6 MUST-HAVES FOR MY HOME OFFICE
BY BONNIE
For loads of busy mums and dads, working from home has become the new norm. As we juggle jobs and kids and busy lives, a home office, or study, can be a great inclusion to your home.
When I was designing the floorplan for my dream home, I knew I needed a study and it really needed to be in the hub of the home so I could pop in and send a few emails from my laptop while I waited for the water to boil on the cook top. Or post this blog while I wait for the dishwasher to finish! #mumlife
Here ARE a few tips I used to create my perfect home office:
Say 'sayonara' to the days of the smallest room in the back corner of the home being converted to a home office. That dark, dingy space is just asking to become an unused office aka dumping ground for mess – um, no thanks!
With a young family, I find it hard to separate family and work life so I want my work space to be in the heart of the home and 'yes' Lana has been flying the flag for studies being more centrally located for over a year now. It totally makes sense. I don’t want to feel like I’m being banished to a far corner to work. In my dream home I managed to incorporate my study right off the ‘good room’ in the main open-plan area of the house. It’s got gorgeous glass-paned doors which I can leave open or shut-off when I need to concentrate.
Plan your office so there’s lots of natural light and windows you can open. A burst of fresh air and some sunlight will do wonders for a mid-afternoon pick me up (that double shot coffee and choccy biccy will go a long way too!). You’ll need some window coverings though because there’s nothing worse than glare on your computer screen. I'm already a 'squinter' so too much glare will cause more crows' feet than my Olay can handle. I opted for white Luxaflex PolySatin plantation shutters #ofcourse which are perfect for controlling the amount (and the direction) of light in my office.
The key to a tidy office space is loads of storage so it doesn't get messy. Hide everything behind doors for a seamless, minimalist look - built in cabinetry that fits with rest of the house is ideal. I’ve gone for floor to ceiling cabinetry to really maximise the storage space in my study. [PS - If you want to see me designing this space literally "on the hop", check out Episode 4 where I really put Ronnie to the test with my ambitions]. I can fit everything in here from my printer to stationery to filing cabinets for household bills and documents. When I’m done with my laptop, there’s room for me to pop that in too, so my desk is always clear (except for the pretty things that serve no real purpose other than to look ah-mazing).
Just because I don’t work in the Oval Office, doesn’t mean I can’t position my desk like POTUS! #girlboss. I mean heck, I'm in the real White House aren't I? I bet Trump's walls aren't painted 'white-on-white'. Anyway, don’t fall into the trap of pushing your desk up against the wall so that you’re stuck looking at a blank wall, or worse still, feel like you have to add pictures and memos to that blank wall, which also add clutter. If possible, put your back to the wall and sit looking outwards. That way you have a view of the room and can keep an eye on what’s happening out the door too. I can't tell you how useful it is to be able to rescue my white lounge from Dodge trying to park his balance bike in it #yep #init
Forget the fluoro lights and swivel chairs, office décor need not be boring! This is your own office so you can make it ah-mazing, without falling for your regular (ugly) office stuff. Choose a luxe rug, a comfy chair and don’t be shy to add a gorgeous chandelier above your desk. The better it looks, the more you’ll love working in it. Check out the chandi Lana used in her home office #wow #klaylifedoesitagain
You’ve positioned your study in the heart of the home, but you don’t always want the noise that comes with that! Being able to block out the noise is great for those important phone calls or when you need some quiet thinking time. This is something Lana admits she does not have in her home office - the ability to shut out the loud squawking from her kids .. and her bird (who is very loud by the way - very!). Internal glass doors are a winner in this case, you get the best of both worlds – light & quiet. I used Viridian 'hush' glass in my study doors so I can pull them shut and they really create a barrier for some quiet time away from the hive of activity in the living area. That is until Buster slams his scooter into those doors of course #boyswillbeboys.