Work From Home In Style With These Customizations
For many people, a home office is a luxury. For others, it's a necessity.
If you are working from home, a home office is a must. Not only will it help keep you more productive and efficient, it will also allow you to maintain the boundaries that keep your work life and personal life separate.
According to the National Association of Home Builders, an increasing portion of custom home builds and renovations include a home office. When it comes to customizing your at-home workspace, consider incorporating these four features.
Hidden Doorway
Remote employees are forever grappling with the task of balancing work and relaxation spaces so that you don't feel like you're always "on the clock." For some, maintaining work/life balance means taking “out of sight, out of mind” to the next level by making the home office accessible only by hidden doorway!
Who hasn’t dreamt of a secret passageway, accessible only through the bookshelf? Hidden rooms can help with privacy, boundaries, and productivity while also providing an outlet for your unique style. There aren’t many existing homes with hidden doorways, but when you’re building a custom home with Atmos, the sky's the limit!
Built-in Speakers
Hours upon hours of Zoom calls can lead to serious headphone fatigue. No matter how comfortable your earbuds or headset may be, day after day trapped in headphones is never ideal. As you design your custom home, consider how sound carries in and out of your home office, and incorporate built-in speakers.
Including built-in speakers may take a bit more detailed planning than other aspects, as the location and functionality of the speakers will depend on where you’ll put the desk, whether they need to pick up your own voice with microphone functionality, and how loud they’ll need to be. Build a sound system into your home office for all-day ease as you listen to music, learn from podcasts, and participate in meetings.
Custom Storage
Perhaps the most important aspect for a productive and comfortable home office is adequate storage. A home office needs to be organized enough for you to work comfortably without being overwhelmed by clutter. Having a clear and focused workspace allows us to stay on task and avoid distraction throughout the day.
Often, we underestimate how much storage we really need. From computer equipment and power cords to files and office supplies, each item needs a home that’s not the top of your desk! Think through which items you need quick access to and which ones can be stored a bit further from your desk, and plan outward from there.
Shelves serve many purposes in an office setting, from holding books and binders to displaying decorative items. The shelving you choose — and the items you choose to display on them — can set the tone for the style and design of your office overall. From large wood shelves to sleek metal shelves, you can incorporate built-in storage and shelving in the design of your custom home and avoid decluttering in the future.
Natural Lighting
After an organized workspace, the second most important factor for an effective home office is proper lighting. If you don't have enough light in your office, it can negatively affect your mood and productivity.
A good rule of thumb is to make sure there is natural light coming into your home office at all times of the day. A growing trend in custom home office design is to incorporate a sky light so that overhead lighting is provided by the sun. Depending on the location of your office within your home, you can pair your skylight with additional windows for great airflow and lighting throughout the day. This can not only make your space more comfortable but can also save energy by removing the need to use electricity to light your office on most days.
What custom trend will you include in your home office design? Get started creating the work from home sanctuary of your dreams with Atmos!
