With remote work being more common due to the pandemic, our homes are becoming much more than just a place to spend time with family, have meals and relax. They’ve also taken the role as a work space, which can have great benefits with the right home improvement strategies. Is your home suited for work? For this blog, a guest writer shares tips on making your home a great multi-purpose space—keep reading to find out if yours supports your needs.
Working from home is no longer taboo as it was just a few years ago. But, because of the popularity of remote work, our homes have had to pull double duty. If you find yourself in this position, you need to take action now to ensure that your house is not only your home but is also conducive to your mental, physical, and professional health.
Judy Winslow shares the following post as just one of many great resources for her clients.
The Perfect Work Space
Your perfect workspace should have plenty of room for your desk, other office furniture, and equipment. It should be set far enough away from the rest of the home so that you won’t be bothered by children playing or video games blaring. Further, if you plan to have people come into your home office, look for an area with a separate entrance. A converted garage works beautifully. Keep in mind here that if you do move your office to a garage or basement that you want to invest in hard-wired internet so that you aren’t worrying about the signal from your router having to pass through heavy brick or cinder block walls and slow you down while you work.
A Comfort Zone
Outside of the office, consider remodeling with relaxation in mind. In the kitchen, Judy Winslow suggests things like staying organized and giving yourself a coffee bar. Make sure bedrooms are clean and decluttered and your living spaces have fresh-cut flowers or plants. Go through each room and define how it will be used. The bedroom, for example, should be for sleeping. The dining room for eating and entertainment. Then, paint each room in a color palette that calms or invigorates you while you are using that space.
Fun and Fitness From Home
Your next task is to make sure that your home supports your hobbies and interests outside of work. This is crucial because time spent on your passions can, according to ZenBusiness, “recharge your batteries” while making you more creative and energized. Create a “hobby room” where you can do things like work puzzles, draw, paint, or read. Something else that you can use this space for is exercising or storing equipment for your outdoor hobbies. If you cycle, play basketball, like to garden, or enjoy skiing, having an organized and dedicated place for the equipment and clothing you need for these will keep you motivated to do them.
Gathering Together
Even though you now use your space primarily for work, don’t forget about your home’s main purpose: to keep your family together. In this vein of thought, make sure that you have at least one room set up for family time. Not only will spending time with those you love help you cope with stress, but it will also strengthen the bonds between you. Create a gathering space, such as the living room, game room, or cozy dining room, where you can all be together uninterrupted. If you need a few ideas, check out DecorPad’s gathering room examples.
Home is where the heart is, but when it is also where your paycheck is made, you must prioritize your wellness all the time. By taking control of your environment, you take control of your mental and physical health, and you’ll be more organized and ready to tackle both personal and professional tasks. In a world where it is increasingly difficult to separate ourselves from work, intentionally designing each space in your home for a specific purpose can help you find balance when you need it most.
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Looking to make your home optimize your living and working needs? Judy Winslow is here to help. Please contact Judy via her contact page here.