Work is where home is

Work-from-home can be a foreign experience, but not if you reorganise your space, throw in some quirky accessories and bring the office vibe home, say decor experts

Published: 20th April 2020 05:21 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: With the pandemic forcing a change in our work schedules and environment, work-from-home seems to be the name of the game. Are you falling asleep on the bed with the laptop on your face? Back pains are the only constant in your days? HomeLane’s leading designers — Baashobe Majumdar, VP, design, and Dipti Das, AVP, design — decode this clutter and give you a refreshing take on creating a workspace at home with materials already available. Are you ready to get ultra-focused and back in your work-zone?

Get comfortable

To work from home, you first need to get comfortable. Choose a convenient place where you can spend long durations of time. A few times, I’ve found the dining table to do that, while some have gone for the couch. Others have chosen their floor mattress in the living area and some, the bed in the guest room. So take your pick. But make yourself home, at home!

Illustration: Tapas Ranjan

Watch your back!

Considering most of us have a job that makes us sit in a place for extended durations, what takes the beating is our back. Homes, typically, do not have lumbar-supporting chairs, which means, wherever we make ourselves comfortable, our backs are still paying for it. The best way to avoid the strain is to get up from time to time and move around. Stretch your back, twist it, turn it, and break into a song and dance if that helps, but keep moving.

Keep time. Keep rhythm

One of the most common things experienced during the lockdown is that people are losing track of time.

Before the lockdown, we did multiple jobs in a specific sequence, five-six days in a week. For example: Set your alarm the previous night, decide if you want to wash your hair at night or in the morning,

keep your clothes ready before your shower, pack your lunch, and so on. A lot of these activities aren’t needed anymore or do not have the same importance. Solution? Create your new rhythm at the earliest. Tell yourself that this is what it is going to be. You might tweak it along the way but start with a personally  customised pattern.

Work accents

At the office, we try to personalise our desks with coffee mugs, photos of loved ones, books that inspire us etc. Apart from this, we also have functional items on our desk — sticky notes, notepads, laptop bag/sleeve, pen stand, company accolades. In the new, almost make-believe workplace, it is helpful to bring the same vibe back. These little things will help get you the focus required for work and remind you of your earlier work environment.

Space selection

A specified workspace at home can help in focussing on the tasks at hand for the day. The space selected should be quiet and away from household distractions. Convert any one of the available rooms in your residence, whether the guest bedroom or the living room, into a workplace without disrupting the flow. All that is needed is a table and a chair.

Furniture

The desk should be at the height of 2 ft 6 inches-2 ft 8 inches for best comfort. Looking into a blank wall can be stressful. Hence, placing the office in front of a window is advisable. Mount a power strip underneath or on the back of the desk for multiple wires — laptop charger, mobile charger and other electronics required. Cable ties can be used to keep wires together and hide them at the back of the furniture.

As for the seating arrangement, opt for workstation chairs, preferably an adjustable one with excellent lower back support. The ergonomic designs make sitting for long hours comfortable. In  case the available space is small, one can opt for a space-saving foldable study table which folds away on to the wall when not in use. Make space on the desk for work-from-home (WFH) essentials with trays to organize stationery and books. Make use of the vertical wall space with floating shelves to stowaway files that require easy accessibility.

No place for workstation

In case of less square footage, don’t worry, instead, repurpose the dining room table. However, it is not

recommended to use a dining chair, as it is not designed for prolonged sitting sessions. Adding cushions can go a long way in providing the right support and softening the impact. Another alternative is to set up a temporary arrangement by using a foldable laptop table that can be used while sitting on the bed.

Decor

Avoid making the workstation feel like an office cubicle by decorating it like any other room at home. Use fun notepads, sticky notes, a colourful basket for work trash and a quirky mug as a pencil holder. Hang inspirational prints or art on the walls. Indoor table plants like Echeveria and Peperomia can help

break the monotony of work by giving you a hint of nature.

Lighting

It is essential to have sufficient lighting to avoid strain on the eyes and for a refreshing vibe. Natural

light works best, but if that is not possible, then use a bright task light, preferably white, to liven up the

room. Add in a study lamp on the desk for more lighting. Remember to position the computer monitor/  laptop in a way that there is no glare on the screen from a window or overhead light.