Designing a Home Office That Works

The work-from-home honeymoon started to go stale for most of us at about five weeks of doing it full-time. Before the crisis only 5% of us typically worked from home most of the time, and 71% of us worked at home on occasion — less than two days a month according to a recent Steelcase study. When we found ourselves suddenly there all-day, every day, we just weren’t prepared for what lay ahead.

Tips For Creating Work-From-Home Spaces

For most organizations, our homes will become part of an expanded ecosystem of places where people will continue to work some of the time. While everyone faces their own set of challenges and home sizes can vary drastically, providing ergonomic support and maximizing space — even small ones — help create workspaces at home that are more comfortable, enhance productivity and boost wellbeing.

Find the best place to work

Consider background noise, visual distractions and the level of privacy you need to focus.

Are you able to control lighting and temperature so you can work comfortably?

Can you keep confidential information out of sight?

Look for a place that has access to natural light and greenery – it will make you feel better.

Sit (or stand) properly at your desk

Choose a desk or worksurface that can accommodate your laptop, keyboard, mouse, phone, etc. The worksurface should be elbow height in a seated posture.

Consider a height-adjustable desk so you can change posture: sit, stand and move. Add an Active Lift Riser to a stationary desk or worksurface to give you the option to change postures from sitting to standing.

Clear enough space for your knees so you can slide your chair close to your work.

Choose an ergonomic chair

A good chair will flex with you – helping you change postures while you sit.

The backrest of the chair should fit the natural contour of your back and to maintain healthy alignment as you sit.

As you recline, a chair’s seat and backrest should move as you do – opening up your hip angle and bringing you closer to a healthy sitting posture.

Provide comfort where you need it most. Contoured foam and a flexible edge provide pressure-free comfort for sit bones, glutes and thighs.

The arms of your chair should stay parallel to the floor while you recline – keeping your arms straight on your desk and your eyes level with your screen.

Intuitive and easy-to-use back, seat and arm adjustments make a chair feel like it is made for you and your body.

Add computer support tools to improve ergonomics

A monitor arm puts screens in the right position in any posture, reducing eye and muscle strain, increasing user comfort and creating a healthier and more productive workspace.

A keyboard platform keeps your external keyboard and mouse on the same horizontal surface and appropriate height for correct ergonomic positioning.

A footrest lets you stand or sit more comfortably while working and helps maintain good posture.

A mobile laptop support allows you to position a laptop at a height that’s both ergonomically correct and comfortable.

Home Inspiration

These home offices are designed to help you work better at home — whether you work in a small, shared space, a large dedicated office or an enhanced living space, you won’t mind working in one of these home offices:

Focus on solo work at home without taking up too much real estate.

The light and minimalist aesthetic of the West Elm Work Greenpoint desk and storage blends into any home environment – living room, spare bedroom or dedicated office. The Steelcase Series 1 chair provides ergonomic support and the West Elm Work Greenpoint mobile ped keeps reference documents and supplies close by. The West Elm Work Linear Wood task light provides additional lighting on the worksurface.

For intense focus work, the high performance Gesture chair keeps you comfortable and supported all day.

The Blu Dot Desk 51 has a more residential aesthetic that can easily be added to any existing space. Blu Dot Welf shelves provide a place to display personal items and help keep the worksurface clear to give people more room to work.