Home Office

Designing Your Home Office

by Jess Neary

“If you build it, he (they) will come” – Field of Dreams

This is a quote that comes to mind when identifying my goals + when setting my intentions.

A major goal of mine 9 years ago was beginning an Interior Design Practice. This goal was sparked from an Intention Setting Ceremony I did beforehand, when I examined my interested, skillset, strengths and ideal lifestyle. At the time it was suggested to me that I create a home office… A space where I could study, refine my skills and practice my craft from.

With this in mind, I set out to find the location and items needed to begin curating a space to birth my design practice. Little did I know at the time, taking this step forward with my dreams would take me down an incredible path of entrepreneurship where I was able to embrace my passions and help incredible clients around the world.

Simultaneously, being a mother was a priority for my life experiences; therefore, designing a home office (vs out of the home) was my preferred option. Upon the birth of our first child, I studied Interior Design and Feng Shui while she slept and met with clients in the evenings when my husband was home from his out of the home job. One may think that this was “a lot” for a new time mother; however, it was the contrary. The more that I was able to practice my passions, the more energy, focus and motivation I had for mothering as well.

Saying that, there is a challenge that many professionals are confronted with when having a home-based career… How do you keep life and work separate? And, how do you maintain balance in your life where one priority is not competing for your time over another? When working out-of-the home, this is much easier – as physically work is done in a different space than what you are living in.

In today’s Blog Post, I will be sharing guidance on how to design your home office with life-balance in mind! My intention with these suggestions is that it helps you reduce the learning curve of how to strike a balance in your life from the get go, so that you can be present in both your family and career.

Included in this blog are products listed, with links to make it much easier for you too to design a home office that satisfies your needs to show up energized and ready to go.

Home Office Location

  • Do you have a spare bedroom?
  • Do you have a nook or corner that is not currently being used?

Ideally, a home office will be in a quiet spot in your home so that while you are using it – you’ll have the least amount of distractions possible. Therefore, a space further away from the main living areas and one that has a door is a great idea.

If a spare room is not an option and all that is available is a corner, you can create an energetic barrier, designating this space as “office use only” by including a few different items such as:

  • Area Rug: this helps to visually separate the “office space” from “living space”. You can select one that is soft on the toes, easy to clean, durable and a fun pattern.
  • Curtains: if you have an open door way, consider using black out curtains to reduce noise travelling from other spaces which will help keep you focused on the content that you are creating.
  • Room Divider: likewise, a room divider can help create a separate zone in from your home office within a larger room.

Home Office Basics

Once the location of your home office is selected, we are next going to look at the basic furniture you will need: something to work from and something to sit on – your desk and chair.

The optimal desk to use is one that is solid and sturdy. A wooden desk is known in Feng Shui to be a wonderful anchor to perform work from. Ensuring that the desk itself is large enough to hold all your materials (i.e. laptop, notepad, glass of water, décor, writing utensils, agenda, phone, printer etc.), the size should not be too large also – as it could feel overwhelming.

Here is a wonderful desk option for your home office: WOOD DESK

As for seating, a good ergonomic chair is very important so that your body is well supported for multiple hours at a time. I have personally switched up my office chair for one that is less trendy looking, for one that has all the various setting adjustments so that it feels “just right”. Especially as business continues to grow and expand, you too may find yourself in this space for more and more time. Lets make it a comfortable space to be in!

Here is an ergonomic chair that could work well for your home office: ERGONOMIC CHAIR

Home Office Tools

The tool that you choose to include in your home office will be determined on the type of work you do. For myself, I need a notepad for when I am taking calls and an agenda because I love to plan out my days and weeks in advance. Perhaps physically writing is considered outdated; however, these are incredibly valuable tools for keeping myself organized. Not to mention also how satisfying it is to check an item off my list of things to do for the day.

Here are a list of tools that you may wish to include in your home office, with links to purchase for yourself:

Home Office Accessories

Now that we have the location of your home office, the basic furniture and tools established – lets focus in on your energy. For myself, it is imperative that I am motivated, focused and efficient with my time. When I am in my home office, I desire to be “in the zone” and in my flow.

How do you desire to feel when in your home office?

The answer to this relatively simple question can help guide you towards designing a specific vibe you desire to embody while in this space. Do you desire to feel peaceful, grounded, relaxed, motivated, focused, empowered, excited, energized or upbeat?

Here are a few items that can help you get in your zone:

  • Essential Oil Diffuser: diffusing essential oils is a powerful way to curate a specific vibe. For example, lavender essential oil is known to lower cortisol levels making one feel peaceful; whereas, orange essential oil is known to have one feel cheerful, optimistic and positive.
  • Candles: candles, real or LED, are great to include if you are looking to “ignite” a spark of creativity or inspiration. They are great to include in your home office if you are wanting to up the energy and work especially well in a basement or low light space.
  • Bluetooth Speaker: music is one way to energize or calm your energy depending on what tune you choose to play. This is also great to have to reduce any noise in nearby rooms.
  • Bluetooth Earbuds: similar to a wireless speaker, earbuds have the ability to block out and cancel noise in the room. You can play music from them without disturbing others in your home and they are great to use for better sound quality for video meetings or recording videos for social media.

In Conclusion…

If the path of entrepreneurship is calling to you. If you desire working from home, but perhaps are unsure of what steps to take. Or, if you are already working from home, but are wanting to expand your business…

designing a home office with the guidance listed above with help you excel in your field of choice. How you feel in this space greatly impacts the quality of your performance and will even contribute to your business’s growth.

Thank you for reading along, as I highlighted the design essentials for designing your home office. If you are interested in learning more, I have a Home Office Design with Feng Shui Online Course available for purchase. In this 1 HR prerecorded class, you will walk away understanding how to design your own home office further and practical tips to ensure that the energy is flowing smoothly.
Alternatively, if you are interested in one-on-one guidance, schedule a complimentary Initial Meeting with myself to discuss your room further and learn about the various options for an Interior Design or Feng Shui Consultation.

Jess

Jess Neary is an Interior Designer and Feng Shui Consultant who helps design feel good spaces for personal and professional environments. With a degree in Business Administration (UNBSJ ’09), Jess furthered her studies in Interior Design and Feng Shui to understand more fully of the aesthetics and energetic qualities of environments. For 7 years Jess has been helping homeowners and business owners in her local community and internationally design spaces that feel good and are aligned with their intentions.

Meeting you where you are at, Jess provides practical guidance on how to design meaningful and intentional spaces.