Since Covid started, many people are transitioning from the normal office set up to working from home. Working remotely has become the new normal and businesses are encouraging their employees to utilize their home office spaces to stay safe and stay productive throughout the workday.
There’s no doubt that having a dedicated home office is vital for everyone who works from home. But the scales of work life balance have been thrown out of whack and now we are tasked with working from home and no longer have that physical separation of work-life and home-life. Everyone is now looking to recreate that balance. This is where home office design comes in! Knowing what makes a home office efficient and effective for you can have an enormous impact, not just on your work performance, but on your overall health and wellbeing.
People are looking for ways to be able to work smarter from the comfort of their home and design new home office spaces in every corner of their home from guest rooms, to dining rooms, living rooms, and even small hallway closets. We’ve seen a huge spike in home office trends, home office products, and office furniture that are gaining traction from online shoppers.
One of the top design trends that people are so into is modern design. Modern design is considered practical, straightforward, and functional. But what actually defines a modern home office? Read on and find out if this design aesthetic is the right fit for you.
What Defines Modern Office Design?
Minimalist Clean Lines
With a modern Scandinavian design, you don’t need fancy, elaborate furniture and office décor pieces with detailed ornamentations cluttering up your space. Stick to furniture with clean lines and simple geometry. Think stereotypical IKEA™ furniture. Start with the basics from a modern desk paired with an ergonomic office chair. Minimalism is key here.
If space allows, adding a simple rectangular sofa with a small coffee table and floor lamp in the corner will make your workspace feel laid-back, while remaining practical and functional. Keep your color palette calm with neutrals and earth tones. This interior design aesthetic focuses on also creating harmony and visual balance.
Natural Light
Lighting plays a huge factor in your mood and work performance. A poorly lit space will feel cramped and can make you feel confined and depressed. Modern home offices tend to be open and are characterized by huge windows that allow an ample amount of natural light to flood the space.
If you’re opting for a modern home office design, windows and natural light should be a high priority. In terms of window treatments, you have two options. Hanging sheer linen curtains will calmly diffuse the light and help control the ambient temperature of the space. However, if you really want to own the modern design aesthetic, you ditch the window treatments all-together and take advantage of all the natural light in the space.
Do not worry if you do not have large windows in your office or you’re creating a small modern office nook in the corner of a living room or dining room for example. Do the best with what light you can grab from the windows that you do have. If you’re struggling to gain natural light, focus on adding light to the space through a combination pendant lights, sconces, floor lamps, and a desk lamp for task lighting. Add mirrors to create a gallery wall to bounce what light you do have around your office space. Your priority when designing a small home office space is to make it feel as light and bright as possible, even when the layout or windows aren’t necessarily set up in your favor. Therefore you should focus on light fixtures and mirrors that will brighten the space and diffuse light appropriately.
Minimal Clutter
A modern home office follows the “less is more” philosophy in interior design. That is what helps make it modern. Remove unnecessary ornamentations and keep your decorations to a bare minimum. We all know that home offices are prone to clutter from paperwork to mail to books and we want to reduce that visual noise to remove distraction.
However, we understand that in reality we need to store our books, paperwork, wires, and other office supplies and that we need to have easy access to them in our offices. But a cluttered office can distract you from your work an decreases your productivity. To avoid this, there are two key steps:
First declutter and declutter frequently. Donate and discard the things that you don’t need. Add emptying your trash or recycling bin to your daily routine. Shred important documents that you no longer need to make space in your drawers and cabinets for the paperwork that you do need. To paraphrase Marie Kondo, if it doesn’t spark joy and if it isn’t necessary for work, let it go.
The second step is to incorporate built in storage spaces to keep what you do need organized. Add built in bookshelves, cabinetry, or filing cabinets with simple wood or solid panel doors to hide all the books, documents, and décor you do not need access to regularly. An alternative way to accessorize and spruce up a modern home office is by adding open shelving or simple bookcases, if built-ins aren’t an option, where you can safely store your books, supplies, and other home décor.
Natural Materials
Modern design almost always encourages sustainability and draws inspiration from the natural environment.
Organic materials keep the interior environment fresh and calm. It creates a relaxing ambiance that relieves anxiety and stress and in turn, contributes to your overall health and wellbeing.
To achieve this, opt for furniture pieces that are made up of organic materials such as wood, rattan, or bamboo. If you prefer upholstered furniture pieces, opting for an earth tone color palette will make your home office have that relaxed and easy-going feel.
Consider adding a jute rug for texture to your home office. Don’t forget to add some low maintenance indoor greenery such as succulents or spider plants. They’ll help keep your workspace feeling fresh no matter how large or small it is. If plants aren’t your forte, a small fish tank can provide that same sense of nature with the added benefit of companionship.
Functional Layouts and Furniture
Finally, if not most importantly, your home office layout must function and function efficiently for you. You cannot be productive in an environment that does not function for you. So once you have designated the location in your home that will be your home office space, you must carefully and thoughtfully plan your office furniture layout. Consider where your windows are, the size of your home office desk and its style, how much space your office chair needs. Think about those in relation to the locations of all your outlets versus your computer wires and phone chargers, the size and position of any closets, and the wall spaces that can accommodate your bookshelves. Utilize the storage spaces that you have in the way that is most optimal for you.
Modern offices have a simple and straightforward layout that encourages ease of access and navigation. Don’t be afraid to test a layout for a couple weeks and then rearrange it if it ends up not working out or if you just want to change it up. It’s a free way to make your modern home office feel new again.
To do this though, make sure you get rid of any large, bulky, or unnecessary furniture pieces and keep only those that you use. For example, consider using a simple rectangular table as a desk or a swivel chair on casters for your desk chair, all with mid-century modern lines. Choosing furniture like this will save you physical and visual space making your office look and feel more spacious.
Be bold and float your writing desk away from any walls. It’ll give you the freedom to walk around your space and not feel confined to a corner or against a wall. Again, openness is key here. Having a floating desk or standing desk in the middle of the room reinforces that idea of airiness, ease, and tranquility in your office space, making mental room for productivity and removing distraction.
Check out our Pinterest Board for our full list of modern home office ideas.
Having a dedicated workspace at home will help you to focus and not get easily distracted. But having a well-designed modern home office means a taking it to whole new level. Don’t just have a space to work in. Designed it and decorate it with intention. Working from home should not be a chore. An intentionally designed modern home office will make you feel excited to go to work, even if it’s only around the corner from your bedroom. You should fall in love with your office space every time you walk in. Your modern home office should be a joyful office, filled with inspiration and clear of distraction.
How would you incorporate these modern home office ideas into your next office makeover? Tell us in the comments! We’d love to hear your thoughts and see how you implement these modern home office design ideas!