Home Office Featured

How to upgrade your home office

We've found it's best to look at the home office upgrade in 3 main categories. Paint, Lighting & Furniture. Here's what you need to know.

Rylie Cook

Sep 4, 2020 • 7 min read

It's pretty incredible to look back at 2020 thus far & see the monumental shift in home requirements as a result of COVID19.

We are increasingly being asked by clients what is the best way to upgrade their property & the top inquiry we receive is in regards to the office space as more people work from home full-time as we settle into our "new normal".

We've found it's best to look at the office upgrade in 3 main categories.

Paint, Lighting & Furniture.

Paint

If you’re spending more time working from home, you want to have a positive environment to get things done & paint colour can have the biggest impact on your perception of a room.

There are a couple of tips you can follow when choosing a paint colour for your home office, but the general room of thumb is to choose something that you don’t mind being around a lot.

Earth-tone colours like green & blue are known to have a calming effect which can help relieve some stress

Light colours like warm whites allow for a distraction-free office space & also lends itself to being adaptable with the correct lighting

Yellow instantly makes a room brighter, however some people might find it harsh for prolonged exposure

Peachy pink & soft coral colours can actually improve focus, boost concentration & creativity

Brown is also known to be a calming colour which can aid focus

Dry erase paint allows you to turn an entire wall (or a portion) into a usable whiteboard

Warm navy is extremely versatile & provides a meditative atmosphere

Lighting

Choosing appropriate lighting for your office is crucial as it allows you to control the mood/energy of the room at the flick of a switch.

Here are some tips for choosing lights in your home office:

Diffused light is always better for productivity
Adjustable lighting gives you more flexibility to match your mood & workload
Use natural light when possible
Ambient lighting can add some life & vibrancy to your office

One of the best ways to attain this adjustable/diffused lighting is with the Philips Hue system as it gives you full control of the brightness directly from your smartphone.

A welcomed addition to my home office setup this year is the Philips Hue Play Lightbar which allows me to customize the lighting to reflect any different mood with near-infinite colour choices.

It’s super handy having a “studio” setting for my video filming which is a brighter blue-white mixture, a “relax” setting for nighttime + fun stuff like "purple haze" which gives a cool coloured glow to the room.

If you want some inspiration for other cool light fixtures, check out our article about Artemide who have some fantastic options for office lighting including the timeless classic “Tizio” model.

Furniture

The two most important pieces of furniture in any home office are your desk & your chair as they need to be a direct reflection of your work style to ensure on-going comfort.

Desk

Choosing a desk can be difficult, especially if you want something that is both functional & aesthetically pleasing.

One of the best rules to follow is that your desk should be able to integrate into the room in which it’s placed without sticking out like a sore thumb.

Pottery Barn breaks down selecting a home office desk into very useful categories to help narrow your choice:

Desks by task
Will you be doing more computer work or paperwork?

Desks by function

Writing desk
With a large surface area, these are fantastic for paperwork or using a laptop

Computer desk
Added functionality with pull-out keyboard platforms, wiring organizers & additional computer organization

Executive desk
Provides larger surface area + drawer space

Secretary desk
Has more storage & drawers

Hermann Miller is a staple in the luxury furniture industry, particularly when it comes to their chairs & desks, so be sure to take a look at some of their products here for inspiration.

Standing desks have become extremely popular over the past 5 years as many people appreciate the modularity which keeps you from sitting for too long.

Fully.com is one of the top-rated brands for standing desks so have a peak at some of their models if you are interested!

Chair

If you are going to be sitting in it all day, investing in a good office chair will make a world of difference for your comfort & productivity.

Here are some of the top things to look for when buying an office chair:

Height adjustability
This allows you to dial in the exact height you need for your desk

Lumbar support
Your lower back is typically the first thing to start hurting when sitting down for a prolonged period of time, so choosing a chair with ample/adjustable lumbar support will help minimize strain on your spine

Fabric
If you are looking for a more plush-feeling chair, leather or vegan-leather are great options due to the soft nature of the material.

Should your home office be situated in a warmer setting, you might want to go with a more breathable material.

Padding
The quality of the padding you choose will make a big difference on how the chair ages over time as poor quality foam/padding will start to break down & become uncomfortable after consistent use.

The two companies that continually come up on office chair review sites are Hermann Miller & Steelcase.

Unfortunately neither of these brands would fall into the "affordable" category, however the quality of materials & ergonomics make these chairs easily stand out from the lower priced competition.

Steelcase Series 1 is one of the best sellers for the company due to its design, comfort & adjustability.

If you are looking for something a bit more plush & luxurious, the Herman Miller Eames Soft Pad Executive Chair is an absolute beauty with a polished aluminum frame & black leather cushions.

Obviously there are a lot more features that make up a complete office such as storage & technology, but if you nail the 3 main components of paint, lighting & furniture, you can have yourself a pretty awesome setup to work from home.

Let us know in the comments if you have redone your home office & what you like the most!

Rylie C.

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