Whether you’re an entrepreneur, freelancer or remote worker, being able to earn a living from the comfort and convenience of home has several advantages. While it may require some money to get started, you can save thousands per year in commuting costs alone.
Additional benefits include:
- Improved productivity
- Better atmosphere
- More free time
- Reduced stress
- Greater flexibility
That said, there are a few potential drawbacks. Too much freedom can impede your efficiency and ergonomics need to be carefully considered so that your physical health doesn’t take a toll. Eliminating these factors is mostly a matter of investing in the right equipment.
Of course, you’ll also want to personalise your space to suit your individual needs and preferences. With this in mind, let’s take a look at how you can design the perfect, customised home office.
Pick the right desk
Firstly, it may sound a little naff, but it’s so important that you walk into your home office space and love the look and feel. That means having a desk that is both stylish yet practical, serving the right ‘home’ for your work equipment, like your computer/laptop, printer, books and so forth.
The rustic theme is becoming quite a premium looking trend for the home office, which is why I was drawn to the Yaheetech Computer Office Desk 55 Inch, shown below in the pictures. It has a strong construction, crafted of powder-coated metal legs, and CARB-certified P2 particleboard countertop which comes with water-resistant covering. As well as looking strong and sturdy, it acts the part too, as this particular desk is super durable for long-term use.
If you want a good quality desk in your home office, it’s important it can provide a strong load capacity. This style of desk can easily hold two 27-inch monitors or a monitor stand for more monitors. This means that as your business grows and your equipment gets bigger/heavier, you’re not going to outgrow your desk!
Other benefits include that it has a movable monitor stand, which can raise the monitor to a comfortable height, great for the posture. It also has been well thought out, featuring 2 desk grommets for organising those cables and wires. There is also a metal hook to hold your bag or headphones well. Overall, it’s a trendy yet practical rustic wood grain desk, giving a touch of antique inspiration to your home.
Select a Space
Ideally, your workspace should be situated in a dedicated room. It needs to be reasonably spacious and separate from potential distractions. Some people can convert their guest room into an office, while others might have to settle for an existing part of the house.
It’s best to avoid working in your bedroom, which is typically reserved for rest and relaxation. Calming environments are important, but too calming and you’ll struggle to focus on work. Sometimes a nice white computer desk in a minimalistic space can work wonders as the formations for your home office.
Another key factor is sunlight exposure. Studies have shown that dark spaces can negatively impact your mental health. Having a few windows around contributes to a more positive mindset while helping you receive your daily dose of vitamin D. Be sure to account for monitor glare and use overhead lighting to better illuminate paperwork.
Don’t forget to ensure that you have access to adequate storage and shelving space.
Consider Desk Positioning
As the centrepiece of any workstation, your desk of choice requires careful consideration. Standing desks are considered to be better for your back, but with some peoples jobs, they aren’t practical to use all day long – especially for those who work long hours. Before you plan out where you will position your desk, figure out the exact type of desk that’s right for you. At Yaheetec, you’ll find a large variety of desk types, from corner desks to drafting tables, giving you the option of selecting one that suits your job and your daily tasks.
Ideally you should opt for a higher up desk or a standing desk if the below apply to you:
- You need to lower your blood sugar
- You need to reduce risk of heart disease
- You long to enhance productivity
- You wish to improve your mood and energy levels
That being said, those who work in creative industries or require two screens and various work equipment, may need a longer, sturdier desk like the 55 inch computer desk in the image below.
You’ll find that no matter what style of desk is more fitting for you and your home office, it starts to pave the way for the other equipment around the room, too. If you go for a rustic, durable desk – like my favourite one – you might want to start adding matching pieces around the home, so it all flows together. You should easily be able to get more inspiration from Yaheetech when you browse the site, as they have everything from dining chairs and cabinets, to fire pits and side tables.
