Catching up on work from the living room sofa always seemed like a pleasure—up until it became a full-time affair. When the coronavirus pandemic struck earlier this year and sent office workers home, many of us discovered that such improvised setups can also become wormholes of household clutter, nagging family members, and ergonomic strife.
With companies like Facebook and Twitter leading the charge to make working from home the new normal, the home office is finally top of mind once again. Whether used every day of the week or for an occasional evening brainstorm, a well-designed space can help shut out distractions, center the mind, and inspire creativity. Your home office should be a direct reflection of your personal style, passions, and aspirations. One of its biggest advantages compared to a corporate office—where workers are often limited to customizing a cubicle with quirky calendars and potted plants—is that you can do anything you want.
Compared to the upper-crust home work spaces of the 18th and 19th centuries, much has changed. Technology has largely done away with the need for floor-to-ceiling stacks of books, but it has also introduced an armada of plasticky components like monitors, printers, and scanners bursting with messy cables—none of which are as appealing to look at as antique globes, sextants, or Roman statuary. As a result, many designers aim to eliminate or hide as much of an office’s technological wizardry as possible. Fortunately, the Wi-Fi universe we now live in allows for a much less tethered feel than the old desktop computer. Many of those peripherals don’t even live in the office anymore—we now mostly put them in closets.
People aren’t printing as often as they used to, so the need for filing cabinets has disappeared, which frees up space for a secondary seating area. You absolutely need a comfortable desk chair, but we also like to include a lounge chair with an ottoman or a chaise for those moments of concentrated reading and thinking.
At the end of the day, a home office isn’t just a place to get things done—it’s a reflection of who you are. It should be designed to your style and your taste, it should allow you to be your best, most productive self.
CA Interiors can assist you in creating a new working environment in your home that reflects you. Contact Sue Hamilton on 082 950 3142.
