With 2020 behind us, 2021 brings the feeling of a fresh start, new beginnings, and the same old home office most of us have been working at since March. Staring at my “desk” (aka the old entryway table in my Maryland townhome) thinking, “this is NOT enough space”. When we went into quarantine, I had to find something that would work for an office. Being one of the fortunate ones to keep my job, I had to make do with what I had at home. So much uncertainty with this new virus and not knowing what was coming or going, I didn’t want to spend any money on a new desk. And there she was, my beautiful entryway table, with an eggshell black finish with bronze knobs on her drawer. She was the one, she was going to be my new best friend for the next however long this was going to be my life.
Moving it to the basement, I struggled to find a place in the “man cave” to put my new desk that was going to be functional and visually appealing. I failed… I failed miserably, I had to put it in a new, awkward space that didn’t make sense but was a necessity for the amount and placement of the basement outlets. Over the course of the next 10 months I had numerous bruises on my legs from hitting my new desk because it was meant to be a decorative piece… not a functional office desk. I ran out of space, had no organization and felt like my days were all over the place because I had no order in my workspace.
I had finally had enough and decided to make my office area a priority. Here are a couple things I had to consider while making my new office space.
- The Size and Shape of the Desk: It doesn’t make sense to put a large desk in a studio apartment, or a town home for that matter. Take a look at the space you have and determine the shapes that might work and the sizes.
- Don’t be Afraid to think Out Side the Box! : Our lives have been out of the norm for quite some time now. Don’t be afraid to try new things with your desk. Maybe try a circular desk instead of rectangle. Try a desk lamp instead of an overhead light.
- Storage: If you don’t have desk drawers you can add a board to Ikea cabinets and make your own desk, similar to what Pretty Providence did. SHELVES! Extremely helpful and visually appealing, they help to set apart your work space from your home space. They’re great to have for your notebooks, knick-nacks, baskets and whatever else you need them for.
- Hide Your Electrical Cords: Cords everywhere is a great way to feel cluttered and disorganized. Even the appearance of them is enough to throw a panic attack my way. Something as simple as a shoebox with a power strip and holes can help give a cleaner feel to any work space.
- A Comfortable Chair: This is one of the most important pieces! Sitting all day can cause problems to your back and neck. Not to mention the knots your can get that sends headaches into the middle of your first conference call of the day. Making sure your office chair has the proper elements like elbow supports, lumbar support and something easy on your bum- you can find more information here on exactly what to look for.
I can say that after taking all of this into consideration, while forming my new workspace I feel more organized and have a better hold on my day. Making sure that my workspace is organized, inviting and comfortable helps my productivity tremendously! *Bonus: I got myself a coffee maker for my desk, not necessarily a tip for functionality, but its amazing to have coffee without getting up from my desk! Taking time to create a new workspace can be cumbersome. With kids, work, spouses and whatever else you have going on. We get it! That’s why were here to help. Why buy all of this when you can rent it? Less time, money and stress. Our designers can help pick out a new at- home office space for you and make the experience seamless. Check out our website at www.domainrf.com for more information!