A Successful Work-From-Home Strategy to Adapt

Stepping out of the corporate office and into a successful work-from-home scenario seems to have plenty of advantages like reduced commute times and being available for family needs as they arise.

Corporate offices can have plenty of distractions like conversations in the break rooms, last-minute meetings, and reports needing to be turned in. But home offices have their own distractions.

Successful Work-From-Home Strategy HON Ignition Chair
Photo: HON Ignition Chair

Dogs barking at delivery people can disrupt a train of thought. A comfy sofa is a great place to sit, but you might end up reading or watching TV for longer than you planned.

Since no one’s looking over your shoulder, you might spend more time on social media than you had wanted. Running to the store to get what you need for lunch is an interruption, usually taking longer than expected. Traffic, chatty cashiers, and long wait lines can cause delays.

So, what does it take to work from home?

Discipline and the right equipment in a focused space.

Use these tips to develop your successful work-from-home strategy.

Choose Your Work-From Home Space

You might not have many choices depending on the size of your home or apartment. You may only have a corner or a small room. Either way, try to make it near a window for natural light and then make it as pleasant and focused as you can. Keep it clutter-free.  These are essential for a successful work-from-home office space.

If your area for your laptop and phone is crowded then set up a storage area in another room or the garage for keeping files and other materials.


Photo: OFS Beck Credenza Storage

Define Your Space

If you’re in a pathway where others will walk by then make sure you set boundaries around your desk so there’s a physical separation between household busyness and your work. Use broad leafy plants in containers and set them on chairs or bookcases so you’re not in the direct line of sight of kids or roommates.


Photo: Darran Cameleon Shelf Storage

The DARRAN Chameleon Storage unit is a good option. It’s lightweight with a minimalist design so it enhances an area but doesn’t overwhelm compact spaces.

Another way to create a boundary between personal and professional pursuits is installing acoustic sound panels or divider panels to deaden sound waves.


Photo: Snowsound PLI Acoustic Panels & Space Dividers

Translucent dividers allow light to flow through space while providing privacy, and are thus conducive to a successful work-from-home strategy.


Photo: Loftwall Hitch Privacy Panels & Space Dividers

The Loftwall Hitch Space Divider fits neatly in an L-shape with a larger panel resting on the floor, and a smaller panel fitting on the desktop surface to the wall. The Loftwall Split Space Divider blends into the surroundings and is a panel divider on casters or wheels that’s portable.


Photo: Loftwall Split Privacy Panels & Space Dividers

Equip Your Space

What do you need in order to do your best and present yourself as a highly regarded professional?

Choose the right kind of desk whether it’s a height-adjustable desk or an L-shaped surface like the ODS Artiv Desk that allows you to spread out. Accessories are important. Remember to think ergonomics so you have a supportive and successful work-from-home working environment:

  • Proper lighting reduces eye strain and the chance of headaches
  • Use keyboard trays to support the wrists
  • Ergonomic chairs promote good posture and reduce strain on the lower back and knees

Photo: Snowsound Flap Grande Acoustic Panels

Don’t get lost in the clutter.

Choose storage containers and filing cabinets since orderly surroundings contribute to clear thinking.

You’re the Key to a Successful Work-From Home Lifestyle

But there’s something else you must have for a successful work-from-home environment and that’s personal discipline.

If you don’t have to commute to the office, then start your morning with a brisk walk or another form of exercise to clear your mind and get your focus.

Do advance planning and take a few moments on a Sunday afternoon or evening to plan the most important tasks you need to complete for the week.

Each day, tackle the things you don’t want to do first and get those items out of the way.

Do your most focused work in one large block of time and try to hold phone calls or meetings in the afternoons.

Be realistic about your daily and weekly goals.

Communicate, communicate, and communicate to let others know if you’re falling behind on deadlines or if you’re on track. According to research in the Harvard Business Review, The Realities of Remote Work (Oct 29, 2021), managers often question if employees are productive at home.

You might be out of sight of a corporate office, but you don’t want others wondering if you’re thinking about them. You may be out of sight. But let your managers know that they’re not out of your mind.

Check emails at set times of the day like 9am, noon, and 3pm. Don’t try and email back and forth on complex subjects. Instead, make a phone call or arrange a time on Zoom to discuss details.

Finally, eat properly and get the rest you need. You don’t have the stress of a morning or evening commute but rolling out of bed feeling groggy and trying to work is its own stress.

Lay the foundation for your success with a well-equipped and well-planned space, just like you would have at a corporate office.

Trust Experience

The team at 2010 Office Furniture can help you plan successful work-from-home or corporate offices for employees who work remotely full-time or on a hybrid schedule.

Contact 2010 Office and let them know about your project needs.

2010 Office Furniture staff members have over a half-century of combined experience in planning and furnishing offices for Southern California’s most distinguished corporations, nonprofits, and small businesses.

