Everything you need to complete your home office in style!

There are a few fundamentals when it comes to buying home office furniture. Get the basics right and you'll have a comfortable-yet-stylish working zone. With our head office team temporarily working from home, what better time to discuss our home working-spaces. Keeping motivated and inspired is hugely important when working from home. So working in an uninspiring space can have a big impact on your morale and performance. If you're in need of a full home office overhaul or simply want to upgrade your furniture, then this blog is all for you!

It's important to feel inspired when you're working from home so this guide will help you take care of the basics. This way, you'll be free to explore your creative side and add your own finishing touches to make it a truly unique place to work. In this blog, we'll explore what you need to know when buying your desk, chair, and essential storage for your workspace. Then, we'll recap on the key takeaway tips that you need to make the perfect purchase. Keep reading for our comprehensive guide on buying furniture for your study or home workspace.

Home Office Furniture - Desks

Probably the number one place to start - you can't get anything done without a desk in your home office! The desk you choose will be determined by a few key considerations. One is your personal style and the other is the space you have at home. Perhaps you love Industrial style furniture or want to find something vintage? It could be a Mid-century modern desk that you want or a modern and minimal glass style. And what about the room you have? Is it a small space that needs compact furniture? Or perhaps you need to set up a work area in your bedroom or living room? There are hundreds of style to choose from so it's worth considering these questions before you start. The next question is what kind of storage do you require? A desk with drawers is great for hiding away stationary or a handy shelf to organise paperwork.

Get The Look

So, at this point, you should know what style you want, roughly what size it needs to be, and what storage your require. Next on your checklist should be taking a look at your colour palette for your home office. If your room is light and bright with pale wood finishes then you may want to choose something that compliments this. If you're struggling to match or tie in a wood finish then why not go for metal or glass which should suit most colour palettes. Once you've followed all of these tips and have discovered your dream desk - there is just one more thing to do... Measure up! It is a good idea to measure any doorways or spaces that lead to your home office. This way you won't have any disasters when it arrives. The other thing to measure is the height. This is especially important if you already have a desk chair that needs to be used with the desk. Make sure there is enough room to get your legs comfortably underneath. Another good thing to check is that the top of the desk is high enough to maintain good posture while working. Shop our full collection of Home Office Desks.

Chairs

The next most important thing to think about when buying furniture for your study or home office is your derrière! You need to be comfortable and feel supported while you're working hard. We're not great fans of an ugly office chair at home. As it's your personal space, it needs to blend in with your surroundings. Quite often a plastic swivel chair just won't cut it! But there are plenty of options available that will offer you comfort, support AND style. A beautiful new arrival for Spring 2020 was the Curved Back Velvet Dining Chair in Golden Ochre. A sunny new colourway that has been added to our Mink Grey and Moss Green designs. Gently padded, the curved back and arm support of this design will ensure you maintain a healthy posture while at your desk.

Get The Look

As I write this blog post from my own home office I am sitting on one of our very own faux leather chairs. The curved design of this chair means that my back and posture is well supported. A bad desk chair can lead to all kinds of problems, but back, shoulder and chest pain is the worst (and most common). From velvet to leather, wood to hardwearing fabric, it's important to choose materials that fit with your lifestyle. If you have kids, often the easiest choice is to go with something easy to clean. For this, the faux leather range is perfect! Marks and spilt food (or whatever THAT is) can be easily wiped away. Velvet is surprisingly easy to learn so if you prefer a softer aesthetic, this is the one for you.

Shelving & Storage

And so we move on to the last part of our guide which focuses on all-important storage. No home office should be without shelving and storage to keep everything organised. The key here is to work out how much storage you need and what style you like best. Open storage and shelving is great for tidy people but can look messy if you have lots of paperwork. A separate storage unit or cabinet is a great way of keeping your desk clear. Smart and sophisticated, the Parquet Style Wooden Sideboard is a great office piece and offers lots of flexible storage. Not only this, but you have a surface to decorate with quirky ornaments too! Alternatively, bang on-trend and great for hiding away office paper is the Woven Cane Two-Door Cupboard. Super stylish and made from sustainable materials, this sideboard style cabinet would suit a wide variety of home decor styles.

