The home office

With today’s technology, working from home is becoming more common – we look at ways to create an inspiring workspace

PULL QUOTE: are the days of purely tonal palettes, now vibrant colour mixes are all the rage

Whether you’re setting up an office in your garden shed or in part of your lounge, the look and feel of your home work space is dependent on your individual personality, likes and dislikes. The most important consideration is whether it’s a comfortable space that will inspire you to work. Also, try to keep the space separate from the rest of your home life or you may end up being in work mode 24/7, which isn’t ideal. Using a different colour palette from the rest of your home is a great way to effectively demarcate the work zone.

THE BASICS

You’ll need a desk of course. The type of work you do will dictate the size of your desk – if you’re doing something creative that requires you to spread drawings or concepts out, you’ll want a long desk with lots of room to move. If you’re going to be mainly working on your computer, then a smaller desk will probably suffice.

The next vital aspect is a good chair. These days humans sit for most of the day – medical science says sitting is incredibly bad for your health. That aside, be sure to spend good money on getting a chair that’s comfortable. If you’re up for it, also invest in a large Pilates ball to sit on from time to time – it’ll keep your core muscles working and your posture straight.

Experts suggest the height of your chair ensures your thighs are horizontal to your knees, about the same level as your hips. A good chair should also support your forearms to be at about the same level as your waist; the seat should slope slightly to leave a 2-3 finger gap between the inside of your knees and the edge of the seat.

You’ll need a surface or cupboard for your printing equipment, internet connectivity device, etc. This will obviously need to be placed near a plug point so you can avoid cables running across the room, unless you’re super handy and can use a glue gun to secure messy cables in place.

It’s always astounding how much paperwork is accumulated in a work environment, even if you’re mostly working digitally. Consider a filing cabinet or similar to keep your papers from overcrowding your work space – it’s much more motivating to work in an organized space, even if you’re not naturally an organized person.

[IN BOX] THE DOOR TO CREATIVITY

To create a large desk space, use a door supported by two trestles. The cool thing about using a door is you can paint it just about any colour to enhance your office space design. You can also paint a square in blackboard paint, giving you a doodle space on your desk.

 

COLOUR YOUR WORLD

Watching the news every night is a very good way to predict the colours of each new season. Yes, it’s true. Colour trends are far more esoteric than a few designers sitting around over a glass of wine, deciding what colours the best dressed houses should be wearing. The global mood of people is what really decides the trend. For example, if news is positive and the future is exciting, bold and risky colours will come to the fore – such as bright reds, deep oranges and the like. If the future is a little unstable, more nurturing colours from a natural palette will be all the rage.

Of course, trends are one thing, but personal taste is quite another. The same principles apply – a person’s state of mind and situational factors will subtly dictate the colours of choice. This is where careful thought must come in before finally deciding upon a palette.

 

[IN BOX] CURRENT COLOUR TRENDS

The global market is mad about tribal prints and colours, which makes for a fantastically creative space, especially when using a tribal print as a feature wall, with base colours picked out from the pattern. Gone are the days of purely tonal palettes, now vibrant colour mixes are all the rage. With the vast range of colours on the market, there really is no end to the amount of ingenuity you can inject into your working space.

 

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOUR

Humans react to colour on a psychological level – red is generally believed to stimulate appetite and increase heart rate, while blue has a calming effect. We also each have a unique reaction to colour, as it brings up memories – for example a certain shade of red may remind you of a special childhood memory and so will always have a good connotation for you.

Too much of one colour can leave you feeling a little unbalanced, while too many colours can be unconsciously confusing. Accent colours can be used to support you – so consider doing one wall or a feature in a certain bold colour. Red is good for anyone who needs to have their voice heard, such as a negotiator or salesperson. Yellow within a blue basic colour helps with focus and direction. The type of paint also has an effect. For example, a glossy finish evokes a high energy response.

DID YOU KNOW: There’s a basic design principle of 60-30-10? This means that in order to get a balanced and stylish colour palette, apply your main colour to about 60% of the room, use a secondary colour in about 30% of the space – the remaining 10% can be made up in an accent colour, which you can add in with accessories such as a great desk lamps, a chair cushion or window covering.

 

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