Though the COVID-19 pandemic is apparently over and the world is getting back to normal, we know that we cannot undo everything we learned in the lockdown, and working from home is one of them.
It might have started as the last resort to keep things going, but we have also found comfort and convenience in our home offices. Many people also rediscovered themselves in the lockdown and started new ventures from their homes that they do not want to give up on.
So now that you have decided to continue working from home and know that your home office is going to stay, you must be looking for a home office design Singapore that can maximise your productivity with a minimum home office renovation cost.
This guide is meant to help you start your home office renovation and get you a home office design Singapore that will be completely functional without getting in the way of your personal life.
Things to Include in Your Singapore Home Office Design:
Since this is a budget guide, we will not tell you about the big investments you can make in your future office. Rather, we will focus on little things that can give you maximum returns.
1. The Ideal Space:
Like any other office, establishing your home office also begins with a location hunt. But since it will be somewhere inside your house, your list is already narrowed down.
There are a few things that will help you pick the ideal location. Firstly, look for any isolated space or room. You want it to be as far away from your family space as possible. Be mindful of the spaces like the kitchen and lounge because they will keep you distracted.
Secondly, the space must have a door or an area where you can install a door so you can isolate yourself. It will also keep the kids and pets from interrupting you during important calls.
Thirdly, the space must have necessary things like a washroom close by so you do not have to go to your personal space and interact with your family on the way. You also want it to have a separate entrance or at least have an entrance a few steps away if you host your clients in your office.
Lastly, it would be ideal if there was a little walking distance between your bedroom and your home office, so you could walk to it and transition yourself into your work mentality while going towards it.
To sum it up, the ideal location for your home office would be your garage, an attic, or a spare bedroom.
2. Start The Conversion:
Now that you have spotted the ideal spot, it is time to start the conversion. Most of the conversion would be at an apparent level, so it would not require much investment, but you would still need to buy some stuff.
The first thing to consider is the wall paint. Mostly, we have cosy and relaxing colours in our houses so we can relax. We also get creative and use different combinations.
You would want a professional look for your home office, so repainting the walls is a good starting point. You should paint the walls with bright colours to help you wake up and stay active. Secondly, they should also be plain enough not to distract you.
The second step would be to make your home office a little less difficult to maintain. For example, we would advise you to install a wooden floor if you currently have a carpet because it won’t get dirty as easily and won’t take much time and energy to clean.
The third step would be to remove any family pictures, distracting paintings, or movie posters from the walls and replace them with motivational quotes, your own work, awards, certificates, or anything that will inspire you to work harder.
3. Add Nature:
The purpose of your home office is to keep you productive, not to turn you into a robot. You might be thinking you should remove all the elements that make you a human, but that’s not true.
Instead, we recommend adding natural elements to your home office, such as natural light, a good view, and maybe a few plants.
Such natural elements play a part in keeping you productive as well as healthy. Natural light will keep you active and fresh and help you focus. A good few minutes on your lawn will refresh you and enable you to brainstorm. Similarly, plant life around you will provide you with fresh oxygen, and you will have something else to look at besides the screen light.
4. A Desk and a Chair:
Lastly, a desk and a chair would be the finishing touches for your basic home office. Your desk and chair will be your biggest investments in the design and renovation of your home office because they primarily constitute most of your workspace.
We would recommend that you choose an ergonomic chair so you can get adequate support. An ergonomic chair will not only keep you fit in the long run, but it will also keep you from getting tired easily.
Similarly, our recommendation would be that you buy a standing desk to pair with your ergonomic chair. A standing desk would keep you from getting confined to a sitting position and allow you to work in multiple positions at different heights.
It would be great if you could put your table and chair right under a window because it would provide you with natural light and a view at the same time, so you do not get exhausted by working long hours.