Get The Look

Perhaps you'd like to add a touch of personality with quirky storage? For this, the Traditional Apothecary-Style Drawer Cabinet is perfect! With clever hidden storage and tray top for displaying or storing further items, there is no wonder this quirky piece is one of our bestsellers. If you need a little more flexibility or have limited space, add your own style with cool wall brackets for shelving. Making a feature of decorative items can really help to keep you feeling inspired and motivated. A pretty Round Rattan Shelf filled with some of your favourite treasures would look great hung on the wall nearby. However, if you need something a little more heavy-duty, you don't have to compromise on style. The Herringbone 4 Shelf Unit can be styled with a mix of decorative ornaments as well as your office essentials and books. A win-win for office storage!

Key Takeaways

An Inspiring Setting Will Keep You Motivated

As we've discussed, staying motivated and feeling positive and inspired can be more challenging when you're working from home. You're reliant on yourself to keep energy levels up and attention focused on the task at hand. So by creating an area that is dedicated to your work; you are already halfway there. But the next trick is to fill it with items that you love and make you feel inspired. This includes your furniture as these key pieces will bring together the whole look and feel of the room.

Identify Your Personal Style

Your personality and lifestyle are one of the top considerations for any home decor project. This often gets overlooked in favour of trends or popular Instagram homes. But really, when it comes to decorating your own working space, you need to feel at home. So for this, we always recommend taking a look at yourself, your own personality and your lifestyle. Chapter one in our first Interior Book (Extraordinary Interiors) is dedicated to just this. We've written a sneak peek of chapter one to help get you started.

Consider Your Space

This sounds obvious, but really giving this some thought will help pin-point the perfect pieces of furniture for you. Perhaps your working area is a multi-functional space, such as a kitchen or bedroom? If so, then being able to turn your work station into a clear surface for other tasks will be essential. Or for you, this could be whether you have a tiny space to work and so need to focus on finding compact furniture. Or alternatively, you might have a whole room which you'd like to double up with a space to relax on your breaks or during calls. Teaming this with all of the other tips will ensure you never miss a trick.

Colour Palette

Are you looking for a quick-fix and working with what you've got or are you wanting to start afresh? A lick of paint can make a room feel brand new and is relatively cheap to do. And if you're sharing your space, paint is a great way to zone different areas. Don't miss our blogs on How Colour Makes You Feel and How to Choose the Right Paint Colour for your Home to ensure you get the palette right. Or, for a more comprehensive guide on colour in the home, grab yourself a copy of our second interior book; Extraordinary Interiors in Colour.

Measure up!

This is especially important for larger pieces such as desks or shelving. There is nothing worse than finding your dream desk, waiting for delivery, only to find out it won't go through the door! Be smart and measure up doorways and routes to the space you want the piece to go before you purchase.

Supportive Seating is Crucial

Are you sitting comfortably? You'll soon discover if your chair needs an upgrade - your body will let you know! If you have a desk-based job then it's well worth investing in a decent chair. But as we've mentioned - you never need to compromise on style! Afterall everything in your home should be beautiful - even the useful stuff! Use your notes from finding your personal style and consider your lifestyle to choose the fabric or finish that's best for you.

Storage is Essential

Being organised is a great stress-reliever. Storage to pack away messy paperwork and unsightly items is vital for peace of mind. This is especially important if you share your workspace with others or are restricted to just an area of a room. It's also great practice to pack everything away at the end of each day or working week to make sure you can shut off and enjoy some well-earned me-time.

 

Have your own stylish workspace at home? Share it with us on Instagram using our hashtag #rockettstgeorge.

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