Your Guide to the Perfect Home Office
Zoom-Zoom… Remember when that was the sound we made when we were playing with cars? Well, that was then and this was now.
Zoom
Work from Home
Self Quarantine!
Wash your hands!
Can you watch the baby while I am on this call?
Would you be able to help Buddy with his homework today?
Our new norm and now as many of us are working from home… how do we do it?
Questions we all might have and solutions for our best days with “homework”… so how do we make these the best for all of us at home together?
As an interior designer, we have seen many of our clients face these dilemmas now more than ever. And ask for solutions. Unfortunately, we can’t help with little Johnny’s geometry, but we can help with the design of your space for the long haul, the short term, and anything in between.
Let’s keep it gorgeous if you like gorgeous. Manly, if you like manly and fun if you like fun. Your best work is going to come from a space you like and are comfortable in. Trust your designer, we can help you accomplish this.
Over the years, I have seen home offices set up, just to look like the executive office, they look pretty executive, but are they functional? After all who actually uses the space? Unless you are doing an interview from your home office, it might be impractical to have a desk facing two chairs. Now if you are the CEO of your family and hold regular meetings at home this might work for you, but most of us need to combine the space to actually be functional. How can we help with that? Let’s first take a look at how you and your family really need to function in today’s at-home world.
All work and no play
A room without any creature comforts might be depressing if you are in it for too long without a break. Also, if possible keep something green and living in the space. A soothing fragrance can help with stress.
Any place but the bedroom (unless you live in a one-bedroom loft) After all we all need rest, rest from the stress of the workday, and even if you love your work and don’t feel stressed, you still need to get away from it. If you are going to bed and waking up to work day after day it might all become too much. The desk you have in the bedroom might also be as useful as the treadmill from 4 years ago that serves as a landing spot for your clothes and bath towels.
Working from the bedroom
If you must work from the bedroom at least make your bed first thing in the morning. It will keep you out of the bed and improve your mood not looking at rumpled sheets.
Hide it until you need it.
Sometimes we are just pressed for space. If one room serves a dual purpose it’s good to be able to maintain the integrity of the room by creating space within a space. In this example of a room, we are currently working on we have created this banquette that serves as a seating area with lots of storage in the deep drawers we built to accommodate, binders, product samples and all that stuff we need that we don’t want to necessarily see that we really need access to. We will love to show you the after of this project.
Media Cabinets
Useful media cabinets are great storage for printers and files to keep them out of site as well.
If you have a free closet this can be the perfect space to organize. A quick trip to the container store can have you organized in no time.
When the kitchen becomes the classroom
Mom and dad, you might have a home office, but the kitchen is still the hub for most busy families. Let’s make the most of it with these storage options and get the “power” we need to keep out the jumble of cords and “stay connected” while working and studying together.
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Standing up
Meeting etiquette: Some say you have a better chance of success with presentations or gaining authority by presenting yourself from a standing position. With these really unique desk options, we can either stand up or sit when the mood strikes. What if doing homework really works better standing up and what if you actually burned more calories? Here are some excerpts from some in the know and we agree.
Lift Desk by Aronson Woodworks
Available At Ami Austin Home
“Sitting for long periods is unhealthy for the heart and is associated with an increase of 147% in the risk of heart disease. ”
“A recent study comparing students who sat and students who were given standing desks sheds a little light on this question. It turns out that the standing students were able to focus better and longer than the sitting ones. So, you think better on your feet”
“In addition, you may experience a boost in your mood and energy levels. Participants in a study reported feeling less stressed and more energized than those who remained seated.”
Some of our favorite stationary desk
We hope you have found some inspiration from these ideas. As always if we can help with any project please let us know. These products and solutions are available from Ami Austin Interior Design LLC or shop on line at Ami Austin Home. We are here to help. Meanwhile, stay safe out there, mask up and know that there will be better days ahead.
XOXO Ami