Working out where to work in your home

Working from home for many is part of the “new normal” and whether you have a dedicated office or are using the kitchen table, it’s important to create the right working environment.

In some of the larger Elan show homes we’ve created home offices, but we recognise that in your current home you may not have the space for this. We’ve enlisted the help of interior designer Alex Egan, from Stanza Style to offer guidance on creating a workspace in your home.

“Working at home brings a multitude of challenges from where to work, to being able to have peace and quiet to work without distractions, to having the right technology to work,” Alex explained.

“The key thing is to try and find a semi-permanent place to work, working on your lap on the sofa, in bed or at the kitchen table isn’t always conducive to a productive working day. Try to ensure you have access to enough power points so that all your tech can be charged without having to get up to answer the phone or power a laptop.”

The kitchen table is often the first choice because of the space available, but it means having to either clear everything away at the end of the day or eating on the sofa in front of the TV.

A spare room or guest bedroom could double up as an office, perhaps with a discrete fold away table or ladder style desk that can be used as a work station with shelves for storage.

A desk lamp could double up as a bedside lamp; while boxes coordinated with the décor provide storage space for you work so the space still looks attractive.

A garden shed could be repurposed as an office for use in the summer or add insulation for a year-round solution.

Alex added: “We have to think more creatively and consider how we use the space in our homes. If there is a room that’s under-utilised, could a small desk be put in there?

“We often don’t notice things in our homes until we consciously look past the day to day. An unwanted or unloved piece of furniture or pile of books could make way for a desk. Can you convert a wardrobe or cupboard so that a desk can be pulled out to sit at? At the end of the working day it could then be pushed away with the paperwork and technology left inside, closing the doors ready for the next day.”

If you need more space to allow for working from home, is it time you moved home? Do your homework – visit www.elan-homes.co.uk to find out where we’re building, take virtual tours of our show homes and contact our sales executives to find out more.