![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/worker-home-office-compressed.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nPhoto by\u00a0Mia Baker<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Unsplash<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n It was supposed to be the area where I sat down and solved my clients\u2019 problems, but after watching my daughter come in to sit and colour at it at least three times a week, we decided this past Christmas to just give her my desk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Like most self-employed people, I didn\u2019t start out this way. I had a job, with an office and even a bit of a view. Then, somewhere along the way, we bought a house and it never occurred to me that I might need a professional space to call my own. I bought a desk and shoved it next to our bed, but the reality is I usually end up in coffee shops and coworking spaces instead.<\/p>\n For many people, though, the portability of a laptop is not enough. They might need a printer, some storage for paper files and other equipment. Even if you\u2019re not self-employed, the chances you\u2019ll be working from home at least part of the time are getting higher.<\/p>\n According to <\/span>research from recruiting firm Robert Half<\/span><\/a>, 43 percent of Canadian employers offer remote work options today, and of those who take advantage of it, 61 percent choose home over a cafe or other location. The percentage of companies that offer remote work gets even higher among those who employ more than 500 people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Those building their own home might deliberately add an office, but for many of us, it means carving out an area and making it work with the existing decor.<\/p>\n As someone who\u2019s had to make do with imperfect home offices, these are my top tips to keep in mind if you\u2019re seeking to be more intentional and strategic in designing your space.<\/p>\n Photo: James Bombales, design by Jo Alcorn<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n You may spend a lot of your time typing on a keyboard, but if you\u2019re doing any kind of work that involves connecting with clients or a team, like <\/span>executive coaching<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or providing updates on a project,<\/span> you might be expected to present yourself on camera via videoconference.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ve personally found myself awkwardly trying to pitch a client with nothing but our dining room\u2019s (dusty) china cabinet behind me. Look for nooks or spaces with a neutral, solid background \u2014 or at least no wallpaper pattern that\u2019s so distracting it takes away from what you\u2019re trying to say.<\/p>\n\n Photo by\u00a0Annie Spratt<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Unsplash<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n You may rely on your own cell phone, but many families continue to have at least one phone plugged into the wall somewhere. If it\u2019s too close to where your home office is set up, it may go off during conference calls as you\u2019re trying to talk on your mobile.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This can be jarring if the landline not only rings, but announces, \u201cCall from: Mom,\u201d which has happened to me before.<\/p>\n The same thing goes for doorbells: Beware of setting up a home office where you can be seen from the front window \u2014 canvassers or delivery people will expect you to interrupt work as a result.<\/p>\n Photo: James Bombales, design by Lisa Canning<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Lots of companies mandate, for security reasons, that every item on employees\u2019 workspaces be locked in cabinets and drawers at the end of the day. It\u2019s also a good idea for home offices, where furniture items might need to be used by kids or spouses later in the day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Bear in mind that even if you have a third bedroom where your home office is set up, you may occasionally have to offer it to guests and you won\u2019t want to leave confidential business information laying around.<\/p>\n Look for ottomans with hidden storage or side tables with extra compartments that allow you to easily transition from work to play.<\/p>\n Photo by\u00a0Sora Sagano<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Unsplash<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n When you\u2019re working during the day, you may be happy enough with the available natural light. That won\u2019t be the only time you use your home office, though.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Even if you’re a remote worker whose hours fall more or less between 9 to 5, almost all of us eventually reach a point where professional self-development is essential to career progression. This could include upgrading traditional skills by taking <\/span>sales courses<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>business analyst courses<\/span><\/a>, or pursuing a <\/span>full stack developer course<\/span><\/a> to move into an entirely new field.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This often means studying at night, so figure out if you\u2019ll need a table lamp or wall sconces to illuminate the space. Don\u2019t rely on the nearest ceiling fixture (or the glow of your laptop).<\/p>\n Photo: James Bombales, design by Claire Jefford<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n People have been incredibly creative in situating home offices underneath staircases, in between washers and dryers, and all kinds of other unusual places. Part of that creativity should include liberating yourself from trying to keep every work-related item together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You might decide on a perfect corner to set up one of those wall-mounted desks that can be folded up afterwards, for instance. Putting a printer there might make the space look unsightly when it\u2019s being used for entertaining, so why not put it somewhere else? If you were working in a normal business office, you\u2019d probably have to get up and walk to the printer anyway. If you\u2019re doing other kinds of creative work like podcasting, meanwhile, you might want to store essentials in a cupboard in a room with better acoustics than the place you put your laptop.<\/p>\n Your home office should make you feel productive, not like a prisoner. And when the office work is done, it should be easy to go back to feeling at home.<\/p>\n Shane Schick is the founding editor of <\/span><\/i>360Magazine.com<\/span><\/i><\/a>, host of the <\/span><\/i>Owned Media Observer<\/span><\/i><\/a> podcast, a fashion blogger at <\/span><\/i>Menswhere.ca<\/span><\/i><\/a> and an advisor to <\/span><\/i>CourseCompare<\/span><\/i><\/a>, which helps Canadians find the best <\/span><\/i>management courses<\/span><\/i><\/a>, <\/span><\/i>Python courses<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0and more.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Even if you\u2019re not self-employed, the chances you\u2019ll be working from home at least part of the time are getting higher.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":199671,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2020-02-03T18:24:28Z","apple_news_api_id":"0ec27bc4-638f-4119-9fa7-4ca7469d7e96","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2020-02-03T18:24:28Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/ADsJ7xGOPQRmfp0ynRp1-lg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"middle","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":["https:\/\/u48r14.digitalhub.com\/sections\/09b86915-7d2b-3acd-915b-b215002d01b7"],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11115],"tags":[11113,11172,11129],"coauthors":[10275],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n1. Consider the \u2018scope of work\u2019<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n2. Keep your landline at a distance<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n3. Enforce your own \u2018clean desk\u2019 policy<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n4. Fight for your right to have task lighting<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n5. Remember that a home office can be more than a cubicle<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n