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A home office filled with clutter, unsorted paperwork and half finished work creates the mental equivalent of background noise, while a clean office space offers the backdrop for a work environment filled with harmony and inspiration. In short, mess means stress.
To understand how a work environment actually affects our mental processes, it helps to think of our minds as hyperactive machine that constantly process information, trivial, important, sensory and intellectual. The human brain is jump-started on many levels by its visual and sensory environment, so a clean home office has the power to drastically affect your sense of efficiency and mental well-being.
It's important to approach the task of making a home office less messy, by dedicating a good hour or two to rethinking the space. Not all of us can magically become organisational freaks, but we can set systems in place to make our home office lives easier.
To start, here is the essential guide to home office harmony.
Having a desk filled with visual reminders of things to do creates psychological clutter that can often distract a person from the bigger picture at hand.
A desk should be the control station for the processing of tasks. It is not a storage space. So clear the desk of all but the most immediate items of daily use. A wireless printer should be within reach if it's used regularly, and in-box tray can be a helpful hold-all for items to be processed. The best in-trays can be cleared every couple of days with the right support system.
The desk itself should be a comfortable space. A wooden finish is often a good tactile experience and it's important that the desk is of adequate height and length so you're not tempted to shift to a less ideal workspace. A few personal items like photos can give more warmth to the space, but it's important to remember that nothing should stress or distract from the current task at hand.
This level of home office organisation and clarity of course requires constant maintenance and a sophisticated support structure in place. This begins with a great filing system.
Productivity guru David Allen always says that a filing system must be easy to access so that items can be accessed and filed within a minute. Without ease of use, procrastination can set in, as items that are no longer of immediate use are left on the desk for temporary storage.
For home office organisation, space is sometimes an issue so the filing cabinet is often put in an unused corner of the room. Keep the filing cabinet as close to the primary desk space as possible as seen in this excellent and simple design by interior architects Thaisa Camargo. Get an office chair on wheels to move easily around and get a filing cabinet with doors that easily slide out and contain tracks for drop filing. The tactile experience of using this important item of office furniture should be fun and easy to use. For maintenance, cull unnecessary paperwork when the cabinet becomes 3/4 full.
Home office storage should be approached with the attitude that work should be out of sight. This is not just about creating a beautiful home office, it's about creating a workspace that enables a person to work most efficiently.
So consider which items are used daily, and which are used occasionally. Items that are stored out of sight may include leads and wires for electronic devices, batteries, receipts, product warranties, extra stationary. Everything should be boxed and labelled. It's well worth investing in a labeller.
Simple built in cupboards like these by interior architects Meesderwerk are stylish and blend into the surrounding space. A minimalist approach to the design can help calm a jumpy mind and induce a sense of simplicity and focus.
Contrary to common practice, home office harmony is created by keeping office shelves clear of too many work-related items. Instead, shelving is often better filled with warm and decorative items to personalise the space and calm the mind. If it's absolutely necessary to store work documents here, use attractive display boxes with front labels for easy access.
Calming items might be low-maintenance indoor plants, paintings, artworks or personal photos. But this doesn't work if the shelves are over-full. It's best to leave them partially empty. Accent lighting can also be used here for interest and warmth.
Consider compartmentalising the less used storage space from the actual workspace. This home office looks like a great snug little alcove to focus on specific tasks. The innovative storage under the steps and in the book shelving overhead ensures that there is nothing to distract the occupant from working. For an alternative layout, consider creating a separate storage zone with lighting.
A large chalkboard like this can be a wonderful excuse to stand up and shift into a different headspace. With the amount of time we spend hunched over a computer, visual brainstorming at a chalkboard is a great reason to stretch and think in a more physical and visual spatial way. This will help avoid random paper notes, contain and give space for the less ordered parts of creative work. Because essentially, this is what a organised home office is for - creating the space to think big.
For more inspiration, have a look at these home offices.
