How To Design a Positive and Inspiring Workspace at Home

Originally posted by Dan Taylor on May 29, 2012 on The Next Web

With the U.S. Department of Labor reporting that almost a quarter of all employed persons have done some or
all of their work at home, it shouldnt come as a surprise that home working spaces are in high demand. Come to think of it, I cant think of a single person that doesnt have some form of a dedicated workspace in their home, and Im guessing that most of you are in a similar boat. And if youre at home, shouldnt your home workspace be your dream workspace? The far end of the dining room table will only get you so far when it comes to inspiration and creativity. Whether youve got a nook under the staircase, or a full room to work with, your home workspace should be a positive and inspiring experience. Heres how!

Work. Flow.

Now that youve decided to set off on designing and building your perfect home workspace, there are a few things
that youll want to keep in mind before any purchases are made. The layout of your space will have a dramatic impact on not only its functionality, but also its visual appeal, which ultimately leads to inspiration. First and foremost is the physical space. Do you have an entire room to play with, or the closet at the end of the hallway? Are you planning on meeting and greeting clients in this space, or is this an area solely for you? Once youve chosen a suitable location, its time to map out a floor plan. There are a number of fancy tools that can help you design a space, but personally, Ive used Creately and/or Lucidchart to mock up a layout. Be sure to take accurate measurements and reflect them in your floor plan. Beyond the physical space, youll want to keep the overall flow of your workspace in mind. If you think about the last breathtaking room you were in, I guarantee the space had a well thought out flow to it. Meaning, everything that you needed to get to or wanted to see was easily accessible. Granted, you might be working with some tight space considerations, but thats what the floor plan is for. If you have to walk around something A to get to something B, something A needs a new home.

Likewise, when it comes to your own personal workflow, play around with your diagramming and lay out some mockup objects in your new space. Can you easily access all items that youll be using on a daily basis? With one 180-degree rotation, do you have everything you need within arms reach? In you workspace, your desk should take top priority when it comes to layout. This is the place youll be spending the most time at, and it deserves top consideration. There are two schools of thought when it comes down to desk placement: Facing the wall or window, and facing the door. Feng shui have us facing the desk towards the door, thus embracing the energy of the room. Given space considerations, this might not be an option, and youre presented with option 2: Facing the wall. While you might not be embracing the energy of the room, personally, I find facing the wall to be far more productive, as youre not subject to passing distractions, and have the added bonus of a second workspace staring you in the face. Literally.

Inspiration Nation

What inspires you? Is it a breathtaking sunrise over Lake Louise? Perhaps your prized bobble head collection?
Whatever it is, make it front and center in your new space. Similar to desk positioning, there are those that caution against seating near a window as it serves as a distraction, and those that embrace the changing scene. I say, if your

view changes your perspective, causes you to think about something in a new an innovative way, youve made the right choice. Color. The color of your workspace can have a dramatic impact on how you work. Color theorists have long presented the case that certain colors trigger certain emotions in individuals. Please note the usage of the phrase certain above. Not every color causes the same reaction in every person. However, there are a few generally agreed upon emotions: Red Increases the energy level of a room Yellow Triggers happiness Blue Soothes and calms Green The most restful for the eye Orange Stimulates the senses and is a social color Youll note that white is not on the list here. While white is a perfectly acceptable color to decorate your new workspace in, it is the hardest color to keep clean, and besides, this is your new dream space break out of the white box!

De-clutter

So far, youve chosen your space, made a floor plan, selected art and/or objects of personal inspiration, and
designed a color scheme that compliments your working style. Lets have a better look at that floor plan. Youve taken accurate measurements and have a general idea of how the space will look. Now take a look at your current workspace. Whats lying around? Where do you store it? Whether you like it or not, there are bound to be the standard office supplies that are needed in any workspace. Pens, papers, notebooks, and lest we forget about cables! Head back to that floor plan and have a look at where some storage units would fit in. Its also important to keep the future in mind. Meaning, when you map out where youll be storing the aforementioned office supplies, dont forget to plan for future growth. If you can fit everything you need into a 66 cabinet, plan for a 1010. As the main goal here is to create the most inspiring and lasting workspace possible, ask yourself, which is more inspiring: a table full of papers, keys, and pens, or a clean, clear surface with all the bits and bobs stored away in their proper place? Remember that second work space I mentioned above when it comes to facing the wall? If youre not facing the door, why not take advantage of this second space? In addition to some inspiring images, when decorated appropriately, and themed to your room, a row of shelving units can also add to your storage and de-clutter options.

