Your Guide to Equipping Your Home Office

Guide to Equipping Your Home Office SitOnIt Chair

Your home office space can be as simple or sophisticated as you need to do your work. For those working remotely, or working on hybrid arrangements, here is your strategic guide to equipping your home office.

Make sure it’s well-equipped and well-connected. The space should be pleasing and comfortable to work in, just like a corporate office setting.

Let’s look at what makes a home office inviting for home-based businesses and remote workers.

List Your Needs

As we start your guide to equipping your home office, one of the first important things is to list your needs to be addressed.

Your physical needs may be minimal like room for a computer, a filing cabinet, printer, and nearby outlets to charge computers and phones.

How often will you be on the phone or online with clients and potential customers?

Reliable Internet connections and a smartphone are vital. A headset is useful so you avoid cradling the phone between your neck and shoulder. This way, your hands are free and you don’t risk cramping your muscles.

Get sound panels if there’s the potential for noise from kids or pets. 2010 Office Furniture has great options that are perfect for a corporate office or home office setting. They have attractive designs in a variety of colors.

Panels to reduce noise or delineate space are especially important if you’re going to have co-workers or clients stopping to visit.

Don’t forget the surroundings, even if you facetime clients or your colleagues. What will they see in your background?

Your greatest need in a home office is likely one that we all understand: a place to concentrate.

Elements of an Effective Home Office

Make the space distinct from the rest of the house to prevent or reduce distractions. Don’t let TV, snacks in the refrigerator, and barking dogs drag you down.

Aim to locate your office in an area with lots of space so you don’t feel cramped.

You might have your office in a room that’s completely separate from the rest of your living area, but if you’re in a corner of a living room or family room then use indoor plants to create separation. Privacy screens that rest on the floor can serve the same purpose and so can an item like a moveable white board.


Photo: Snowsound Baffle Sound Panel

In Los Angeles and Orange County, you also have the option of working on a patio in comfortable temperatures for about 9 to 10 months out of the year. That could be your second space, if needed.

Keep it Minimal

Don’t let the space get so cluttered that your work area becomes storage. Get the filing cabinet you need and consider using a cubicle as a solution. We know that the term “cubicle” has a negative connotation, but there are now attractive modular solutions that can be used in a home office.


Photo: HON Abound Workstation Storage

Many have small cabinets with drawers like the HON Abound Height Adjustable Workstation. Numerous configurations are available and frosted glass is an option for privacy.

Get the Light Right

Find a place where you can get the most natural light flowing into the room. Make use of ambient lighting too, so you don’t have to squint to see the computer screen.

The right type of lighting is part of ergonomics, making the surroundings comfortable to support the worker. Proper lighting reduce eye fatigue and the possibilities of headaches.

Lamps don’t need much space on a desktop. The Workrite Fundamentals 2 Desktop Light has a minimal base and narrow arm, but doesn’t compromise size for ability with it’s LED-powered high beams.


Photo: Workrite Fundamentals 2 Task Light

Sit Comfortably

One of the most important points to cover in your guide to equipping your home office is that your health should always come first.  And in most cases, its all about the right ergonomics.

A supportive chair is a necessity, not a luxury. Think of how many hours you’re on a chair throughout a typical workday. There are occasional evenings and weekends, too.

Ergonomic chairs have back and lumbar support to keep the strain off your spine and lower back muscles. Do your part by sitting with good posture.


Photo: Humanscale Liberty Task Chair

Check the Humanscale Liberty Task Chair as an example of a quality office chair. It comes with a recline system that automatically adjusts to the user’s weight and body movements.

Adjust Those Desks

Sitting for long periods of time strains the lower back. When you’re sitting, you’re placing double your body weight on your spine.

Use a height adjustable desk, or another idea is to have a surface that’s higher than the typical desktop surface. Have a higher chair with a comfortable back rest so you have the option to sit or stand when you want.


Photo: Deskmakers Haverford Touchdown Table

Remember to Take Breaks

The demands of home can mean that you’re forced to take breaks to grab the mail, feed the pets, and help the kids or pick them up after school. If you’re sitting for up to two hours at a time, remember to take a 15-minute stretch break.

It’s not a waste of time or an interruption. It’ll help keep your blood circulating and reduce the chance of a foggy brain later in the day.

