How to design a functional home office

Looking to create a space for getting work done at home? We chat with IKEA’s Interior Design team to gather their top tips for crafting a practical and motivational home office.

Choose the best spot for your home office

One of the many things Aussies learned how to do during the pandemic is improvise. While the days of repurposing the spare loo with a card table may be behind us, our continued love of being able to work from home has seen an increase in setting up dedicated workspaces – in fact, a survey by the University of Sydney Business School found more Australians want to work from home two days a week.

That said, lobbing up on the couch or spreading out on the kitchen table with fruit bowls or vases in situ isn’t conducive to productivity – or good health.

Setting up a specific space will help get you in the right mindset to work and separate your personal and professional life. Having a proper setup is also essential for avoiding physical issues like neck, shoulder, and back pain.

Picking a suitable space starts with assessing your needs.

Will working from home be an ad hoc event or something you’ll do regularly?
Do you have enough room for a dedicated space, or do you need to be able to pack it away at the end of the day?
How much equipment do you have, and will it be stored at home or moved between your home and work office?
Will you be sharing the workspace with others?

Once you’ve assessed these needs, look for a space that:

Ideally has a close-able door
Is away from loud or busy communal areas as possible
Has access to plenty of natural light, but away from windows that cause screen glare

Bonus tip: Do not use your bedroom for your workspace; keeping that space dedicated to sleep and relaxation is essential.

The right furniture

There are a few essential items you will need to create a functional and inviting home office; these include:

An ergonomic desk chair with a sit/stand desk ensures you are well-supported while you work
Functional, accessible, and well-organised storage in a dedicated home office creates a calm and ordered environment to work in, particularly if the space is small
A desk lamp with good ceiling lighting prevents eye strain and lets you focus on the task at hand

Good lighting is vital

Using natural light in a work from home space

Good general lighting and flexible task lighting in the space are just as important as the location.

A good combination of lighting prevents eye strain. The ideal working-from-home space should also be near a window for natural light, as it improves health and well-being. If that’s not an option, smart lighting offers a variety of natural hues that can mimic natural light.

If you need to set up by the window, window treatments can be installed to allow you to filter glare on screens when necessary.

Making the space a creative zone

work from home space with a creative pin board on the wall

There are several ways to create a great work-from-home space; the interior design folk at IKEA suggests:

Live plants on your desk or in the space bring a little of the outside in and contribute to your well-being.
Bringing warmth and softness into your home office with window textiles is also an inexpensive way to update your space. Cushions and throws further soften the space and are handy when it turns chilly.
Wall art and wall shelves or open storage are the perfect ways to display personal collections or objects that bring you happiness and personality into your space.

Working with a small space that needs to transform nightly?

A good space for a work or study-from-home area needs to be private or have the ability to become semi-private using curtains or room dividers to take meetings and calls- and avoid distractions while you work.

If you don’t have a separate room you can dedicate to a home office, clever use of castor wheels could help you transform cube storage or other suitable furniture into a mobile room divider you easily roll against the wall after work hours. IKEA also has a range of inexpensive room dividers that can be tucked away at the end of the working day.

They note wheels can be helpful in other ways.

You can store all your equipment on a mobile trolley to make it easier to set up and pack up when you have finished studying or work.

They can also be added to a kitchen table, allowing you to move the table into your workspace by day and then back into position by dinner time.

If you don’t have a lot of equipment to keep on your desk between work sessions, consider a wall-mounted table that folds flat against the wall when not in use. Ensure that it is weighted to hold everything you plan to put on it – you don’t want it to collapse with expensive IT equipment on board! It also needs to be big enough to realistically handle everything you need to be productive.

Flat-pack skills not all that?

Whether you need help to build your flat-pack furniture or you’re after custom design cabinetry for your work from home space you can find a trusted tradie on hipages.

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Frequently asked questions

What can a handyman do for you?

A handyman can help you with so many jobs. This is just a short list of the jobs a handyman might do for you:

Cabinet refacing
Build flat-pack furniture
General carpentry
Door or window repair
Fitting door handles and door locks

How do I choose a handyman?

When you get quotes from handymen, explain the jobs you need to be done in detail. It’s probably a good idea to have several jobs for them, and you won’t have to spend $90 on a minor job. Also ask them:

If they are insured
How long have they been working in your area
If they can provide you with references

Most handymen will have insurance, but if one doesn’t, it might be a sign that they are not serious about their work. Insurance is a must, and you also want to know you’re hiring a handyman you can rely on. If they have been working in your area for a long time and can provide you with references, you can trust them to do a good job.

Why use a cabinet maker for a home office?

Custom-made cabinetry can help make the most of your home office space and is guaranteed to meet your needs. Cabinet makers can build things such as desks, bookshelves, wall shelving units, built-in cabinetry, drawer units, etc.

They will sit down with you to work out a way to use the space so that it is efficient, and you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips. They can build offices to any design style (for example, heritage or modern) and have access to a vast range of materials and finishes (wood, marble, laminates, etc). They can also work to any budget.

How to choose a cabinet maker for your home office?

If you use a cabinet maker for your home office, ensure they are fully qualified, licensed, and insured. Ask to see previous home office layouts that they have done. Ideally, the cabinet maker will provide free advice and quote service.