Working From Home: An Interior Designers perspective

Clear your working area often. The mind works best when it’s surroundings are decluttered.

Love Generation gave me the task to create a write up on the topic: “How to differentiate workspace with home?” At first glance, the topic seemed to be relatively easy to tackle but when I sat down at my computer in my own “office away from work” it became apparent that it’s actually quite a challenging topic.

As an Interior Designer, my job entails the analysing of spaces, its intended use and its users; their needs, requirements, personality and so on. This is all done within the confines of the exterior envelope. So again, why was this a hard topic to pull apart? Because of the unique nature of each individual's space such as scale, orientation to the sun and typology, being a studio vs a 2 bedroom townhouse for example. And let’s not forget that we are all different in the way we work and we have different careers which may require little to no space or larger spaces.

From all the above, I decided to use my own personal experiences working from home and what I have done to make it a more pleasurable experience as a basis to give you tips.

Zones

Get off that couch and buy yourself a decent sized desk to work at and a comfy desk chair, if you don’t have the space for an additional desk then make do with your dining table or kitchen countertop. That small change from the couch to an actual table and chair will sharpen the way you think, curb any laziness and also not hinder your posture!

You need to create micro zones in your home. Your desk or dining table is purely for office hours between a designated time. The kitchen, my favourite zone to reconnect with the world. While preparing my lunch I would talk to my sister or call a friend to just really break from working. It’s similar to having those quick sometimes awkward kitchen conversations with your colleagues only this time I actually wanted to have these conversations. When taking lunch, what I found really helpful was sitting outside on the balcony enjoying the sun and garden below. Avoid the urge to slump into the deep clutches of your comfy couch, I made that mistake and my lunch break went from an hour to three hours! Your bedroom. This should be off-limits if possible, you shouldn’t be doing any work here. Keep this zone as zen as you can. You want it to remain a place to offload after work or during work. It’s sacred.

Distractions

If you are easily distracted by constantly seeing your TV or gaming consoles, try demarcating your workspace from your “chill” space. If you have the space or the money you could do this with a decorative screen or a floor to ceiling bookcase. Sometimes a quick reorientation of your space can solve this, don’t be shy to try and reimagine your spaces by moving your furniture around. It’s not glued to the floors and walls.

Orientation

Personally, I couldn’t imagine anything worse than staring at a blank white wall every day for 9 hours. I sit in between all my micro zones, in a space that gives me the freedom to glance outside or have a peek at my flowers, it helps with my creativity and flow of work. Orientate your desk so you aren’t sitting staring at a white wall but keep in mind if you are a person that is easily distracted that you shouldn’t position yourself in an area that clutters your mind.

If space is a limitation and you are subjected to the blank wall. Decor is the way to go! A decorative mirror placed high enough so you aren’t distracted by your own beauty but rather are reflecting the lush foliage outside is a great way to transform your blank wall into a live piece of art; a mirror will also create depth in your space providing the illusion of expansiveness.

Clarity

Clear your working area often. The mind works best when it’s surroundings are decluttered. I make sure every day at 17:30 to pack up my drawings and give my desk a wipe down once a week. Have everything you need with you or in close proximity.

Lighting

This is so important! Instead of sitting in a dark corner deep in your home with artificial lighting on, find a way of reorganising your space so you are closer to natural sunlight. It’s the cheapest and most effortless way of making you feel great.

Little Gems

Remember that this is still your home, buy something that makes your space feel happy and that can beautify your space without breaking the bank. I make sure I always have a bouquet of flowers in my space. I sometimes sit around my coffee table books gifted by furniture companies for inspiration.

These smaller spatial adjustments may seem insignificant, trust me they go a long way in improving your relationship with working from home. It’s easy to beautify a space with decor items, however, if the flow or orientation just isn’t right, your mood and general morale will make this apparent. So give these micro adjustments a try, don’t be shy to completely turn your space upside down and just have fun with it! If you just can’t seem to get it right or are struggling with the space don’t hesitate to ask for help. We are all in this together.

Zekhethelo Qoboshiyane

Interior Designer at Fabian & Make Architects

Instagram: zeks_qoboshiyane

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6ewImUSTqiocU79u6_WzMw