Author: katie.lacy@letsgetcoffee.co.uk

Whether you are working from home or all set to return to the office you will benefit no end from making your workspace a happy and inspiring place to spend time in. Making your workspace a happy place is a worthy investment in you! In this blog, we will introduce some quick tips to get you started.

Connect with nature

This is always a good place to start, if you are lucky enough to have a room with a view then you really should make the most of it and position your desk near it. Make a point of getting natural daylight as much as possible. If you are working from home then sit in a chair near a window when you have documents to read. If you have a call to make which will not require you being sat at your laptop then make it by the window, just take a notepad and pen with you in case you need to jot something down!

Bring the outdoors in

If you can’t get out or can’t see out, bring the outdoors into you. The obvious thing is to bring a houseplant or two into your workspace, either on your office table, a rustic bookcase or reclaimed wood shelving, but pets also reduce office stress, whether it be your cat or dog in your home office by your feet or some fish in an aquarium. Studies carried out on stress levels found something as simple as repotting a house plant greatly reduced stress in participants. First, participants had to repot the plant and secondly, they were asked to carry out a task they were well accustomed to on their computer – as you have probably guessed the indoor gardening task reduced their stress levels.

Make your desk a permanent workspace

Choosing the right desk for you and the work you need to do at it, is very important, especially when working from home. If you have to look thorough lots of documents get a desk big enough for you to set them out properly – it will save you stress and time in the long run, if however you write or the majority of your work just requires a computer then you can get a smaller desk or writing desk and fill the space with things you like to have around you, an office sofa would be more comfortable if you read a lot or make many calls that don’t require you to be sat at your computer.

If you don’t have the room or prefer not to be cooped up in the office all day then zone your living room or kitchen to include an office area. A reclaimed wood desk is perfect for the home office – it will blend into another room much better than a bog-standard desk that you see in offices up and down the country….and of course, it is another easy way to bring in a little touch of nature.

Choose the right chair for you

Getting the right chair is just as important as getting the right desk. An adjustable leather desk chair or faux leather chair will last you for many years and is certainly worth the initial investment. If space is tight then lookout for a small desk chair or a chair that can double up and be used elsewhere in your home.

Keep on top of clutter

A build-up of office clutter will certainly affect how smoothly you are able to work. Invest in some rustic office furniture it will help you keep clutter at bay, keep organised and stay on track. A cluttered office means you will be unable to locate things when you need them and bring unnecessary stress to your day, not to mention waste time. A tidy and organised home, or office, will make you feel calmer, happier, productive and more accomplished – it sounds like one of the best therapies to us!

A home office has been essential for many of us over the past year or so and with many employees being given the option of working from home more, you may decide now is the time to take the plunge and create your perfect home office. If you are pushed for space or don’t want your new home office furniture to look too “officey” we have put together a few tips on hiding or incorporating it into another room, creating a versatile and flexible home office space.

1. Hide your desk

You could consider hiding your desk and chair in a cupboard keeping all office accessories such as cables, printers, keyboards tucked away out of sight at the end of the day. For this, pick a slim desk – or even a console table, just make sure to check the height If you have a dressing room or walk-in wardrobe this could be a great option for you. To help it not feel like you are working in a cupboard, you can hang houseplants on the wall, add some good lighting and put a mirror on the wall.

Photo featuring Chelwood Reclaimed Wood Desk

2. All dressed up

You don’t need a desk to look like an office desk for it to fulfil its purpose! Choose a desk that can double up as a dressing table or a dressing table that can double up as a desk! You may like something more ornate that suits your bedroom. Maybe an industrial style desk blends into your living room or kitchen better than a minimalist white one. Have a good look around at what is available and suits your style.

3. Think under for storage

If your office space is in your bedroom, use the under bed space for storage, perfect to hide all your office work at the end of the day. Some under bed drawers would be perfect for this or wicker baskets that can just be tucked back under the bed when finished with. A blanket box at the foot of the bed could also provide hidden office storage in the bedroom. There may even be some space under your desk – again there are so many different and versatile storage products around!

4. Pick the perfect chair

Choose a chair that will look good in any room – it doesn’t have to be a standard run of the mill office desk chair. Of course, if you will be sitting at your desk for many hours a day then help your back and shoulders and pick something that is comfortable for you and adjustable so you can sit at your desk correctly.

5. Soften the space

Make your office homely so it works out of hours too – opt for a reclaimed wood desk – it will bring a whole load of charm into your space. Wallpaper the room, add a rug, use a soft velvet armchair as your desk chair. Decorate the room in alternative softer colours rather than grey or brown.

6. Add some creativity

Bring in a super comfortable armchair for some clever or creative thinking, or hang an inspiring piece of art on the wall. A corkboard is a good place to pin up your favourite inspirational quotes and to pin ideas as they come to you.

Desks first appeared in the 1600’s when they were designed more like a bureau with a sloping front. In fact, this sloping writing front had originally been attached to the top of a chest of drawers, but in time it went on to become a wholly separate piece of furniture with the front of the bureau lowering down to create a ledge to write on and a storage area for paper and pens etc.

By the early 1700’s the writing desk started to include a kneehole with narrow drawers on either side of the kneehole. By the late 1700’s the office desk as we know it, was born. Mahogany was being imported from the Caribbean at this time making it the preference of the rich and wealthy who wanted furniture items to be very decorative, they loved the luxurious rich shine that could be achieved by polishing mahogany.

Then comes the industrial revolution in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and the entrepreneurs of the time start to succeed in business so the desk is not required only in the libraries of the county homes of the rich, but in offices, warehouses and factories, where previously a table had been used, a more functional and less ornate wooden desk was the order of the day. Now, of course, they are to be found in a variety of different shapes and sizes in many modern homes as well as the workplace.

So why would people opt for a writing desk rather than a large office style desk? Below there are a couple of things to think about before taking the plunge and purchasing a new reclaimed wood desk for your home.

Size

This is probably the most important consideration and depends on what space you have available to put your desk in. If you have a corner in the living room or an area on the landing, a space in the spare room or in your bedroom then a smaller writing desk is the ideal choice – remember you will need roughly an additional metre to place your best desk chair. A writing desk can also double as a dressing table with storage for cosmetics and jewellery in your bedroom, or used by guests in the spare room, simply hang a wall mirror above it!

The Worcester writing desk is just right for the corner in a bedroom or smaller space – being mainly white it will also tie in with other reclaimed wood furniture you may already have in the room.

What it will be used for?

If you like the personal touch of handwriting letters, or your journal, or are starting out on a book then a small writing desk is really all you need. You will only need a couple of drawers for storing writing paper, notebooks, paper and pens etc. Even if you just sit at the desk to check your emails and do the occasional bit of work on a laptop then the smaller writing desk is perfect – no need to take up the whole room with a full-size office desk!