HOME OFFICE: How to create a friendly place to work at home

The pandemic forced us to switch to remote work at some point and despite the current adaptation of offices to the epidemic situation, some employees voluntarily and consciously decided to stay at home and work there. Still, research and observations prove that remote work is not as effective as we would like. Often the reason for this is that the home space is not adapted to the working conditions. What to do to make working from home more effective? How to adapt the workplace at home? In this article, we will reveal how to create a friendly place to work at home, so that our efficiency does not drop, and the fruits of our work are as satisfactory as in the office.

What do experts say about remote work?

In the last two years, during which we had to deal with the constantly changing epidemic situation, many studies have been carried out to measure the effectiveness of remote work and the general attitude of employees to the so-called home office. One of them was a study of work efficiency according to employees and employees, commissioned by Rzetelna Firma and Krajowy Rejestr Długów.

More than half of the respondents stated that performing duties at home is as much or even more effective than at the company's headquarters. However, the vast majority of employees indicated the problems they encounter while working remotely. Every second employee admitted that he lacks regular contact with colleagues, joint conversations and live meetings. The most frequently mentioned problem, however, was the extension of working time. As much as 45 percent of respondents admitted that they spend more time doing work at home than when they do it in the office.

This condition often results from the fact that work and private life are not separated, as well as the home space is not adapted to the working conditions. In this case, work is often intertwined with household chores, which may affect its efficiency and overall duration. This is confirmed by a survey conducted by the Pracuj.pl portal, in which the most frequently indicated disadvantage of remote work was the difficulty in separating the time devoted to work from private time. In this article, we will reveal how to solve the above-mentioned problems, and we will also advise you on how to create a friendly workplace that will make remote work comfortable, easy and enjoyable.

Separate work from everyday life

At the beginning, it is necessary to answer the question - how can I separate my private life from my work. Here are some tips that will allow you to increase your efficiency and focus at home office without extending your working time.

Set specific working hours

The main thing is to set specific hours for your work. Ideally, these should be the same times of the day that you follow when working in the office. For example, these hours may be typical for most workplaces, i.e. 9-17. However, you should remember to get up early, eat breakfast, drink your morning coffee and change from your pajamas to your everyday clothes. This will allow you to mentally switch your mind from rest to mobilization to work.

Take breaks to rest

Rest and breaks during work are equally important. Our mind is not able to work continuously for several hours in full concentration. Therefore, after a long effort, it needs a moment to calm down, react and change the environment. The best way to stay productive is to take short breaks after each project is completed. If your job involves the same type of activity over and over again, taking a short break of about 15 minutes after a full hour's work is an appropriate solution.

However, the question arises - what can be done during this short break to actually bring benefits? It is important to get up in front of your desk, walk away from your computer and change your environment for a while. It is good practice to perform simple exercises, usually stretching. This will also allow the muscles that are stiff and immobile during work to relax. During this time, you can also drink water, eat lunch or talk to your fellow residents. If you live alone with your pet, it is wise to give it a little attention. After such a release of tension, it will be easier for you to return to your duties focused.

Set aside a separate work space in your apartment

One of the most important rules of the home office is to allocate a separate space in your home, apartment or room that will be used for work. The best solution is, of course, a separate room that serves as an office. However, not everyone has so much space at their disposal in the place where they live. You can then separate a special corner or space in one of the existing rooms - living room, bedroom, dining room, etc. When creating a work space in the bedroom, remember to make the bed and clean up all unnecessary things.

It is similar with any other space in the house or apartment, order is crucial. Therefore, our work space should be clean, uncluttered and free from all unnecessary objects. If all of the above factors have been met, we can proceed to creating our dream home office.

Which desk to choose?

When choosing a desk, we should be guided by the thought of whether it meets all our needs and requirements, whether it fits in with the architecture of our interior, and whether the size of the desk and its shape are adapted to the space we have. It is therefore worth paying attention to the type of wood the desk is made of, its dimensions and the possibility of storing things that it offers us.

Amy desk

Amy's desk is an ideal proposition for people who do not have a lot of space and need to fit their workplace in a small place, e.g. in the living room or bedroom. The Scandinavian style of the desk makes it suitable for many interiors, both classic and more modern.

