From London to Sydney, Toronto to Melbourne and everywhere in between, working from home is becoming the norm, with a long list of benefits to go with it. 

 

Gone are the days of daily commutes that waste your precious time, stuck in neverending bumper to bumper traffic. Or crammed into public transport awkwardly sipping a lukewarm coffee on the way to another long and tedious day in the office. 

 

Dress attire has changed from conventional to comfortable, with personal appearance only a priority for zoom meetings or to display some sort of professionalism to those within the house. 

 

You are now the office DJ, choosing the background music of choice and allowing guilty musical pleasures to sneak into a home office playlist. At the same time, smokos and tea breaks are scheduled for your thirst, hunger and motivation levels. 

 

Working from home is the dream for many; however, are we getting the same work outcomes as office life?

The issues working from home lifestyles create

Productivity when working from home can be an issue, especially if your surroundings are not inspiring, functional and comfortable. Although a home is a productive space for cooking, sleeping, entertaining, and recreating, it is usually not set up for working. 

 

Working from a dining table, on the couch or at the kitchen counter is not the desired location for productive work outcomes. Undesignated working conditions can be distracting and can cause mistakes to occur, KPI’s not to be hit and poor overall work performance. 

 

Additionally, temporary workstations are often inadequate ergonomically and can cause pains and strains and be detrimental to body posture.

The living room is the room of choice

The living room is the common area of choice when eager, or not so eager, employees set up a laptop or desktop to type, navigate and communicate to make a living. It is usually the most versatile space in a home as it is not job-specific, unlike other rooms in the house. 

 

Also, living rooms tend to be larger, meaning a less cluttered feel and less impact on the home’s feng shui when introducing a workspace.

Helpful tips on decorating your living room into a cosy workspace

Choosing the optimum location

Choosing the optimum location to set up a designated workspace in your living room is essential—your living room layout and how the house functions are significant factors in finding your niche spot. 

 

If space is limited, utilising dead areas such as behind sofas and in front of bookcases can add to a living room without affecting its purpose. Additionally, finding a non-invasive place is an excellent option like the corner of a room, in a nook or along a wall space to keep the living harmony and present a dedicated workspace. 

 

If being out in the open is your only realistic option, building room breaks and partitions by positioning furniture and indoor plants to separate the workspace from the living area is a great way to compartmentalise work from chill time. It also helps to steer home traffic away from your creative and functioning workspace.

Tips of where to set up a workspace 

• Behind a sofa
• Along a wall
• In a nook
• In a corner
• Behind a room break
• Under the stairs

Dodging the distractions

It is no surprise that when working from home, many distractions emerge that are not present in the office. 

 

Maybe your home is full of children, pets, housemates or family that unfortunately cannot be put on mute, or the temptation of flicking on TV is too much. Perhaps the urge to organise weekend plans or procrastinating on social media is too strong. Whatever the distraction is, learning to dodge them is crucial to work productivity.

 

Dodging the distractions is the biggest challenge when working from home. An office intends to provide a space to allow creativity, communication and productivity to fulfil business objectives. Your home workspace should be designed and decorated to achieve the same positive outcomes.

 

Minimising non-work interaction and choosing a location to set up your workspace away from traffic is helpful. Utilising noise-cancelling headphones to block out background noise and not working in the vicinity of televisions can help concentration levels. And if possible, aligning your work schedule to the household is an excellent way to overcome disturbing distractions.

Tips to dodge the distractions

• Set up a workspace in a low traffic area
• Use noise cancellation headphones
• Face away from televisions
• Align work schedules to the household
• Remove social media apps from work devices

Decorating your workspace

Offices are often drab and uninspiring environments; however, your living room workspace should be everything but. When decorating your living room into a cosy workspace, it is essential not to bring down the vibe of your home with cumbersome and unattractive furnishings. It is also vital to create an upbeat vibe and motivational environment to enhance your work results. 

 

Decorating your workspace to complement existing furnishing, matching colour schemes and coordinating with home decor themes will allow your office to fit into the living room seamlessly. It also camouflages your cosy workspace to hide the work aesthetics when you have visitors. 

 

Using furniture that empowers your workspace is also necessary when decorating your living room into a cosy workplace. A desk lamp offers direct lighting for better visibility, and a quality office chair ensures good posture and comfort. A rug can designate the workspace, and accessories like indoor plants and pictures provide a relaxing ambience. It is also wise to utilise drawers, cupboards or desk coverings to help disconnect when your working day is complete. 

Tips to decorate your workspace

• Hide your work to disconnect
• Match your living room decor
• Camouflage space
• Create an empowered workspace
• Use natural lighting 
• Make a relaxed ambience

Decorate your living room into a cosy workspace today

Adapting your working style to suit a living room is ok as a short-term answer; however, long term modifying your living room to suit your work style is needed. Don’t panic; there is no need to sell your home; however, deep consideration is necessary. Now is the time; decorate your living room into a cosy workspace today!