Just remember to plan for future growth. Personally, I have three rows of shelves lining the wall just above the iMac, with a few objects of inspiration flanking each side. These include a corkboard which keeps me organized and on track and remains infinitely configurable, depending on my state of inspiration. Cables. Wireless devices and connectivity are wonderful, but at the end of the day, youre bound to have a USB here, a Thunderbolt there all items that require a cable. There are a number of ways to deal with these cables, but one of the cheapest and easiest methods is to zip tie or twist tie these cables into one neat bunch. If you want to go one step further, Ikea even features a specific category that can help you wrangle all those cables, all at a very reasonable price.

Sit Down and Get To Work

Perhaps not the most visually inspiring, although they could be, your desk and chair are the absolute, most
important considerations in your new workspace. Granted, your new chair could be just about anything you want it to be the beauty of your workspace. A 19th century wingback can make for a funky, inspirational piece, but its important to keep in mind that most desks and dining tables are approximately 29 31 inches in height. Admittedly, it is a bit office-y, but a few years back I sprang for a Herman Miller Aeron chair, and while not

exactly cheap, Ive had it for 5 years now and love it more and more every day. Not only is it a highly functional and comfortable chair, but I find the design lines to be inspirational. Again, its office-y but at the same time, I find it gorgeous to look at, and a challenge to my aesthetic every day. Whatever does it for you thats the chair you should be sitting in on a daily basis. The desk. Choose an object that will not only fit into your space, but also be something that youll want to look at again and again. For some, its a floating sheet of glass supported by a simple trunk. For others, its that vintage oak desk that they saw at the antique store a few weeks back. What is crucial in your desk and chair setup is proper height positioning. Having been down the carpel tunnel road myself, I cannot stress enough how important the proper positioning of your desk and chair are. To adjust your chair, first make sure that your feet are flat on the floor. From here, place three fingers behind your knees and set the backrest to a comfortable position. Armrests should be set at 90 or 110 degrees (max). Now extend your arms so that theyre parallel to the floor. This is exactly the height that your desk should be positioned at.

Light it up!

Space, check. Color, check. Inspirational artwork, check. Desk and chair, check. Congratulations; youre almost
done in your quest for an inspirational workspace at home! Were only missing one element now lighting. As with everything weve discussed so far, your lighting choices should be something that makes you smile and fits to your inspirational workspace. And just think: no more overhead fluorescent lighting! According to the British Medical Journal, dimly lit spaces lead to a decrease in blinking, and increased drying of the eyes, particularly via voluntary squinting. Ouch. If you could avoid these symptoms in your new workspace, why wouldnt you? When it comes to lamps, a 65-watt bulb is sufficient for task lighting. Task lighting is perfect for your desk lamp(s), but dont forget about ambient lighting as well. This can be accomplished through ceiling lighting or floor lamps. If you have the option, installing a dimmer switch on your ceiling lighting puts you in control of just how much ambient light you desire. Halogen floor lamps often come with a dimming feature, and 3-way 150-watt bulbs can provide various levels of ambient light for incandescent fixtures.

Ultimately, designing and implementing your workspace comes down to your personal tastes. For some, a Zen
like simplicity is positive and inspiring. For others, organized chaos seems to fit the bill. Remember, its your space; there isnt anyone or anything to conform to. If Jackson Pollocking your walls causes you to think about things differently, then Id say youve done the right thing. Conversely, if nothing but a desk, a chair, and a single lamp create a razor sharp focus for you, then congrats; youve achieved the goal. Just remember to make use of every possible square foot (or meter) that you possibly can, even if this is blank or empty space. Its your realm, dress it accordingly!

Original link: http://thenextweb.com/lifehacks/2012/05/29/design-positive-workspace/