7 Essentials For Your New Home Office — MELANIE LISSACK INTERIORS

home office living room — *Varier Actulum Dining and Work Chairs, Back In Action, from £879*

Working from home has now become the norm for many people, enabling a better work/life balance and removing the strain of a tiring and stressful daily commute. Whether you have a dedicated office at home or have marked out a corner of your living room for working in daily, you’ll still want to be comfortable, remain a good posture and keep your home looking tidy and organised (and not strewn with paperwork, cables and stationary!) In this post, I’ve picked out 7 essentials that you’ll require to create the perfect home office set-up.

Essentials For Your New Home Office: 7 Top Picks

Desk

While this might seem obvious, you’ll be working all day at this spot, so you’ll need to pick the right desk for you. Do you require a lot of surface space? If so, make sure your desk is big enough for your requirements. Do you suffer from back pain or a reduction in energy from being sat down all day? If that’s a yes, compare the pros and cons of traditional seated desks with stand up desks and figure out what might be right for you.

sage green home office — *Image Credit:* *Furniture and Choice*

If you do not have an assigned office and you are using one of the rooms in your home as a multi-functional space, it is important to consider the aesthetics of your desk. Does your desk fit in with the rest of the furniture in the room so that it feels cohesive with the rest of the interior? You may also want to look into skinny-framed, compact desks that don’t take up too much room.

Ergonomic Chair

Even if you choose a standing desk, you should still have a chair somewhere close by so that you can use it occasionally. Make sure you go with an ergonomic chair which is supportive and comfortable and will bolster the natural curve of your spine. There are a multitude of ergonomic chairs available that vary in price range, so consider how many hours per day you will be sitting in the chair and invest wisely.

Charging System

With phones and laptops on at all times, you’ll require a decent charging system to avoid a messy, tangled mix of multiple wires on your desk. A good multiple-charging system will charge several devices in one go and will also provide a docking station to keep everything in one place (and not strewn over the desk and floor!)

Noise-Cancelling Headphones

While noise-cancelling headphones might not seem important, they can be more helpful than you’d think. If you host a few video calls during the day, they’ll make it easier to hear other people on the call and you won’t have to worry about any background noise (such as rubbish-collecting trucks or dogs barking!) You can even cancel out any background noise and other distractions while you’re working and as these tend to be relatively affordable to buy, they are a worthwhile purchase.

Desk Lamp

Task lighting is essential when working from home. There are times when you’ll need a dedicated light focused on your laptop and if you suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder), then a SAD desk lamp is a great choice to enhance your mood, energy and visual comfort. The LED technology of a SAD lamp emulates the natural effect of sunlight to help alleviate symptoms of winter blues and seasonal mood changes, making it a great choice if your home has little natural light.

stylish sad lamp — *Lumie SAD lamp available via John Lewis & Partners.*

Wellbeing Pod

An electric well-being pod that diffuses essential oils throughout the day is perfect for a calming, stress-free home office environment. The fine vapour mist will add scent to the air, creating a welcoming working space. Many electric diffusers also feature a ‘breathing mode’ activator that can be turned on to calm the senses in moments of high pressure.

Laptop Stand

A laptop is the most popular choice for remote working as it can travel with you anywhere, but if you are using it for long periods when working from home, this can have adverse effects on your neck as you tilt your head down towards the screen. To improve your posture, raise up your laptop with a stylish stand which brings it more level with your eyes.