A solid structure, consisting of a varnished MDF board, resistant to damage, and steel legs, guaranteeing full stability, is a special feature of the Amy desk. A great advantage is also a non-slip mat mounted on the desk top, which allows you to keep a laptop, computer or tablet in one place without the risk of any slippage.

Amy's desk is a perfect model for work. Its functionality is provided by a special cable opening, thanks to which you will minimize the risk of tangling. It will also make it easier for you to charge electronic equipment and keep your workplace tidy. An additional advantage of Amy's desk is an open top and a drawer, supported by a quiet house, which will allow you to store all the necessary documents and other items with you.

Marin desk

The Marin desk, equipped with a large, 3-element cabinet, is a perfect and stylish solution for both an office and a modern living room. This is an option for people who need extra storage space. Thanks to the large cabinet mounted on the side of the desk, divided into three parts, in which one has three drawers, you will get a lot of additional space to store your belongings.

The spacious, polished top ensures maximum comfort of use. You can easily fit all the equipment needed for work on it. The universal, black color of the desk makes it suitable for any decor. The Marin desk will be perfect as an element of an office or study, although it will also look attractive in the living room or in the bedroom.

Della desk

People who appreciate simplicity and minimalism in interior design will surely like the Dell desk. This piece of furniture is made of durable white MDF board. It also has two spacious drawers for the most necessary things that you can always have at your fingertips while performing your professional duties. The drawers are made of a board finished with a veneer imitating oak-colored wood. In addition, the desk has been equipped with an anti-slip mat, as well as a lock for a tablet or phone. This solution allows you to leave the mobile device in one place within our reach, so that, if necessary, we can quickly answer an urgent call.

Which office chair will be the best?

The most important choice when creating a Home Office should be the choice of an office chair. It is difficult to survive several hours of work on a hard, uncomfortable chair, not adapted to human physical conditions. Work is then tiring and exhausting for the back. Therefore, it is worth ensuring comfort at work and choosing an ergonomic armchair that helps to maintain the correct body posture. Below we present a few suggestions from our catalog that will be the perfect complement to your home office.

Ergonomic Wau armchair

Wau is synonymous with innovation. It was created according to the most modern solutions in the field of work ergonomics. It has a movable headrest that we can adjust perfectly to our head, a solid structure made of high-quality stainless steel, capable of supporting a load of up to 130 kg, and an adjustable backrest equipped with a Slid tilting mechanism. This mechanism allows you to set the chair in one of five positions, as well as free rocking or locking the chair, ensuring maximum comfort of use.

Wau is an armchair tailored perfectly for you. Thanks to mechanisms such as the adjustment of the headrest, backrest and armrests, height adjustment of the chair or a special axis of rotation between the seat and the backrest, you can adjust the chair specially for yourself, your body structure, height and other needs.

In addition, the Wau armchair allows for extensive personalization. You can choose the type of material the armchair is made of and its color. It can be a flexible mesh, fabric or a damage-resistant elastomer. You can pick from 26 color variants. There are also two construction variants - white stainless steel and specially powdered black. The Wau armchair will work well in any interior. Both the elastomer and the other materials - mesh and fabric - are extremely resistant to abrasion and damage, reaching even up to 140,000 Martindale cycles.

Ergonomic Spinelly armchair

Do you spend most of the day in front of your desk and are looking for a chair that will guarantee you the highest comfort and care for the health of your back? Choose the Spinelly ergonomic chair. This model was created with the most demanding users in mind. Its structure was constructed based on the operation and functioning of the spine. The flexible backrest adapts to the back of the seated person, moving and bending with them.

The headrest, seat structure and armrests are made of durable polypropylene, resistant to damage. Fully recycled polished aluminum was used to create the base. For the highest comfort, the armchair is equipped with an armrest, seat and backrest adjustment system.

We can decide between two colors of the structure - white and black, and the type and color of the upholstery. For traditional, modern interiors, we recommend a flexible mesh available in 24 colors. If, however, you want to focus on the elegance of the interior, the perfect solution will be to choose natural leather upholstery, available in three color variants. Do you care about extensive personalization and the armchair to be fully adapted to you? The Spinelly armchair is therefore the perfect element for your office.