Yaheetech is an e-commerce company which specialises in the sale of heavy goods. Yaheetech established in 2003 and since then has grown into one of the new generations of e-commerce enterprises. They now operate globally, where they live by the retail mantra of ‘Qualified Product, Fast Delivery, Best Price”.
Choose a Comfortable Chair
The next key element is your office chair. Of course, ergonomics is the priority. There are many cheap and poorly designed chairs out there that can contribute to injuries in the long run. Look for features such as:
- Adjustable height
- Ability to roll
- Lumbar support
- Moveable armrests
- Breathable materials
Remember that your feet should remain planted to the ground and your back needs to be kept upright. When it comes to armrests, your elbows should just lightly rest on them while remaining level with peripherals. Some chairs offer neck support for those who require it.
Mind Your Monitor
Even if you work on a laptop, investing in an external monitor or two can do wonders for your productivity. They can also contribute to a better viewing angle, which further improves ergonomics. If you prefer to forgo a monitor, consider picking up a laptop stand so that you aren’t constantly looking down at the screen.
Going back to monitors, the 25 to 27-inch range is ideal in terms of size. Asus, Acer, Dell, Samsung, and LG are among the leading monitor brands. It’s best to avoid cheaper displays with lower resolutions that can lead to eyestrain. Even if you aren’t doing photo or video editing work, stay clear of anything lower than 1080p (Full HD) resolution.
Using either built-in height adjustment or a monitor stand, you can move your screen to ensure that you’re looking straight ahead. This way, your shoulders will remain level and your back won’t hunch over. A stack of thick books can serve as a temporary monitor riser when dedicated accessories aren’t available.
Make it Yours
Of course, having a home office isn’t all about ergonomics. It also needs to be a personal space that you enjoy spending time in. Fortunately, there are many different ways to make your workstation unique. Take your desk, for instance. Companies such as CNC Creations can provide bespoke, custom built office desks in a variety of quality finishes.
Their professional design, assembly and installation service will put together the final product for your convenience. You can also have them create a backboard or sign incorporating your company logo to appear in the background of conference calls.
Another way to personalise your home office is to settle on a certain colour scheme. Since you aren’t confined to the dreary beige and grey tones of corporate offices, you can leverage your freedom to paint the walls in brighter and more cheery hues that uplift your mood. Calming botanical greens and seafoam blues are great for enhancing focus.
Bringing in a few elements from the rest of your home can also make a difference. For example, you can:
- Incorporate a decorative waste basket
- Hang up some paintings
- Place a few family photos
- Wrap your bulletin board with fabric
- Use small furniture for additional seating
Invest in Fast Internet
No matter what you do for a living, ample connection speeds are a must in modern home offices. Most areas have at least one high-speed service provider to choose from. If you aren’t the only one using your home Wi-Fi, aim for at least 50MBps to keep everything running smoothly.
In order to make full use of your bandwidth, you may need to pick up a capable router. Look for dual-band options with a minimum of 802.11n or 802.11ac support. Aside from securing your network with proper passwords, having a VPN service is a good idea as well. You will want a secure VPN that comes with extra services such as encrypted emails and a messenger chat function, such as this Swiss VPN.
A secure VPN has benefits including:
- Improved anonymity and protection
- Remote access to company data for external workers
- Better performance
- Ability to bypass blockers and filters
Want to start getting your home office feeling like a professional yet inspiring place to work? Hopefully some of the pointers above will help you gain some inspiration! Remember, as well as sturdy, durable and stylish desks at Yaheetc, they also offer a wide variety of other office, home and commercial furniture to help create your dream home office.
About Yaheetech
Yaheetech is a cross-border e-commerce company established in 2003 with more than 500 employees worldwide. With our own 39 warehouses around the world, we provide a wide range of products with fast delivery to millions of customers in more than 10 countries, available on Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Wayfair, Wish, Cdiscount, ManoMano, OTTO, Rakuten, Real and more.We devote to make your life comfortable.
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