Cecil Nurse: How To Set Up Your New Home Office

Working from home? Yes, us too. Save yourself from a hunched back, spaghetti wiring and a chaotic kitchen table with some of the most stylish home-office furniture and accessories available at Cecil Nurse.

While working from home might be the norm for some people, many South African’s only work from home when they are on holiday, over weekends or when there is a government mandated lockdown period.  This could also mean that the move from the office to the home might be a bit daunting, especially for those of you without a good home office set-up.

If you’re setting up a home office or you’ve decided to upgrade your current home office for full-time work, we have great suggestions for you.  All our suggestions are meant for a more functional, more productive work experience.

DECIDE WHERE IN THE HOME YOUR OFFICE WILL BE
One of the first things you should consider is where you’re going to work inside the home.  Consider your working style and the nature of your work, as well as the needs of the people you live with. By establishing in advance how much desktop space and storage you require, whether you prefer to be in a quiet space and how much time you spend on the phone.

While some people may have the luxury of choosing a room in their home for an office, many people might need to work in either the living room, bedroom or even the kitchen.  Establishing which room is right for your needs during home isolation is a good foundation for creating your perfect space.

WHAT FURNITURE DO YOU NEED IN YOUR HOME OFFICE?

Cecil Nurse has a selection of desks for sitting or standing in a selection of styles and budgets.  Those who have the space and the need, an L-shaped desk is a good choice.  These desks are handy if you have a bi-function role, such as digital on one side, and manual on the other.  They naturally work in corners as do sit-stand desks.  It can be beneficial to mount shelves, units, holders above the desk if your require additional storage and accessibility.

If standing while working isn’t for you, keep in mind that choosing the right office chair to maintain good posture is very important – and it’s best not to just use one of the chairs from your dining table.

The most common chair in the office today is a task chair, with rollers or wheels on the bottom, so firstly a four-legged chair does not allow you to move in and out from the table easily.  Regular position changing will require you to lean forward to lift the hair to move it, which is fine on the odd occasion, but if it’s happening regularly during the working day it will put pressure on your lower back and legs every time that you move in and out from the table.

For a desk chair, always consider purchasing an ergonomic chair or wobble stool.

MAKE SURE THE ROOM HAS THE RIGHT LIGHTING
If you work in an office, you already know that importance of lighting, especially the benefits of natural light.  It, therefore, makes sense that replicating this experience at home is just as important.

Lighting is a very important factor and, ideally, you should position the desk close to the window to benefit from as much daylight as possible.  Thinking carefully about your choice of window treatment will help you control the amount of light coming into your home office throughout the day.

Of course, it is not always possible to have your home office set-up near a window. If this is the case, consider buying side lamps rather than overhead lights—direct lighting can cause headaches. Adding in ambient lights can also diffuse any harsh lighting, helping with eye strain.

DECLUTTER, DECLUTTER, DECLUTTER
One thing that all the experts agree on was making sure that a workspace is clear of clutter.

Your home office, or designated workspace in your house, should be free of all things that trigger you to change what you are doing, such as housework, household bills, toys or food.  Any clutter will distract you, even if you are deeply connected with your work, and this resonance will reduce your potential productivity.

Using colour where possible is another way to boost performance, with shades of blue working particularly well for productivity and green being valuable in boosting wellbeing.

Having some decoration on your desk can also brighten it up, but too many items can cause your desk to look messy.  Consider a few items such as a candle, a stationary tray and small plants to help organise and inspire you.

Visit the website to inquire how Cecil Nurse can assist you in setting up a home office that falls within your budget and meets all your office furniture requirements.

www.cecilnurse.co.za