This is currently something my mother and I are putting together so why not discuss it with all of YOU?!
A lot of people work from home, which definitely has some pros but also some cons. Pros – NO COMMUTE (for SD no sitting in traffic – ugh), you can wear whatever you want, get things done around the house while on a break, etc. Cons – LOTS OF DISTRACTIONS aka kids, TV, a refrigerator with endless amount of food…. yeah, you get the picture.
Creating the perfect home office is clutch. You are planning on spending countless hours/days in this space, so it is extremely important to create the perfect environment based on your wants and needs. Here are some ideas you can incorporate into creating your perfect home office!
1. Invest in a chair – if you are not comfortable, you will not get anything done. Spend money on a good one! Some people might also consider getting a stand up desk due to back issues. Both my parents have one!
2. Function > Form – before you go crazy and spend thousands on pretty furniture, really think about it. What do you need at your fingertips? What is your workflow like? The shelving and storage spaces are there to serve YOU! The furniture should not only look nice and compliment the rest of your home, but it should also help you to be more efficient!
3. Add color – nothing is less motivating than being stuck in a gray or beige room. Colors can help make someone get their work motor running or get that creativity flowing. You can either paint a wall your favorite color, add some colorful artwork/photos, or a beautiful arrangement of flowers!
4. View – we all will wonder off and just stare into space for 5 min (or like 20 LOL) but it’s refreshing to stare into something more interesting than a blank wall. A window is ideal, but if that’s not possible in your space then hang a pretty picture!
5. ORGANIZATION – realize what you are. Stacker or a filer? If you stack, get some baskets to organize notes, mail, etc. If you file, get vertical file folders to put on your desk. Most spaces don’t have a lot of square footage, so take advantage of those walls! There are so many places that now sell floating cubes/shelves – SHOO random knickknacks!
6. Inspire yourself – for me this is a photo of my best friends. Seeing them gets me motivated, makes me want to get stuff done so I can go visit them or go on a vacation with them! It is nice to have a mini-shrine to help you get inspired or to remind you why you do this everyday.
Happy Tuesday everybody!
Your “boss” may be able regale you with no end of stories of my being “banished to the garden shed of spousal exile.” For us a few dozen feet of lawn has been, for decades, a way to keep the refrigerator, at least theoretically, away from the work desk. More importantly a way to keep work from seeping in to take over family.
One word of caution. For reasons above my pay grade all horizontal surfaces turn into paper piles.
Looking forward to what your dad says when you ask about the garden shed of exile.
One other possibility if you have a good view from some spot on your property, would be to put up a web cam there and beam the image to a large screen monitor on the wall. If the device is on the internet, you could alternativly select one of a large number of views around the world. San Diego related you could use the pier cam and La Jolla Shores web cam of Scrips institute to let you think you are at the beach.