Hay Copenhague CPH90 desk from Nest
So how is working from home working out for you? It was always a dream of mine to be able to work from home and I did it for a year but it wasn’t quite the panacea I was hoping for. Hence the reason I decided to open my own coworking space in Totnes for creative female entrepreneurs.
It wasn’t necessarily the concept of working from home that didn’t suit me, I quite enjoyed my time at home. The main problem is that we live in a small two-bedroom flat so I don’t really have the space to work from home comfortably. I don’t have a dedicated place where I can set up my laptop and work and I don’t even have a space where I could fit a desk in. I ended up working from my dining table or from the sofa which wasn’t particularly conducive to productivity.
Whilst working from home has become part of the “new normal” during lockdown, it may continue to play a major role in our work lives once restrictions are lifted.
There is a lot of talk at the moment about how work will look in the future. It is likely that many of us will be able to continue working from home. The situation has allowed employees to prove that working from home is not only a feasible option but can, in fact, be preferable. People have remained productive, got their work done, used technology to hold meetings and keep in touch and work has continued remotely.
Some large companies such as Twitter, Facebook and Google have announced that their staff can continue to work from home even once restrictions are lifted. Other companies are exploring the possibility of allowing employees to work from home for part of the week to minimise the number of staff in the office at any one time.
Given that working from home could become the new normal for many of us, it’s even more important that we focus on our home offices to ensure that they are up to the job. Considering that the average office worker spends approximately 1700 hours (67 days) a year sat at their desk it’s imperative that we choose well-designed desks and chairs that support our bodies and prevent injuries.
Left: Gubbins desk from Loaf | Right: Storm Desk By Cattelan Italia from Chaplins Furniture
For those of you who now find yourselves joining the masses who worked from home before the lockdown came into play, I thought it might be handy to put together a post containing some of the best space-saving desks on the market.
If you live in a more spacious home than I do, I highly recommend creating a dedicated area to work from. Preferably somewhere quiet and where you can at least get a bit of privacy, especially if you have the kids home right now.
Left : Bureau writing desk in ash veneer by BePureHome from Cuckooland | Right : Pythagoras desk in walnut by Maze from Royal Design
If possible, try to ensure that you are able to separate your home life from your work life so that you can switch off at the end of the day. It’s also important to minimise distractions and stay organised. Perhaps opt for a desk with hidden storage so you can easily pack away your belongings at the end of the day and keep them all neatly together.
Ashwicke Desk with Storage from Garden Trading
Space-saving desks that don’t take up too much floor space are a good choice as they won’t impinge too much on the room. If they can fold away or are wall-hung, they create an even more spacious feel. If the space-saving desks have storage for office essentials like inkjet cartridges, stationery, and planners, you get extra marks, and shelves above earn super bonus points.
Left : Kirby desk from Habitat (affiliate) | Right : Northern Shelter desk from Nest
These are some of the nicest space-saving desks that I have found and I would be happy to have any of them in my own home, if I had the space.
Scandi Natural Oak Desk from Danetti
Left : Clockhouse desk tray in carbon from Garden Trading | Right : Astrid Home Office Desk from Cult Furniture
San Francisco Desk from Wooden Furniture Store
What does worry me slightly though is the selection of chairs and stools photographed with these desks. I can tell you now, after a year of working on a wooden dining chair, this is not the solution, no matter how good a chair looks in a styled photograph. Working from a backless wooden stool is also a terrible idea.
I’m going to do a follow-up post on stylish, ergonomic office chairs for home offices. Watch this space.
- Scout oak ladder desk with black frame from Habitat (affiliate)
- San Francisco desk from Wooden Furniture Store
- Jotter desk from Loaf
- &Tradition Palette desk from Amara
- Outta Sight desk from Loaf
- Northern Shelter desk from Nest
- Ashwicke Desk with Storage from Garden Trading
- Nubo wall-mounted desk from Ligne Roset
- Copenhagen 1 drawer standing desk from Argos
- Etta oak curved desk with drawers from Habitat (affiliate)
- Scandi Natural Oak Desk from Danetti
- Fulton ladder desk from Dunelm
Let me know about your home office set up. Are you working from your dining table like me? Or have you managed to find a small space to set up your new home office? Are you hoping to continue working from home once restrictions are lifted? Or are you looking forward to getting back to the office?
The novel coronavirus spread has almost forced everyone to maintain social distancing out in the public, and thus most people have turned on to working from home and earning their living. Having said so, most people do not have enough space in their homes to enjoy a proper working atmosphere. This blog looks for all those people and has noted down exceptional techniques to incorporate space-saving furniture and making your house work-ready. The fact that space-saving furniture is all that takes to make your home so peaceful can often go unnoticed. Think about the theme of your house and the type of atmosphere you are looking for before buying those elements. In addition to the same, all you have to do is color them to your liking for an even more personalized effect in your working space.
Thank you very much for your advice! I want to say that the workspace is especially important now. I think we would need to do something about this. I mean, separate the comfort zone and the workplace. Otherwise, the work very quickly fades into the background and to make it becomes more and more difficult. I just now, after reading this article, found such useful information. With all this, it is very important. And I hope that soon I will make a purchase in the direction of the working area, or maybe make a separate room.
I like the space-saving idea. Some desks can hectic once inside your room and occupy the whole space
Some people just don’t have room for a massive desk at home, particularly if it’s not in a dedicated office room.
Thank you, Stacey. There are some really gorgeous desks here. I work tucked away under the stairs at a desk that is functional but not exciting. You’ve given me the inspiration to start looking for something better. Even if I stick with what I have for a while, your post has made me realise just how much I need to de-clutter it!
I used to have a tiny desk under the stairs when I lived in Bristol. It was nice to have it tucked out of the way but I’m sure that made it more cluttered because it wasn’t in direct sight.
I really needed this! Thank you so much!
I’m sure lots of people need this right now. I hope it helped you find your perfect space-saving desk!