Setting up a home office Ideas and suggestions

The world of life and work are constantly evolving. In recent years the topic of home office has become increasingly important. Not only self-employed workers but also employees increasingly want to work from home. The advantages are obvious: long commutes are eliminated, costs are saved and in the end you have more free time, freedom and independence. But not all living situations are suitable for reconciling life and work under the same roof. Here you will find out which requirements your home workplace should meet and what you should pay attention to when planning, furnishing and setting up your home office.

Opening a home office: the conditions must be right

Are you thinking about becoming self-employed or working from home? If you create a workplace within your four walls, you should make sure that there are the right conditions for creating a home office. But what should your office include or what should you pay attention to when planning your office? We have summarized the dos and don’ts for you:

Things to do for your office concept

• Space planning: See one for the office separate room that allows you to separate life and work. DangerYou can only submit costs to the tax office if you have an office with a locked door.
  
• Adequate space: Your office area needs to be large enough to accommodate all the furniture you need and still have some space for yourself. One is optimal Office space of approximately 10 m2.
  
• Pleasant peace: Your office should serve as a place where you can focus on your work. The environment should therefore be as quiet as possible and free of distracting noises.
• Sufficient light: Workplaces should be well lit. This especially applies to daylight. However, adequate artificial light sources should be available even on cloudy days.
• Telephone connections, Internet and electricity: New Work always requires technical aids, so the necessary connections should be at hand.
• Ergonomic equipment tailored to your needs: Whether it’s ergonomic furniture or additional storage space, equip your office with everything you need to work comfortably.

Don’t do it for the home office

• An office that does not come from The living area is separate: Using private rooms for work is always a disadvantage. There is constant distraction from the housemates. Furthermore, there is no clear separation between the world of work and private life, which is why it is more difficult to settle into work or switch off afterwards.
• Working in the kitchen: The dining table does not have to be transformed into a desk. Since you spend a lot of time at a desk, it should be ergonomic and designed for long periods of sitting.
• Distracting objects: Televisions and other electronic entertainment devices are distracting and should therefore be placed in the living room.
• Working on weekends or after work: Set your working hours precisely. Additional work outside of working hours makes it harder to switch off and creates additional stress.

Factor the home studio into your construction planning

Of course, the ideal is that the home study is taken into account during the planning of the construction. This way you can ensure in advance that the room meets all the necessary requirements in terms of location and size. The «home office» concept requires a space away from the hustle and bustle of the home. Therefore make sure that the study is separated as much as possible from the other living areas, especially the kitchen and children’s bedrooms. The following types of houses are particularly suitable for this purpose:

A U-shaped shopping bungalow

A U-shaped corner bungalow is ideal for designing an office. Thanks to the horseshoe layout, a part of the house can be used as an office, while the remaining areas are available for living rooms and private rooms.

The L shape with a separate apartment

An L-shaped bungalow with a separate apartment is also ideal for your office planning. Because instead of the grandmother’s apartment you can easily set up a larger office. This option is particularly recommended for freelancers. In addition to the office, a separate toilet is also available. If you want to accommodate employees, you can also integrate an additional meeting room or shared workspace.

Single-family or multi-family homes

Single-family or multi-family houses are also suitable for designing a separate office. This is especially useful if you only want to work from home from time to time. Especially if, for example, only one children’s room is needed, the second room can serve as an office.

Setting up a home office: ideas and suggestions

There are a few things to consider when setting up a home office. What is the best place for the desk? What should you consider when buying an office chair? We have collected the most important furnishing tips for designing your office:

Place the desk next to the window

The biggest mistake is probably the placement of the desk. In many cases it is placed directly in front of the window. This is not recommended mainly because it exposes your eyes to a high contrast situation. This in turn reduces concentration and can even lead to headaches. By the way: the same applies if the window is directly behind you. It is better to place the workplace on the side of the window so that the light falls on the entire tabletop.

Use an ergonomic office chair

Choosing the right office chair is one of the most important points when setting up a home office. Because if you sit incorrectly, you will damage your back in the long run. So look for a chair with a height-adjustable backrest, a tilt mechanism and, ideally, lumbar support. This means that the backrest must be curved to support the natural curvature of the spine. The covering of the office floor is also important. Hard rollers are especially recommended for vinyl, carpet or linoleum floors. The chair should have soft wheels on parquet, tile or laminate. Equally important: the height of the desk must necessarily match the height of the office chair. If you take the time to line everything up correctly, it will pay off later.

When planning your office, make sure there is enough natural light

Adequate basic lighting is essential because it ensures that the eyes do not have to constantly adapt to different brightness contrasts. The DIN EN 12464-1 standard is an important guideline for the lighting of indoor workplaces. After that a desk lamp should provide around 1,000 lumens. For the rest of the area LED lighting with approx. 600 lumens are recommended.

Equip your office with the necessary equipment

In addition to sufficient electricity, telephone and Internet connections, the right equipment also plays an important role in office planning. Ideally, two monitors with a size of approximately 24 inches each should be integrated. This means you can easily switch between files and programs and compare data. If you only work from home occasionally, we also recommend a laptop with an HDMI port.

Create an atmosphere of well-being

Even if the room is primarily intended for work, it can still be comfortable. So feel free to follow your preferences when setting up your home office. The practical component should always take priority. However, there is nothing wrong with individual concepts or a modern design. For example, incorporate some houseplants. These not only offer a little more comfort, but also have a positive effect on the indoor climate.

Rötzer supports you in planning and implementing your home office

Do you need support or advice when it comes to building a house? Then contact us. In our house construction checklist you can also read which points you should pay attention to in addition to office planning.