The coronavirus pandemic has crippled so much in society that is has forced many to work from home. Luckily for those who have been working online for many years now, they do have a workspace already in place in their apartment. But for those who are starting out, you may find yourself working on your laptop in either your living room, dining room, or even your kitchen at one point. While it is great having to move around, it can be uncomfortable at times. What you need is a corner to yourself where you can get those creative juices flowing. Get that work from home set up right in your apartment. Here are some ideas.
Identify where your workspace goes
Ideally, a workspace should have a room to itself in an apartment. But the thing is, if you’re living in a rather small space, that could be impossible. The best thing to do is to choose a space where you can sit for a long period of time getting enough light and ventilation.
The living room could be your best bet. You’ve been using it for the past couple of days anyway! Rearrange your furniture and find a spot where the workspace can still function even when you have guests around.
How about those who do not have enough space in the living room? Well, your next option would be the bedroom. Divide the space using either a room divider or a curtain to kind of separate your workspace from your bed area. That way, you still get that much-needed privacy.
The last option would be the kitchen. This does sound weird but it’s a space where you don’t get distracted by the comfort of a couch or a bed. This can work for those of you who just can’t say no to a quick nap. If you have a counter cabinet, you could easily convert one of those into a small workspace.
Portable, foldable desk and a high-quality chair
Now that you have a working space in place, you move on to getting the most important part — a portable or foldable desk and a chair. Why portable? You might just change your mind as to where you choose to set up your work area, and when that day comes, all you have to do is carry it to the next spot you have in mind.
The best part is, once you’re done with your tasks, you can easily fold your desk and remove any reminder of work for the remainder of the day. Having a workspace at home should not take away the real comfort and relaxation you get at home.
As to the chair, you could either get one that already is in your apartment (a dining chair maybe) or invest in a high-quality chair that gives proper lumbar support. Whether it’s something you buy or not, chairs you should be comfortable enough to use for the whole day but not too perfect for comfort that you end up sleeping halfway through your work shift.
Go minimal
A few days into working from home, you find yourself hoarding stuff on your desk. Some of them actually for work, while some totally unnecessary. That’s the danger of having any desk at home. It turns into a jungle. The key here is to go minimal. Don’t feel too excited about buying office supplies you think you need. If you need a pen, just use one. If you need to write, use a notebook instead of pieces of paper that you know for sure would dominate your workspace in no time.
The point is to refrain from putting anything else on your desk other than your laptop, a pen, and a notebook. Picture frames, candles, and pen holders that aren’t really needed can be placed in other parts of your home.
Design your workspace as part of your living space
One of the best things about setting up your workspace at home is you get to design it the way you want as opposed to the space you have in the office. In designing, you want to make sure that it doesn’t separate itself from the total look of your apartment. You could either get a desk and chair that goes with the style or feel of the room or you could simply accessorize a bit and follow the color scheme of that space.
The next thing you can do is to rearrange the furniture in such a way that your workspace becomes part of your living space. That way, it doesn’t seem like it was random furniture just put here and there.
Whether you decide to have your workspace in your living room, bedroom, or kitchen, always remember that the primary purpose of a home is still for relaxation and leisure. A workspace shouldn’t take that away. Now get started and let the work-from-home journey begin!