Working from home is not a luxury. For many of us, it’s an integral part of our lives that has transformed the way we live and work.

It’s likely that you know someone who works from home, or you might be a remote worker yourself. It’s the new norm after all. Since the pandemic the number of remote workers has sky rocketed. In fact, the latest ONS research shows that 84% of employees that worked from home during Covid, plan to continue hybrid working in the future.

So whether you have a temporary or full-time working from home job, it has never been more important to invest in your home office space. The good news is that with a few tweaks here and there, even the smallest space can be transformed into a productive working sanctuary. Yes, that shed, spare room and dining table can all be revolutionised.

Curious to learn more? Here’s some of the best home office setup ideas for small spaces.

 1. Then there was light!

Perhaps one of the most important considerations for optimising your office is lashings of natural light. Not only can it make the most of every inch of space, but it can decrease the occurrence of headaches, eyestrain and fatigue too.

Unfortunately, natural light isn’t always an option, especially if your working from home job requires late hours. This is where home lighting can really make a difference. Rather than go for a bog standard up-light, look for a lamp that can transform with your space. For instance, this stylish dimmer light is great any time of day - plus it’s portable. If your home office happens to be your kitchen for instance, this makes it easy for packing up on-the-go.

2. Go green…

One of the challenges with small home set-ups is the lack of room for putting your stamp on it. However, this doesn’t mean you have to forgo the humble office plant. You can pick up mini succulents, bonsai trees, and small cactus plants in most supermarkets and garden centres at very little cost. This pop of colour can instantly transform a small space, plus it can make your office feel more homely and inviting. Not forgetting that plants are a wonderful way to reduce stress, increase productivity, and inspire creativity too. In short, they should be on everyone’s work from home essentials list.

 3. Fabulous furniture

Even if you work from home just two days a week, that’s up to 670 hours a year you’ll be spending in your home office! Needless to say, it needs to be a welcoming space that you’ll want to spend time in – no matter how compact it may be. 

Office furniture plays an important role in this. But it doesn’t have to be grey and drab like the identikit corporate world – it’s your home and your opportunity to put your stamp across it.

Especially for smaller spaces, you’ll want to consider smart furniture that can help optimise every inch of real estate. For instance, you can get monitor stands with drawers, chairs on wheels to tuck away, as well as foldaway desks. You’ll be be amazed with what you can achieve.

5. Shelve it

If there’s one thing a small office benefits from, it’s shelving units. When space is at a premium, and you’ve run out of storage places, it’s time to turn to the walls. A floating wall shelf is bang on trend at the moment, and there’s a host of different options to suit your space. Whether you choose to use it for decorative purposes (a great place for your plant), or for function (books, notes, etc), you’ll find it pays for itself when working from home.

5. Introduce a touch of Feng Shui

And finally, if you can’t afford to employ an interior decorator to overhaul your space, why not do it yourself? The ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui focuses on arranging a space to achieve harmony and balance in order to bring prosperity. It’s also a smart way of organising your space to make the most of it, and your productivity. 

If you’re looking for working from home office ideas and best practice, you can definitely benefit from the ancient art. There’s even numerous books available to learn more. However, here’s a few of our favourite take-out’s:

• Use a comfortable chair that has a high backing – this is believed to create support and protection.

• Along with your plant, incorporate a fountain with moving water – this will help improve overall wellbeing.

• Use pale and soothing colours like sandstone, light orange and pastel green, as well as white and cream shades.

• Place your desk in the furthest spot from the room’s door, so that you can see it when seated, this is known as the “power position”.

So there you have it, five small ways to make a big difference to your compact working area. Keeping in mind that very few people working from home have the luxury of an actual office, you’re in good company if you’re typing away from your kitchen, shed, or spare room. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of the space – whatever the size, give these tips a go and let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!