Make Your Home Office a Positive Place

Work, by its nature, has an inherent stress level to it. Design and furnish your home office so it’s comfortable and a positive space. This way, you can do your best whether you’re self-employed or a remote worker.

Employees can function in home offices just like they do in corporate offices, which the Harvard Business Review refers to as “a culture space, providing workers with a social anchor” that enables professional collaboration.

As your guide to equipping your home office, one point can’t be stressed enough: Your home office shouldn’t be treated as an afterthought, but a center of strategic importance.

We Can Be Your Guide to Equipping Your Home Office

Create extraordinary spaces.

Get expert input on planning your office space, whether it’s a corporate office, hybrid office arrangement, or dedicated home office. The team at 2010 Office Furniture has a half-century of combined experience in space design and furnishing Southern California’s leading companies and distinguished nonprofit organizations.

Contact us to share your needs.  We’ll be happy to be your guide to equipping your home office.

Read Also: Essentials for the Corporate and Home Office Spaces
Main Photo: SitOnIt Seating Wit Chair
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: Deskmakers, HON, Humanscale, SitOnIt Seating, Snowsound & Workrite

Leading Principles of an Effective Office Layout

What is an Effective Office Layout?

Principles of an effective office layout that are followed well should lead to an environment that creates connections between people and supports a successful workflow. Layout and design principles aren’t just for huge corporations in downtown Los Angeles or tech giants in El Segundo. They’re needed in all industries, big and small.  Universities, tech start-ups, leading corporations and small businesses all need to consider the impact of an office on people — how space is utilized, and how relationships between departments affect workflow. Employee morale and wellness become underlying issues to address.  Read on to consider these office layout principles and how to adapt them.

The Office: Personal Collaboration

Offices can welcome or intimidate. They can also inspire creativity or reveal stress and clutter. Workspaces impact people in every industry, including academia. An office design research study from 2011 showed how students were impacted by the office layout of their academic advisor’s office. The author, James Eckerty, concluded that “our physical environments can be a powerful tool for creating welcoming and collaborative environments.”  Effective layouts were “spacious and neatly arranged,” wrote Eckerty, “and allowed for students to make eye contact with their advisor and also easily see the computer.” In the study, about half of the students surveyed noted that seat placement set the tone for the meeting.

To stimulate collaboration in a private office setting, consider using desks with comfortable guest chairs. Enhance the office layout with a potted plant to create a relaxed atmosphere.

In an open office setting or spaces with cubicles, there are creative seating arrangements that can be set up for focused conversation like Focal Point by OFS or Co-Op Lounge by Arcadia.

The Environment: Personal Wellness

A pleasing environment boosts productivity and keeps morale high. Natural light and green plants are considered essential for a pleasant office environment. Bringing nature indoors adds an aesthetically pleasing element to the workspace but it also has important health benefits.  Maximizing natural light infuses employees with energy and helps maintain a physical rhythm that promotes a restful night’s sleep.  Plants reduce the amount of bacteria in the air and provide needed humidity. They also offer a change of scenery and color.  Movement is another feature of an optimized office layout. Height adjustable desks and tables offer flexibility. Ergonomic chairs support natural body movements to reduce pressure on the spine and joints.

The Space: Personal Time

During the early to mid-20thcentury when heavy manufacturing ruled the economy, companies ran in strict top-down fashion. Executives had their personal space to create the directives that mid-level managers and laborers had to follow.  However, today’s thinking economy that’s digitally driven and connected has created a greater need for collaboration and consensus. Open office layout and desk arrangements and cubicles make sharing ideas and data easy.  Personal space to regroup and focus mentally now becomes important.  Make sure to provide a lounge or space where it’s easy to take a snack break or work individually. Provide seating options that are flexible and can be arranged for one person’s needs or for a casual interaction.

An Office Layout for Your Most Important Resource: Employees

Don’t forget that as a business, your most important resource is the people that work for you.  Following these principles of an effective office layout can keep personal satisfaction high and lead to greater productivity.  But effective offices don’t just happen. Workstations, cubicles and break areas need a well-planned space to provide maximum support.  If you are interested in designing your office for a more effective office layout, please don’t hesitate to ask us for help.  Our office furniture experts are here to guide you and help you every step of the way.

Read also: The Basic Criteria for a Good Design and a Good Business
Main Photo: Nucraft Tesano Community Table
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: Nucraft