More companies are creating remote jobs, meaning more people are working from home. People with houses tend to take over a whole room to become their home office but how do you create a workspace when you live in an apartment? And even more challenging, how do you create a dedicated workspace in a small apartment? If you’re looking to optimize your apartment for working from home, get inspired with these helpful tips.
Invest in Great Lighting
Great lighting isn’t just lamps and overhead lighting; it’s also about using natural light to balance things.
Having suitable lighting is important. Many work-from-home roles require hours in front of a screen. This puts strain on your eyes causing headaches and fatigue. Adjustable lightbulbs, so you can change the intensity of the colour and brightness, is a helpful step when working from home in your apartment. Select daylight mimics the brightness and colour during the early day and changes to warmer tones in the evening.
Position your working space near a window to take advantage of the natural light. Research has shown natural light can improve your mood and reduce fatigue. It’s even better to be near the window on beautiful days when you can open the window and catch the breeze.
Separate Your Work and Living Space
Setting up a home office means you need to create a space that is workspace. Somewhere you can have everything at hand that you need to do your job that’s separate from your living space.
Creating a workspace, with desk or table, a comfortable chair and all the technology you would normally have in your office work space, sets the tone for what you’re doing in that space. It helps keep you focused and can help with productivity.
Separate this space visually as much as you can. Use furniture or décor to separate you visually from the living space. It can help reduce distractions from other areas of your home.
Find a Good Spot for Video Meetings
Video calls are a part of many people’s workday now. As you’re deciding on your workspace, consider what you’ll have as a background to your video calls and whether you can limit interruptions and distractions.
A bookcase or plants used as a divider can be a good background for your video calls. Or a plain wall with limited decoration may be your preference.
Make sure your work area allows you to still be professional during the workday. Your apartment home office can be both professional and a reflection of who you are. Think about who will be on video calls and create an area that speaks to you and supports you during calls.
A good spot for video meetings needs to be out of the traffic line if you share your apartment with family, friends or pets. Minimize distractions both for you and the people on the call with you.
Find Your Perfect Apartment with Summit
Working from home is a reality for many. Making your apartment do double duty as a living space and a workspace needs some thought. Great lighting, separating your workspace from your living space and considering what people will see when on video calls, are three important steps in creating a workspace that makes you comfortable and effective.
At Summit Properties, we have different floor plans in our apartment buildings that can help you select the perfect workplace in your home. Contact our experienced team to help you discover your new home and provide advice about every step of the process including making the most of your space.