Read Also: Using Resimercial Office Design as an Employee Retention Strategy
Main Photo: SitOnIt Seating Reya Desk
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: Darran, HON, Loftwall OFS & Snowsound

Why These May be the Best Office Furniture Trends Ever

Best Office Furniture Trends Stylex Trim Table

Professional offices are experiencing lasting changes after Covid shutdowns scattered employees who stayed connected through online meetings and other forms of technology. The office functioned outside the walls of the corporate headquarters. Hybrid work arrangements have become normal for many with the corporate office taking on a new role as a hub.  With all these significant work style changes, let’s examine the best office furniture trends, now not just for the main office but also for the home.

Companies in Southern California are adjusting well. In Culver City, Creator IQ allows employees to balance remote work with the main office being a supportive location where there are special times to come in and focus. Offices need to re-think spaces and create a desired destination spot instead of just being a place where people are told to work.

Is there an upside? Yes.

Companies are discovering the best office furniture trends ever. These provide comfort, allow for collaboration, and provide flexibility with hybrid work schedules.

Read on to get ideas to refresh your office, furnish for greater productivity, and give your team an inviting reason to be in the office.

Best Office Furniture Trends: Dynamic Office Spaces

A popular office furniture trend is allowing for inter-office movement.

Photo: Friant System 2 Workstations

Your team may begin at their workstations but decide to move to a more informal area with lounge seating or even the breakroom where they can work on their laptops or take personal calls. Formal conference rooms are giving way to informal group spaces.

Offices can certainly have defined space, but with open layouts and hybrid work arrangements, they’ve become dynamic. Support the changes using the best office furniture.

Best Office Furniture Trends: Collaborative Furniture

Photo: DeskMakers TeamWorx Open Plan Benching

Open office layouts were meant to spur collaboration, but the effort was met with mixed reviews. People need privacy, too.

Photo: OFS Staks Workstations

Cubicles that were seen as dull and gray were redesigned for small group sharing and privacy. One of the best office furniture trends is the ability to have collaboration while at the same time not disturbing others who are working.

Photo: OFS Aptos Open Plan Benching

Bench seating solutions can bring people together for a few hours—while encouraging movement to other areas as needed. Encourage an ebb and flow of work communication.

Resimercial: The Personable Yet Professional Office

Make the office a home away from home. This has been one of the best office furniture trends taking place for the past few years, even before the Covid shutdown occurred.

Resimercial simply combines the look and feel of residential spaces with the durability and professionalism of commercial spaces.

Why is this popular?

Our culture has become more informal and relational while offices are less hierarchical than ever. Employees feel comfortable in a work environment where they can sip coffee while sitting on furniture that have the touches of home, including the fabrics.

Interiors to Brand Your Company

Resimercial isn’t the only design option, though. It’s possible to brand your interior in a way that reflects your company’s overall brand image and design. The promise made to customers on the outside can be made to employees on the inside.

2010 Office has an Inspirations page where you can easily see some of the best office furniture trends in use.

Photo: ODS Lift Height Adjustable Workstations

A minimalist approach is taken with the Scandinavian office while open offices can have a modern industrial look and feel.

Offices in Southern California and nationally make use of local flavors. In Pittsburgh, Google’s office design made a splash when it set up shop more than a decade ago in the 100-year-old Nabisco building. Designers kept some of the original brick, installed industrial-looking catwalks, and had a large picture of the Smithfield Street bridge.

Touchdown: Creating Office Spaces for a Breather

With people coming and going, offices need touchdown spaces. This is another trend where individuals can step aside from noise and distractions to focus or take a break.

Photo: Rouillard Blok Lounge Seating

Small groups of employees who want a meeting away from the formal conference room can use modular lounge furniture to accommodate just a few people, or if need be, make room for a larger group. Make use of moveable whiteboards for charting.

Remote workers stopping in for meetings can use touchdown spaces to work or collaborate while waiting for the official meeting to begin.

Integrated Technology

There’s no escaping our connected worlds and the rapid flow of information. Offices with hybrid schedules and remote workers are making greater use of video conferencing than ever before.

Set aside specific spaces like the OFS Obeya Architectural Structures that are tastefully designed and house necessary technology.

Natural Light and Ergonomic Accessories

Another trend isn’t furniture but it promotes well-being. Maximizing the amount of natural light in a space is proven to be an effective way to boost morale and aid in promoting a healthy sleep cycle for employees.

Use ergonomic lighting accessories to focus the right amount of light at workstations and reduce problems associated with eye strain.

Home Office Furniture Trends

Equipping the home office is another of the best office furnishing trends and has become more important than ever. Some remote workers are full-time while others split time between the corporate office and home office.

Work-from-home furnishings include items that corporate headquarters will have. Sit-to-stand desks and ergonomic chairs can be as useful in a remote office as they are in the home office.

Make sure printers are accessible but not in the way and that the space stays uncluttered with the proper amount of storage.

Stay Up to Date on Best Office Furniture Trends and Office Furnishings

Rely on the team at 2010 Office Furniture to keep you up to date with the best office furniture trends and to plan your office space so you use it well. 2010 Office staff have more than 50 years of combined experience and have served clients who are counted among Southern California’s most recognizable corporations, centers of higher education, and small businesses.

Contact them with your specific project needs and questions.

Read Also: NeoCon 2022 Trends: The Future of Office Furniture
Main Photo: Stylex Trim Table
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: DeskMakers, Friant, ODS, OFS, Rouillard & Stylex