These days, plenty of people work from home, so many homes have to pull double duty. The dining table might become a makeshift desk, while a quiet bedroom corner turns into your spot for video meetings. Before long, dark, cramped corners make eight-hour workdays uncomfortable, and household noise can interrupt meetings.
If remote work has become part of your routine, consider redesigning parts of your home to support it. If you’re ready to invest in changes that make your home more conducive to work, here are 12 design ideas to make your home more work-friendly.
If remote work has become part of your routine, consider redesigning parts of your home to support it.
Build a Dedicated Home Office
Balancing a laptop on the dining table works in a pinch, but it becomes problematic when work takes precedence over family needs. The best option is to give your workday its own space. A dedicated home office creates a clear, quiet place for calls and focused tasks.
Look for an unused room, like a basement or attic, that could serve as a proper workspace. Add outlets, good lighting, and a comfortable desk setup. If you want to turn it into a bigger project and renovate an entire space, work with a renovation contractor who understands the structural and electrical side of things.
Build a Built-In Desk Into an Unused Wall
Not every home has a spare room to turn into an office. An empty wall in a hallway or unused corner can give you a proper place to work without sacrificing a whole room.
Measure the wall and think about how much desk depth you actually need. Extend the surface to fit a monitor and keyboard if you need the space. Add drawers nearby for work supplies, too. Have the desk built at a comfortable height so you can sit without hunching.
Soundproof Walls and Floors
Remote work gets frustrating when every sound in the house makes its way into your meetings. Footsteps overhead, a TV in the next room, or the kids playing loudly during a client call can quickly become embarrassing background noise.
Soundproofing can help create a calmer work zone. Consider adding acoustic insulation inside walls, especially between the office and busy rooms. Rugs and underlayment can also reduce sound that travels through floors. Better sound control gives you more privacy during calls and lets everyone else go about their day normally while you work.
Add Doors to Open Up Work Areas
Open layouts look beautiful in a home, but they can make it harder to concentrate when your desk sits beside the kitchen or living room. A family member walking past during a meeting can be enough to derail your train of thought.
Adding a door to certain areas can give you more privacy as you work. Divide the space with French doors or sliding doors. These define the work area and give you a more thoughtful, functional house layout without changing the floor plan.
Use Hallways for Built-In Storage
Working remotely can mean collecting quite a pile of stuff. Notebooks, printer paper, and spare equipment can slowly migrate from the office into every room in the house, especially if you change work areas every day.
Smart hallway storage can help with some of that clutter. Consider putting in shallow cabinets or built-in shelving along a wider hallway. You could create a spot for office supplies and household paperwork. Keep the storage slim enough to preserve a clear walking path. Closed cabinets are also handy when you want the house to look tidy.
Make Shared Spaces Easier to Use
When you work from home, shared rooms become a tug-of-war. A partner may need the dining table while you are finishing a report, or your kids may want to play in the living room during your afternoon calls.
Consider redesigning these spaces so work can happen without taking over the entire room. Give the shared space a more flexible setup. A built-in desk along an unused wall can create a work spot without claiming the dining table. In the living room, arrange seating away from the main walkway so people can move around during your calls. Thoughtful zoning lets everyone use the room without stepping into someone else’s workday.
Thoughtful zoning lets everyone use the room without stepping into someone else’s workday.
Design a Better Background for Video Calls
If you’re tired of your camera pointing at a blank wall during video meetings, you can spruce up your space so your background looks a little more polished. Start with a clean wall, then add some creative decor to add personality, like framed artwork or shelving with photos and succulents.
Keep anything behind you neat enough that it doesn’t compete with your face onscreen. You can also borrow ideas inspired by office interior design, such as warm lighting or a large indoor plant. A better backdrop makes those surprise “camera on” moments less stressful.
If you’re working from home in Sydney, harsh afternoon light can wash out your video calls. Well-fitted blinds Sydney homeowners rely on can help control glare and keep your on-camera background looking clean and polished.
Create a Comfortable Break Area
Sitting at your desk for hours can leave your shoulders hunched and your back stuck in the same position. A cozy spot for rest gives your body a chance to change positions and breaks up long stretches of sitting.
Set up a small reading corner in a comfortable part of the home. Choose seating that invites you to relax. Comfy, trendy beanbag chairs work well in a casual space, especially if you want something flexible. Add a side table for your phone or coffee. Use this area for a quick stretch or a few pages of a book between meetings. It gives your workday a restful pause.
Improve Airflow in Enclosed Rooms
A closed-off home office can get stuffy, especially when the door stays shut for meetings. If you’re renovating, consider adding features that improve air movement to the office. A transom window above the door can let air move between rooms while keeping the door closed for privacy. Operable windows also bring in a breeze when the weather’s nice, helping the room stay naturally cool in the summer. This keeps your workspace fresh and comfortable during long work sessions.
Add a Window with a Pleasant View
A wall facing another wall may offer privacy, but it can feel more like a prison than a productive workstation. It also doesn’t give your eyes much of a break when they’re strained from staring at a laptop screen all day. A pleasant view can give you somewhere else to look.
Consider adding a window in your workspace. Position your desk so that it’s easy to glance outside without putting glare on your screen. This lets you do the 20-20-20 rule during screen-heavy days, where you look 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. A window overlooking a garden or a quiet street can make the room brighter and give your eyes a break.
Set Up a Coffee Station
The home coffee run can be a hassle when your workplace is upstairs, and the kitchen is on the other side of the house. A small coffee setup nearby can save so much time. Create a convenient coffee station with a compact machine, mugs, and storage for supplies like cream and sugar. Set it up near your home office or in a hallway nook. This makes it easier to get caffeine without running all the way downstairs for coffee.
Add More Outlets Near Work Areas
During a renovation, consider adding outlets where your equipment is. Place them at convenient desk height or in locations that keep cords from crossing walkways. You might also add USB charging outlets for easy phone charging as you work. Having power in the right places keeps your workspace cleaner and makes it easy to rearrange your setup as your work needs change.
Your home should support your workday, not make you desperately search for a quiet corner for your next video call.
Endnote
Your home should support your workday, not make you desperately search for a quiet corner for your next video call. Use the ideas above to rethink the spaces you rely on during work hours. Making them a little more distraction-free and comfortable can do wonders for a smoother, more productive remote work routine.
