The fact that we have a space available in our homes to work doesn’t mean that it’s the right work environment. To increase productivity when we work, it’s essential to design a home office with which we can concentrate.
It may seem complicated to achieve, but we are sure that thanks to this home office furniture guide it will be easier for you.
What furniture goes in a home office?
The type of furniture you need if you’re working from home will vary according to your needs. However, we are going to review the basic furniture you need for your home office. It’s important not to oversaturate your workspace and choose quality ergonomic furniture. Sometimes less is more!
Office Desk
An office desk must be functional and have enough space to be able to work in a certain order. Nowadays, most workstations need space for a computer and various accessories, so the office table will have to be wide enough to contain them and also have space to place folders and different papers.
So, you’re working during the day and your children do their homework at night? Say goodbye to the hassle! High Tide is a great tool that offers the ideal flexibility for this! A standard office table should have the following characteristics:
- It must be large enough to allow the placement of work material and equipment.
- The surface of the table should be matte in order to avoid reflections.
- The color of the table should be light to reduce the contrasts between the furniture, the environment and the work equipment.
- Table materials must not transmit heat or cold. As far as possible, they should be materials with low thermal transmission.
It’s also recommended that the table has at least a couple of drawers to store the material and documents, so that it can be easily accessed if it is needed at any time. In some cases it may contain a hidden keyboard tray, although this depends on individual preferences.
Are you setting up your home office in a small space? Check out our Drop Desk! It’s a compact desk for 1 or 2 people that can be folded down and stored easily in environments with limited space.
Office Chairs
Chairs are always necessary where there’s a constant influx of people and if it’s the work environment, these should be a high priority within the list of essential office equipment and furniture. According to the use that they are going to be given and the space where they are to be placed, the chairs have specific characteristics and conditions.
To choose a good chair you have to prioritize comfort. Office chairs are used throughout the day, so they must ideally be ergonomic. This means that they mold to the natural shape of the spine and its position to avoid injuries.
It’s also recommended that the back of the chair be high and occupy a large part of the back. Depending on the preferences of each person, chairs could be fixed or have wheels, but the height must be adjustable!
For greater comfort, when buying chairs for an office, we should also take into account the armrests, since they are an element that allows to avoid back and shoulder pain, and also facilitates the rest of the body.
There are professional chairs adapted for the use of new technologies and with modern designs, so you can find many types of office chairs on the market and each one has its own characteristics. Let’s check out a few of them:
- Office chairs: these directly influence the comfort and health of the worker, which is why they are so important. Selecting chairs designed under ergonomic standards and parameters will guarantee the highest level of comfort and convenience for employees. This will mean a better level of performance and productivity in your work.
- Swivel chairs: are the most standard and offer good mobility. In most cases these are office chairs with wheels. The dynamic environment that is our home requires adaptable chairs that adapt to the changes of everyday life. Wit Chair’s design is inspired by the way people work. It’s a convenient high back mode chair with lumbar adjustment, height-adjustable arms, hydraulic cylinders for chair adjustment and swivel tilt mechanism with s locking option in upright position for better support.
- Ergonomic chairs are more designed to adapt to our morphology and prevent muscle discomfort. They are ideal for those who spend many hours sitting in the office. Castillo was built to reduce muscle fatigue during long periods of sitting. This chair automatically adjusts tilt tension according to the user’s body weight, simultaneously providing optimal movement and support in a range of positions.
- Management chairs are usually larger and have a plus of comfort and design. They are also usually more aesthetically imposing and elegant. Aqua Chair is an ergonomic work chair with a mesh backrest available in 8 colors and an upholstered seat. This chair can be adjusted in height and includes 2 choices of armrests; either fixed or adjustable in height.
Shelves
Shelves are very useful to place all kinds of things that we may need for our work routine. In addition, they are perfect as a distributive element of the space, creating separations between spaces giving it even more functionality.
There are also many different designs of shelves that will help add the final touch to our decoration. In the case of a home office, it may not be necessary to buy shelves depending on where you place your workspace.
Office supplies and accessories
As a complement to the list of essential office furniture, you can add accessories such as pendant lamps, table organizers, footrests, lifting platforms for computers, clipboards or support tables, pencil glasses and more.
Remember that this list of essential home office furniture will be useful to place and keep organized all your office accessories and your work material so that you can develop your work routine comfortably.
Did you know? Although it’s called a footrest, its benefits are felt all over the body after a day’s work. Check out our Angle foot rest, with a sturdy and intuitive design that will increase your comfort and well-being
7 Tips to select the perfect furniture for your home office
Ergonomics is a must in the workplace
Ergonomics is a determining factor when designing a home office. If you choose an uncomfortable chair or that does not fit well on the table or your back, you can end up with a muscle injury. The desk table, on the other hand, should give you enough space to work and to be able to place the tools or work documents that you have to have on hand.
In this sense, it is important that you look at the quality of the furniture, since spending many hours in the same position can take its toll if the product is not good.
Measure your home office space
You don’t want to receive furniture and find that it’s too big and doesn’t fit in your workspace! Take measurements, make a small plan and analyze what’s the best way to distribute your office space. Once you have it clear, go to the store with the measurements you took to know which furniture will fit you and which will not.
Make a list
To avoid forgetting something, be sure to make a list of all the things you need and the amount. The basic furniture will surely be a table and a chair, but consider buying things like lamps, footrests or corks.
Set a budget
Before you start looking at the catalog of your favorite store, it is important that you decide how much you’re going to spend on office furniture. In the market there’s a great variety of products and prices.
Choose practicality over aesthetics
When speaking about home office design, it’s definitely more important to focus first on practicality and then on aesthetic. Both are important, but functional and practical furniture is better.
Ask yourself if your desk has enough space to store files, if your furniture has different functionalities, if you want a regular or standing desk or if there’s enough room for your legs. This will help you decide what kind of furniture you need.
Shared or personal home office?
Your decisions to buy furniture will be influenced depending on whether you work alone or with more people. When choosing furniture such as bookshelves or desks, try to make its functions useful to everyone. For example, a table with two levels could be used to place a screen, a keyboard and a laptop at the same time.
Did you know? The screen support is one of the most important ergonomic tools at home and at work. Its multiple positions and flexibility allow for better posture and placed at the right distance it reduces eye fatigue.
Decide what style of furniture you want
Since your office is at home, try that the furniture you choose does not clash with the decoration of your workspace. You may want wood or white furniture, but if your home has a modern design, they may not go well together.
Or it may be the case that you want chairs with very modern designs, but if your home has a very traditional or rustic design, it won’t be the best option. As said before, prioritize comfort over aesthetics, but don’t neglect the latter either.
How much does it cost to furnish a home office?
Making a prior budget will help you reduce costs as much as possible and organize yourself better. You must include every detail that you consider necessary to assemble your workspace. To give you an idea of more or less how much you could spend, you might need about $1,000 to $2,000, which includes furniture and decoration.
But if you don’t have the computer and electrical equipment, this figure can increase the cost up to an additional $1,500, especially if you have to buy a new computer or laptop. So if this is your case, you may need up to approximately $2,500 to set up your office.
You can also think about setting up your office in stages, in this way you will prioritize while saving a little money. The idea is that you start with the essentials to be able to implement your home office and then incorporate other elements eventually.