WANNA MAKE AN OFFICE AT HOME

For the number of Delhiites who prefer working from home, we office space suggestions on how to make a good home-office space great. And this can be achieved in just a few simple steps. For starters, you need to keep the noise down. It must not come in the way of work. If you can, build sound-deadening features into the walls and, if need be, the ceiling. But if your office space is already in place, consider plywood or thick panels.

An office at home needs privacy. And this doesn't necessarily come with a lockable office door. Take privacy a step further with a ‘surround wall.’ These are light, portable screens which can be positioned to provide visual screening and separation.

You also need good lighting. Architect Neal Zimmerman, author of Taunton’s Home Workspace Idea Book, suggests installing a small canopy or umbrella in a corner and aiming light at its underside. Your office will be showered with a bath of light, not to mention providing a degree of privacy and soundproofing – all at a sliver of the cost of pricey lighting fixtures.

Then, remember, you don’t have to think that office space needs to be done up in conventional colours. In fact, you can try using bright, flashy colours. After all, colours can greatly influence our mood and, hence, our productivity and intrinsic satisfaction with what we do. After splashing some on your office walls, you may be surprised at how your mood and work take off.

Why not add some plants to your home-office space? They look attractive and help clean the air, besides adding privacy – a shelf of ferns and spider plants builds a pleasant but effective buffer.

Be careful not to ‘live’ in your home office. One final element that can make a good home-office exceptional is as much the mindset as anything else. Of course, personalising your workspace – be it with family photos, mementos, etc – is essential to making your office an appealing spot. But be cautious about carrying things too far. Make sure you don’t live here or spend more time here than is required. Not only will that get you out of your office more, it will also make your time in your workspace that much more focused, fresh and, ultimately, better spent.