People have been spending more time than usual in the last few years in their home offices with the rise in work-from-home jobs, which means they have started to reconsider the room design scheme. If you are tired of looking at the same dull room and you’re ready to make some changes, then have a look at some of the best home office design trends in 2022.
Your home office might have gone from the least used to one of the most used rooms in your house if you happen to work from home. Making your space look and feel more like home (instead of looking like your office) will actually help you when it comes to keeping yourself productive and on task. Keep reading to see some of the best ways to make your office space work for you.
Add some greenery
Plants have become one of the hottest trends, and people have started to add them to every room in the house to bring some life to drab spaces. You won’t have to create a jungle in your office to make it look nice but incorporating a few plants into the room has so many benefits. There are plenty of great plants that are perfect for your office space and require small amounts of maintenance.
If you want a desk plant, look for something that won’t get too large, like a cactus, a succulent, or an African Violet. If you’re looking for a plant to hang, look for a spider plant, devil’s ivy, or a Boston fern. If you are lucky enough to have a nice big corner or another ample space, then a ficus tree or fig plant is ideal.
Make it cozy
While it’s important to keep your office looking slightly professional, it will actually increase your productivity if you are comfortable. There are plenty of ergonomic chairs on the market, but they are not one size fits all. If you have a specific issue (lower back pain, slouching, etc.), look for a chair that is designed to help it out so you can sit there for longer periods of time.
Another great idea to add some seating in your office is a couch or loveseat. These add a coziness to the room while giving you an extra space to have a seat and put your feet up. It’s also been proven that short naps can help your brain function smoother, so a couch is an excellent idea for anyone who needs a quick break in the middle of their day.
Stand it up
We just talked about how to find a comfortable place in your office to take a seat, but for some people, sitting down just makes them tired and unproductive. If you want to make sure you are getting the most out of your space, then consider a standing desk. These desks are either adjustable or permanently raised, so you need to stand in order to use them properly.
Standing desks have started to rise in popularity in the last few years, and they are definitely one of the top home office design ideas of 2022 for productivity. Standing will help improve your posture, help with circulation, and it will burn calories. They are one of the best ways to inject some extra fitness into your busy work day.
Make a Zoom space
When you designed your home office, you likely didn’t consider the fact that all of your co-workers would be seeing it on camera one day. If you do quite a bit of online meetings, then you want a spot in your home office that works best for being on camera. You also need to think about the type of lighting your office has so you can make sure your face isn’t a dark shadow on camera.
An ideal Zoom meeting space should be well-lit with natural lighting and have an interesting background that isn’t too busy. Do a test run by turning on your computer’s camera so you can see what the environment looks like from their perspective and adjust the space until you’re satisfied with how it will look on camera. Look at placing your camera facing a bookshelf, art wall, or a space in your office with some sort of texture so people can focus on your words instead of just staring at a talking head.
Go wireless
Home offices always need many different things plugged into outlets, which sometimes leads to areas becoming a giant nest of wires. If you want to make things easier for you while keeping things neat, look for wireless options so you can reduce the mess. For items that need to be plugged in all the time, look for something that will help you hide the wires.
There are plenty of excellent products on the market that will hide the wires and make your office look organized and cohesive. You can also look for sleek-looking charging stations for your phone or tablet so you can have your devices nearby without a cord in the way.
Get fit
We already mentioned how standing desks are great for your body, but there are plenty of other ways you can add a few extra body movements to your day. Many people have upgraded their standing desks to include a low-level (or self-propelled) treadmill so they can get some steps in while they work. Gym equipment is one of the biggest home office design trends of 2022.
Other people have chosen to add areas to their home offices where they can do some relaxing yoga or use their stationary bikes during their workday. Turning your home office into an office/gym is a great way to keep your mind and body productive.
Get natural
Home offices are full of electronics, screens, and wires, which can make it feel like a crowded electronics store. To offset the electronics (while helping your carbon emissions), go with an all-natural theme for the room by using sustainable materials that are better for the environment. There are so many things that come in an eco-friendly version, and it’s an excellent way to create a relaxing space.
Everything from rugs to desks can be made from sustainable materials, so replace one item at a time with something better for the environment. Another quick way to add a simple eco-upgrade to your home office is by simply opening your curtains. Ditching the artificial lighting will likely be better for any Zoom sessions you have, and the extra light will open the space right up.
Make it comfortable in every way
If you have started to spend more time in your home office, you should think about adjusting the room’s ambiance to make it feel less like a boring workspace. Try and make all of your senses comfortable by adjusting the space to suit them. Adding a mini-fridge is a quick way to ensure you’re not stopping your day for a snack break every few minutes.
For scents, consider using an essential oil diffuser as a great way to add some relaxing smells to your office, while a low-level speaker can add some nice noise without being too overpowering. Calming scents and relaxing music can help you concentrate but if you prefer something a bit louder, then go ahead! You can easily soundproof your office using specific carpeting and wall panels so you can play your music as loud as you want during your workday without disturbing the rest of the house.
Bring in the kids (even the furry ones!)
Office spaces are usually reserved for adults, but many families have started to add a space for their kids to entertain themselves while their caretakers work. Creating a small corner for your kids is a great way to be able to interact with them while you work from home, and it’s the best way to keep an eye on them. For younger kids, you can even bring in a small table and convert it into a mini desk so you can have your own tiny co-worker.
If you don’t have any human children that need your attention, then look at adding an area to keep your fur friends nearby. Get your pet a comfortable bed and bring in some food and water so they can hang out with you while you get your work finished. Working from home has so many great benefits, and being close to your loved ones is one of them, so why not add some touches to make sure they can be close to you more often?
So many new and interesting ideas have come up in the last few years with the rise of people using their home offices more often. It’s become one of the best places in your home to add your own touches and details that can make it unique to you. Have some fun with your home office design, and you’ll find the time you have to spend inside of it will fly by.
