How to create a home office on a budget

With more businesses encouraging their staff to work remotely, you may find yourself having to adapt a part of your home into an office space. Whether your new setup is temporary or permanent, here are our top tips for creating a home office which doesn’t break the bank.

Turn your dining room into a boardroom

If you don’t have the luxury of a spare room or home office, you’ll need to utilise the space and furniture you have available and a dining table can easily turn into your new desk. Whether it’s big enough to seat 6 or 16, it should give you plenty of space for your laptop or computer, notes and all your other knick-knacks. If there’s two of you at home working, try having an end each. It may be tempting to take lunch breaks here too, but try to separate your workspace from your eating space. We know that’s difficult when your eating space has been turned into your workspace, so you could try having your lunch al-fresco if the weather is nice.

At the end of the day, remember to clear away all of your work equipment and return the dining table to its former glory. This will help you sign off for the evening mentally by physically clearing your work away.

This is the most low-cost option as it doesn’t require any big furniture purchases, but you may want to invest in some comfy seat padding or back support as most dining chairs are designed for looks over comfort.

Create a multi-purpose room

Having a spare room is the holy grail when it comes to creating a home office. It means you can remove yourself from distractions within the home, such as the TV and sticking the odd washing on – out of sight, out of mind. If working at home is only temporary, investing in a new desk and chairs maybe aren’t the most economical for you. But how about a desk that doubles as a vanity table? This means you can still have the functionality of a home office, but the look of a walk-in wardrobe or dressing room. When your working day is done, store your laptop away in a drawer or use the computer screen as a TV.

If you don’t fancy the vanity desk idea, then maybe a desk that doubles as additional storage like a desk bookshelf. They are a great way to add some personality to a room with pictures and ornaments, as well as doubling up as a small office area. They’re relatively cheap too and can be moved from room to room.

Get a hideaway office

Depending on where you live, space can be an issue and you may not have the luxury of a spare room or even separate dining area. So, you may need to be a bit smarter with your home office setup. How about installing a foldaway desk, or floating desk, like this one? It can be fitted in any room, as long as there is enough space for a chair underneath. When you’re not working, all your equipment is hidden away, the chair can be removed, and you’re left with just as much space as you did before.

Speaking of hideaways, another way to create a small office without having to move to a bigger home is to turn an old cupboard or wardrobe into a workspace. All it takes is a few shelves, a lick of paint, lighting and a big dose of imagination. Here are some examples to get you started.

Sofa so good

If you’re finding it hard to secure your own little space at home, if you flatshare or you have a large family, your only option might be on the sofa. Whilst we wouldn’t encourage this for many reasons, including it being bad for your posture and, of course, the temptation to switch on the TV, we understand you may not have any other option. So if your new office is your favourite seat in the house, then there’s a couple of low-cost purchases that could help. A laptop stand is a little table that sits across the arm of the chair, it can double as a coffee table too, or support that sits on your lap.

I’m still standing

 Many people are switching to standing desks in their office due to the health benefits, and this doesn’t have to stop when you’re at home. There are various desks available that are either height adjustable or fully standing. Many of them also feature wheels that make it easy to move about your home. Great if you fancy storing your desk in the cupboard at the end of the day.

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Posted on April 29, 2020