing desks office set up.
With standing desks at least, you have the flexibility to choose your posture.
05. Get Inspired!
There’s neither an end to creative home office setup ideas nor a limitation to experimentation. We all have different work ethics, professional needs, and space constraints. It is you who best beholds the capacity to discover your ideal office setup at home, but it is highly beneficial to look around and learn how people globally are addressing similar concerns as yours.
So, get inspired and inspire!
What’s Your Remote Work Office Style?
Remote work has gained immense popularity post-hit of the first wave of the pandemic. We all started with a chaotic and clueless work from home experience to carving a creative niche within the new normal work setting. Work from home office ideas explore all the possible arrangements to set up remote work office and make you feel comfortable to work.
An important takeaway is to remember the importance of a good and mood uplifting environment for greater productivity. Finding comfort, style, and ambiance with the right kind of furniture and accessory could be all you need for a happy, healthy work setting.
Before you leave, checkout our articles:
Average Human Sitting Posture Dimensions Required in Interior Design
Image Courtesy: Image 12
Author Bio
Saili Sawantt – She is an Architect and Interior Designer by profession. Writing is what she treats as her passion. She has worked as an Architectural Writer, Editor, and Journalist for various design as well as digital portals, both national and international. Formerly she has also worked with Godrej Properties Limited (GPL) Design Studio, Mumbai, due to her keen interested in learning about Sustainability and Green buildings. Apart from this, she runs her blog ‘The Reader’s Express’ and is a practicing Architect & Interior Designer.