Organizing Your Maryland or DC Home Office

As many of us continue to work from home, there’s no better time to reimagine your home office. 

As a busy person, sometimes it isn’t easy to balance your home and work life. That’s why it helps to have a dedicated space that’s designed to help you get stuff done. Today, we’re all about the home office and making it as efficient and organized as it can be.

A Room of One’s Own

Trying to work in your home’s shared spaces can be a real struggle. Let’s face it, your kitchen and family room aren’t exactly the best for work efficiency. And trying to work in the bedroom isn’t the best idea either. That’s your place for winding down at the end of a long day. It’s hard to relax when your work is staring at you, taunting you from your makeshift desk.

To maximize productivity and separate your work life from your personal life, it helps to have, as Virginia Woolf famously said, “a room of one’s own.” 

Unofficial Office

Even if your home doesn’t have a room that can be specifically allocated to office space, that doesn’t mean you have to go without. Any unoccupied room can do the trick.  

Maybe you have a rarely-used spare bedroom that can double as an office, or perhaps it’s a children’s playroom that is the empty part of the day, or an unused corner of the basement. For a room doing double duty, try a combo Murphy bed/desk, or get a decently-sized nightstand that can double as a workspace.

Whatever room you choose as your headquarters, you should feel comfortable and at ease. Keep in mind it doesn’t have to look like an office to function like one.

Good Light, and Good Luck

Let’s not forget another important aspect of good work: lighting. It’s been scientifically proven that employees work best when they have plenty of exposure to natural light. Take this into consideration when choosing where to set up your home office. Ideally, it should have a window or two. 

With a decent amount of sunlight in your workspace, you’ll be happier, more engaged, and more productive; you’ll also experience personal health and mental health benefits and experience fewer office-related risks, like eye strain and headaches.

Of course, you can boost your lighting with floor lamps, desk lamps, and other light sources. If your office is underground or doesn’t get a lot of natural light, sunlight light bulbs are a viable alternative.

The Stress of The Mess

A clean desk and a tidy office can do wonders for an anxious mind. Clutter in your home office isn’t exactly conducive to productivity. In fact, it can be a major psychological stressor. The sight of mess alone can lead to unfocused behavior and reduced brain processing power. Ultimately, your clutter competes for attention with your actual work. 

Keep the clutter filed away with some fun and functional storage solutions.

Tidy Office, Tidy Mind

If you’re going to work from home, you’ll need storage and lots of it. When everything is organized and put away where it should be, you’ll feel good and work productively. 

Of course, just because it’s functional doesn’t mean it needs to be unsightly. Boxy metal filing cabinets and plastic bins full of extraneous office hardware aren’t exactly easy on the eye. And you hardly need reminding of all the work that needs doing.

Desktop Organization

Keep things tidy with cute desk storage items like upright organizers, stacked paper trays, and a cup to hold all your writing utensils. For stowing larger items, choose attractive baskets and bins. These decor pieces are available in various colors, patterns, and textures to fit any style.

Don’t Be Shy With the Shelving

Lots of shelving is a must. Whether it’s floating shelves or a complete unit with plenty of cubbies, shelving will give you a place to store and organize all of your stuff off the floor and out of the way.

Time Management Can Be Beautiful

Having a calendar where you can see it helps you stay on track. Sure, you can put everything into your phone’s planner, but there’s nothing quite like the real thing. Having your plan laid out in front of you can help you visualize the days, weeks, and months ahead more clearly.

You see? With a little bit of forethought and creativity, it’s easy to turn any space into a functional home office. If you need help bringing your home office vision to life, the design-build team at Winthorpe is ready to help. Connect with us today, and let’s get started.