How The Work From Home Setup Is Transforming Home Furnishing
25/02/2021
The pandemic hit us like a brick in the face, and so did the unprecedented culture of working from home. The conventional flow of packing yourself off for the day was suddenly lost. We found ourselves home all day, with our productivity and frame of mind entirely in our hands. Aside of battling the mental block to work in our pyjamas, we had to convert our homes to our workplaces, and boy did that put us in a spot!
As challenging as it is, curating comfortable, functional and serene workplaces in our homes is the need of the hour. If you’re wondering how you can set yourself up to attend those calls, make those presentations and tick off that to-do list in your chaotic house-full home, we’ve got good news for you! You don’t need to lock yourself up in a quiet room all day. We’ve put together simple hacks on how working from home can be a success for you from a logistics and fixtures perspective. Let’s take things a step further – we’re spilling secrets on how you can play the perfect host and convert your home into the best party spot of the season. Read on!
Blended Play Areas
With the whole crew being home every day, parents don’t really get time off from their kids to cook, work or clean. Hence, modern homes are consistently breaking away from the idea of having a dedicated play room or nursery for toddlers and children. Instead, the focus is on blending play areas into the living room, allowing parents to multi-task and keep an eye on their kids while knocking off their to do list.
If you’re looking to set up a blended play area, the wisest thing would be to decluttering your living room from artifacts and furniture to throw open some space. You could even consider setting up a portable gate around this area to restrict the movement of a jumpy toddler. Choose the position of this spot such that you have a view therein from the kitchen, hallway and the rest of the living room while you’re on that virtual meeting. Limit the number of toys you child can have in this area so that your living room doesn’t feel too busy.
Hosting-Friendly Furniture
Socializing has moved from the neighbourhood bar to your living room, and its time you let your home furnishing rise to the occasion. The pandemic has seen a conscious shift in how we socialize and how we play host. Circles are getting smaller, parties are becoming more private and people are throwing open their homes as meeting spots.
The good news is, don’t have to transform your entire living room to make it hosting-friendly. Just a few simple hacks can equip even a small space to hold a crowd. Opt for collapsible dining tables that slide open an extension when it’s house full. Stack up plastic chairs that can be spread around when you need to. Invest in a chaise lounge for your afternoon siesta in the living room, that can double up as ample sitting space for guests. If you have an outdoor area, choose comfortable outdoor furniture in Sydney to bring weekend sundowners back again. Its best to opt for wicker furniture that can withstand sun, rain or storm. Its neutral tones are easy to personalize with cushions, accents and accessories of your choice!
Re-purpose Existing Furniture
Working from home requires your own private nook to attend meetings, brainstorm and be in your space. Consider your spouse who needs the same, and you’ll have to think for two. In compact pads where you don’t have the luxury of multiple rooms, you have to work with what you’ve got. Don’t go about throwing your hard earned money on collapsible walls or dividers that will only leave your living room more cramped. Instead, use the furniture you already have to suit your purpose.
For example, if you’re looking to sectionalise your living room in two, so both you and your spouse can enjoy privacy at work, here’s what can work. Turn that tall bookshelf that’s against your wall into a divider in the middle of your floor space. Repurpose existing furniture to suit your requirements and you will find different ways to use the same fixture.
Opt For Neutrals
The best way to give your home a professional touch is opting for neutral colours in drapes, furniture and upholstery. If you know that working from home is going to be a somewhat permanent feature in your life, it’s wise to revamp your living room by introducing elegant and under-toned elements.
Invest in a good table lamp for when you’re reading and working late into the night. Switch your colourful drapes for a light grey or nude shade. An understated upholstery colour also works wonders in getting your room ready for a long work from home tenure. Creating a curated workspace in your home also instils that feeling of calm and professionalism, giving you the right vibe to face a days’ work.
Re-Vamping The Kitchen Island Table
Working from home gives you an advantage of multi-tasking your house chores and your work to-do list. A great way to champion that is by setting up your own work nook in the kitchen.
That breakfast table in your kitchen could do a lot more than you think. For one, it’s a great spot to set up a makeshift work desk while you’re watching the dinner in the oven. Clear off your cutlery to free up space for your gadgets and phone to take calls and get your work done.
Leveraging Your Entertainment Area
If you’re someone who needs a traditional table and office chair to get your mind up and running, a work from home setup may rattle your work equilibrium. A great way to work around this mental block is by setting up a makeshift work desk for yourself. All you need to do is rework your entertainment unit.
Invest in an ergonomic office chair that can find a spot at the end of your entertainment unit. Not only will this give you the feeling of having a traditional office table, you can also use all the technology your entertainment unit has to offer to aid your work. Your smart TV can mirror your presentation, your smart home gadget can help you think aloud, and all those cords can help replicate the setting of your office desk.
We hope this list helps you make a success of your work from home construct, one hack at a time.
