7 Ways to DIY Upgrade Your Home Office

In this era of masks and lockdowns, the way we work has changed a great deal. More and more of us are now working from home instead of commuting into an office every day. This is great news for those of us who hate driving to work and fighting the traffic to get back home, but working from home comes with its own set of problems as well.

On gray days it means you have less incentive to go out, and so you may not get as much exercise as you used to. Plus, even if you have a dedicated study in your house, that work zone may not be as well equipped as you are used to. Most of us haven’t had to create an office space in our house before, and there are a few details that can measurably improve the work from home experience and make our home office more practical. 

Standing Desk

Standing Desks Are Healthier Than Sitting Down

Working from home often means sitting for hours on end, and that can be bad for you in a lot of ways. Excessive sitting can cause nerve damage, muscular problems, and can even cause you to lose feeling in your toes. Sitting too much can even give you elevated risks of diabetes and heart disease.

To counteract these negative effects, it makes sense to invest in an adjustable desk that you can easily use while standing. While it may not seem comfortable, standing while you work can give you some good health benefits if you do it regularly. Once your body gets used to it, you’ll generally feel less of the discomfort that is caused by sitting. Standing has also been shown to strengthen your calf muscles and may even boost productivity.

The happy medium when it comes to working is standing most of the time and sitting only occasionally. Adjustable desks make this an easy routine to achieve. 

Better Lighting

Boost Lighting to Maximize Productivity

A lot of home workspaces can feel rather dark and dingy, and this isn’t surprising. After all, if you previously used to work in an office space, you're likely accustomed to working in a place bathed in fluorescent lighting; and if you worked in a tower you probably got lots of sunlight. A gloomy workspace is no good for your productivity. Working in the dark will make you tired faster, and can make you feel lazy or even depressed.

It’s also an easy way to end up with eye strain problems which can make work even more unpleasant. Happily, adding more light is easier than ever nowadays. The simplest way to brighten a space up is to buy a lamp or two. Modern lamps nowadays come with LED bulbs that shine very brightly. Alternatively, you can look into upgrading your existing light fixtures with LED bulbs as well.

Either way, adding light will make a noticeable difference in your workspace atmosphere. It is so much nicer to work away in a bright space than be forced to get through the day in a dim one.

Improve Usage of Space

Room Dividers Help to Keep You Focused

Since most of us don’t have a dedicated workspace in our homes, your "office" is probably a part of a bigger room that has different uses. It is not uncommon to set up a work desk in a large living room for example. In these cases, the main downside is clutter. Adding so much into one room is an easy way to cause clutter to build up. This can not only be unsightly but it is also distracting, to say nothing of how distracting it can be to work in a room you typically associate with lounging.

The easiest way to change this atmosphere is with sturdy dividers. Dividers have really gone up in popularity and it’s no surprise given how many more people are working from home nowadays. Dividers help keep you in the zone while you work and they also block out anything that could distract you. If your job involves a lot of videoconferencing, dividers can help block out anything that could be in the background of your video feed.  

Make Things Artsy

Liven Your Home Office up With Some Color

Too many of us overlook the aesthetic side of things when we go to set up a workspace. We think that all that’s really needed is a desk and chair, and maybe a carpet if we're being adventurous. However, it pays to also put some thought into how you want your workspace to look and feel, especially since you will be spending hours in it every day.

So be sure to spice things up with a bit of color and variety. Decorate the blank walls of your workspace with something artsy like art prints, wall decors such as a framed painting, or even a couple of accent walls. Place a pretty vase of flowers on your desk, and maybe add a framed picture of someone you love next to it. Make the desk lamp you chose to be an artistic minimalist piece so that you can add a touch of individualization to your workspace.

Better yet, consider repainting the room you intend to work in and give it some interesting colors that aren’t white or beige. DIY wall painting can really improve the ambiance in a dreary home office. 

Buy a Carpet

Carpets Have Many Benefits for Your Home Office

This might seem like an obvious one to most homeowners, but carpets are another thing that many of us can overlook as we build our perfect workspace. There are so many good reasons to get a carpet. For one, carpets under your office chair will prevent the chair from scratching up your floor — and are essential for those of us who plan to stand while we work.

Imagine standing for hours on end on a cold wooden floor and the usefulness of a padded carpet becomes clear. Plus, carpets are another way of adding a unique flair to your home workspace. There are so many different carpet designs and styles to choose from, and no shortage of options for those that want to spice things up in the home office.

Carpets also help to cancel noise which is an obvious benefit for anyone who wants to maximize productivity. 

Get a Better Chair 

A Comfier Chair Means a More Productive Workday

This is another big one. A bad chair can make work painful and unpleasant, and can even be a distraction in and of itself. Sitting for long stretches of time on a hard chair can even cause nerve problems, and no one wants that. If you feel your chair isn’t cutting it, it’s time for an upgrade.

Modern office chairs come with all manner of bolstering and support intended to make them more comfortable and adjustable. All this means that it is a lot easier to find a chair that suits your dimensions and is therefore comfortable. The best office chairs provide good posture support and help maximize productivity by reducing pain. Your office chair should ideally be almost painless to sit on for a few hours.

Of course, we recommend taking breaks often so you aren’t sitting for hours on end. It's better for your health, and can also increase your productivity by helping you to mentally regroup so you can tackle your task with renewed energy.

Buy Some Plants

Even a Single Plant Can Make a World of Difference

There are a few easier ways to add color and texture to your home office than with a bunch of pretty plants. Greenery has a way of reducing stress and can make any space more interesting, especially if your workspace is in need of a color injection. Plants can also help to increase your productivity; and will make it easier to reduce clutter on your desk since you don’t want to take up the room your plants need.

If you happen to not be that good at taking care of plants, you can also opt for artificial ones. These plastic plants never need any water and at most will need to be dusted very occasionally so they don’t get too dirty. Newer artificial plants have gotten really good at looking like their real version. These can be an ideal alternative for anyone that really wants plants but doesn’t want to deal with daily watering.