The Key to Having the Perfect Home Office

We moved almost 6 months ago, and since we are doing huge renovations (kitchen/ bathroom, repainting and relighting the entire house, etc.), we’ve basically been living out of boxes. This weekend we decided to tackle at least some of the boxes we have piled in our basement, so I set up my office upstairs.

Since the front room gets the most light all day long, I decided this would be the perfect place to set up my home office. I really would love to paint it eventually (sooner rather than later), but the colours will do for now. Since, I am easily distracted, but I’ve noticed with blogging, this doesn’t bother me. I tend to get lost in thought while looking out the window, and come up with all my subjects this way. This is why, instead of having my desk face the wall, I put it in the middle of the room, in front of the window.

Bringing the Outdoors In

If you are like me, nature calms you down and brings you to a zen-like state. Adding a plant shelf with a small water fountain on top is the perfect compromise for working inside, especially in the freezing cold winter. Light, transparent curtains cover the window for some privacy, but allow the light to shine through and the trees to stay visible, even from my desk.

Everyone has specific needs, so just because my office space is perfect for me, it doesn’t mean that it will be a perfect office for you. That being said, make a list of what would make up your dream office and work from there.

The best thing to do when you are creating your perfect office environment, is to ask yourself these 5 questions:

• Do I need a quiet space or a busy space? If you need a busy space and your home office will be very quiet, you may want to consider working in a public space. A coffee shop or open working spaces might be the right choice for you.
• How much room will I need for my office space? Do you have room to accommodate this? If not, think about renting a space to fit your needs.
• Do I need a lot of natural light, or no natural light (if you are a photographer)?
• What type of computer will I be using (Desktop, laptop, tablet)?
• What hours will I be working (if you work a night shift a lot of small coffee shops will be closed before 11pm, so keep that in mind)?

Once you have answered these questions, you will have a better idea of what sort of office space you should be looking for or creating. Some people, like myself have the option of working in a variety of locations: home office, coffee shops, remotely (while on vacation), indoors and outdoors. I love the fact that I can literally work from anywhere as long as there is a power source near by and I can connect to the Internet at least once every few days.

So there you have it, how to choose an office environment and how to become a better work from homer!