Ergothrone ergonomic chair

Ergothrone is a real king among ergonomic armchairs. Its solid structure is made of durable aluminum alloy. The headrest, backrest and seat are finished with a flexible mesh that is breathable, so that your skin does not sweat and breathes. The material is also extremely abrasion resistant, with a test result of 140,000 Martindale cycles.

The most important feature of the Ergothrone chair is the possibility of full adjustment and the Synchron mechanism and the Anti-shock system. The Synchron mechanism allows you to adjust the resistance of the backrest to the weight of its user, which gives full comfort and comfort of sitting. The Anti-shock system guarantees stability and reduces shocks when changing the angle of the backrest.

Lounge armchairs series

The series of Lounge office armchairs will be perfect for classic, elegant interiors, but not only. They also look great in modern construction. We offer the following models: Lounge, Lounge Business, Lounge Gubernator and Lounge HM Premium with a footrest.

Lounge armchairs are primarily of the highest quality. The backrests and seats made of natural Italian leather in white, black and brown, give the interior exclusivity and elegance, while being extremely comfortable and ergonomic. The body of the seats is made of heat-bent wood in various variants, incl. in walnut, rose, ebony or ash color.

For even greater comfort, we recommend choosing a model with an additional footrest, which, like the armchair itself, is upholstered with natural leather. Lounge armchairs can be used not only in the office or office, but also in the living room. In an armchair like this one, it is pleasant not only to work, but also to spend time relaxing, reading a book or watching a movie.

Organization of space

Once we have selected the most important elements, such as a desk or an armchair, we can move on to organizing the space at home in which we will work.

Choose subdued colors

Too many different bright colors may stimulate the mind but keep it from focusing on one thing. That is why it is so important that the room we work in has subdued, preferably light colors. According to the principles of Feng Shui - the ancient philosophy of interior design, the best colors for the workplace will be the colors associated with the Earth element - beige, brown and green. A room decorated in these colors gives an aura of focus and concentration, improving the results of your work.

Let some light in

It is the sun's rays and light that stimulate us to act. Still sitting in a closed, dark space, after a while we would run out of energy and motivation to act. Therefore, it is worth taking care of proper lighting of the room. Daylight will be the best, of course. However, the weather conditions, time of day or the arrangement of rooms in the apartment do not always allow us to use a natural light source. A solution for this is to buy light bulbs with a neutral light color, which can imitate daylight. However, you should avoid too yellow the color of light, often found in bedside lamps, which causes sleepiness and fatigue.

Don't overdo the toppings

Minimalism is the key to success. Too many accessories or articles around us distract us while working. The desk should therefore be tidy and not contain unnecessary items. It is similar with space, it is easier for us to work in a clean, orderly place. However, you don't have to give up everything. Don't be afraid to put a few office supplies in the corner. It is important, however, that there are not too many of them and that they are organized. They can, for example, be placed in a basket or other container. The documents should be put in the drawers. You may also be tempted to put some personal item next to it, such as a photo frame. Research shows that the presence of something important to us improves our concentration and focus.

Let nature flourish

Green is a relaxing and calming color, especially for our eyes. Therefore, during long working hours, it is a good idea to take your eyes off the hook for a moment and look at something green. It would be best if it was something related to nature. However, not everyone has wide, green fields and meadows outside the window on a daily basis. Green potted plants will come to your aid. Their presence will not only soothe your tired eyes, but also your lungs, which will function better around oxygen-producing flowers and plants. This will improve not only your work, but also your well-being.

Home Office Tips from Owell

Summarizing all the advice, we can highlight a few of the most important points in organizing a workplace at home:

1. The key issue is the comfort and ergonomics of the desks and armchairs we use. They decide how we will spend these few hours of work - in full comfort, easily, without unnecessary pain, or on the contrary.
2. It is also important to maintain order and peace in the workplace. Unnecessary objects or noise only confuse us and reduce our attention.
3. Appropriate organization of space will allow us to increase concentration and focus.
4. And most importantly - we should treat remote work like working in an office and separate it from everyday life.