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Friday, 17 March 2023 15:39

Home office: How to set up your office in the hallway or living room

Standing Desk Standing Desk pixabay

The pandemic has proven how quickly your home can turn into your workplace. Having a study, on the other hand, is a luxury available in only a few apartments and houses. Nevertheless, the tips in this guide show how to create space for the home office in the living room or even a spacious hallway.

A modern office no longer needs much space

Just a few years ago, computers, monitors and files often took up a large part of the office. Accordingly, the dimensions of the office furniture also had to turn out. In the meantime, there has been a significant change. Laptops and even multiple monitors now take up only a fraction of the space they used to. This also has a positive effect on the search for a suitable place within the home.

The living room should be the center of attention. The size of the living room and the fact that it often has several windows make it easier to find a workstation in this room. The bedroom, on the other hand, is rather unsuitable. Being reminded of work first thing after getting up and before going to sleep can have a negative effect on motivation. Equally unsuitable is the kitchen, as the handling of food there simply creates too great a risk in the presence of electrical appliances such as computers.

Space-saving furniture is also suitable for the hallway

In addition to the living room, the hallway can also be suitable as a new home office. It is important to include the width of the hallway in this decision. A width of 2 meters is considered ideal to accommodate a desk or other furniture. At the same time, however, does not create an obstacle, so the hallway remains as an escape route. An insider tip for the home office in the hallway is the space under staircases. If this area is currently empty, it is a good idea to set up a largely undisturbed place to work there in the future.

In general, it is advisable to start looking for an optimal location for space-saving office furniture in the corners of the respective rooms. There, room dividers make it easier to set up small offices. Hiding the desk behind a room divider also has the advantage of making it easier to forget about work during the rest of the day.

Ergonomics should not be neglected

In the home office, the employer is no longer responsible for the choice of furniture. This also applies to the ergonomics of the desk and office chair. To ensure that working at home does not end in back problems, it is recommended to prefer ergonomically shaped furniture such as the Standing Desk. These pieces of furniture allow to perform the usual office activities not only sitting. A professional standing desk should also be height-adjustable in order to adapt to the respective body size.

Ergonomic solutions now also exist for buying office chairs. This applies to the selection of seat balls as well as knee chairs. In this area, manufacturers have come up with several options to prevent everyday office life from turning into a test for the spine and back.

The new room design also includes the lighting

If the home office moves into the hallway or living room, it may also be necessary to make changes to the lighting. Not all rooms require the hiring of an electrician for this purpose. Numerous desk lamps now easily manage to imitate natural daylight even in dark corners of the room. The use of LED lamps also ensures that the additional lighting does not require huge amounts of electricity. Lamps that can be attached to the edge of the desk are also suitable for space-saving office furniture and thus leave enough room for equipment and other work utensils.