How to Set Up Your First Home Office

 

Finding yourself working from home more than you used to? Swapping the office for the kitchen can be a difficult adjustment, which is why we've provided these great tips for putting together an effective working space, whether you’re setting up in the spare room temporarily or you’ve opted for home working in the long term.

Find an adjustable desk

It’s important to keep moving and avoid being stuck in one position as you work. An adjustable desk may be raised and lowered so you can choose whether to stand or sit.

B&M Top Tip: Standing desks can help to keep your muscles engaged and may also prevent back, shoulder or neck pain.

Buy a comfortable chair

Your desk chair is another vital piece of office furniture. Ideally, you need one that is highly adjustable and provides great support.

Swivel chairs allow you to reach items in the space all around you without standing, but you may prefer a stationary office chair so that you have to move around more during the work day.

Invest in good stationery

Stationery that aids in organisation is extremely helpful. Staying on top of your workload will not only help you to be more productive, but it can also reduce stress.

You could arrange in-trays and out-trays, use magazine files to keep publications within easy reach and perhaps use a cork board or whiteboard to set out weekly or monthly tasks clearly. For last-minute memos, we recommend using colourful sticky notes.

Pens are vital too, and you can never have too many - they go walkabout at home as much as they do at your workplace! 

B&M Top Tip: Why not choose some pens in attractive designs or colours and find a suitable place to store them so they’re less likely to be misplaced?

Finally, try to make sure that you always have a good stock of perishable items, such as printer paper and notepads.

Make sure you have the right amount of storage space - such as drawers or file cabinets - so that stationery doesn’t start cluttering your desk!

Get some personalized decorations

Working from home means that you can take charge of your own office space. Make the work environment your own and raise your mood by adding touches like pictures in frames, string lights, colourful motivational posters or anything else that suits your personality.

Liven the room with plants

Bringing a touch of the outdoors into your home office setup can help to create a really relaxing environment. Pick a few of your favourite house plants - whether real or imitation - and distribute them around your room for a little uplift and interest.

Ensure you have good lighting 

Good lighting is great for your mental health as well as your eyesight. Dim, artificial light can lead to eye strain and headaches. If you can, try to get as much natural light into your work space as possible. 

B&M Top Tip: Use stand-alone lighting solutions that tie in with your office decor to make your setup more attractive.

The best home offices are those that allow for an easy work life balance, with personal touches throughout.

When setting up a home office, it’s best to invest in comfortable and adjustable furniture, a large supply of useful stationery, attractive decor that suits your tastes and the best possible lighting.

B&M Top Tip: Browse the full selection of B&M’s affordable office accessories right here.

Do you have any handy hints to make working from home a little more fun? Share them with the B&M Community via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.