Ever since work from home (WFH) became the new normal, for many working professionals their bedroom now doubles as the office. Inability to compartmentalise your office and space to relax can strike a work-life imbalance and cause a dip in productivity.
As many industries are forced to accept this home office setup, interior experts offer design solutions and tweaks that just need minimal spending or moving furniture around.
Redesign the existing space
The key to maintaining an efficient work space is to regularly declutter and organise it. "A neat space with good ventilation and natural lighting can maintain a healthy sense of connection with the exterior surroundings," says Interior Designer Punam Kalra, Creative Director of I’m The Centre for Applied Arts.
"Excess belongings can be grouped, labelled, and arranged using creative storage, space organisers, boxes and baskets. Personalising various small recluse zones with comfortable furniture and chic accessories like lamps, small planters, vibrant art, speakers, cozy rugs, throws, and cushions, can create an interesting and relaxing ambiance that is also easy to maintain," she adds.
UDC Homes co-founder Neha Jain, who believes "your home is a reflection of who you are" says, "My home office is a place of inspiration and I love to style it in a colour that calms me down. For me, that colour is green. I have seen that sunlight and a room with a window is ideal for converting into your ‘home office’. There is no replacement to fresh air and natural light."
Make space for daily activities
Multipurpose spaces call for a new way to structure the interiors for various other activities, like exercising, family discussions, and play zones. "The existing furniture layout can be changed to open out the living room and the semi-private zones within the house to create hindrance free usage or to maximise comfortable seating for cozy reading and viewing spots," suggests Kalra, adding, "A demarcated play zone with easy canvas panels, bulletin boards, and blackboards, along with access to fun reading corners is an excellent way to encourage the child to explore their individuality. Installations like climbing walls, hanging ropes, tree houses, indoor swings and tents, and miniature practice nets with adequate surface padding and soft cushions, add a nice touch of adventure in keeping the child active."
Added elements on a limited budget
The modern-day furniture is about ease of access, aesthetics, and multifunctional pieces with incorporated technology and vast storage.
"This furniture is highly individual and can be paired with artisanal accessories, like pottery, macramé, rattan, and wicker to add effortless charm to the space. Options with charging ports, hidden storage, and adaptable pieces that can be moved and repurposed are easy to handle in homes office layouts. Integrated low level and corner creative storages that double up as seating or an artistic highlight, ensure fun and functional spaces," says Kalra.
Jain believes that one can easily revamp an existing little corner at their home by using smart interior solutions such as wallpaper. "It takes only about 3-4 hours to do a wallmakeover and no post installation maintenance. One can enjoy a beautiful garden view even with no garden around, that’s what wallpapers can do. Beautiful and economical elements such as indoor succulents, a nice weekly planner, quirky pinboard, et al, makes your home office look pretty and doesn’t hurt the pockets at same time."
Rent rather than buy
Fabrento founder Sidhant Lamba finds renting furniture more feasible than buying as everyone is concerned about their job security in these uncertain times. "Alongside, WFH furniture, we have seen the rise in the trend for comfort furniture like recliners and sofas. People are spending all of their time at home…coffee hours with family, WFH, even video calls with friends from home, which has brought in their awareness for some essential home aesthetics they had not even thought of earlier. We have also seen the rising trend of multifunctional furniture like dining tables that double up as a workstation and a family or flatmate gathering during dinner," says Lamba.