Creating an efficient, professional, and inspiring home office

This post is very near and dear to me because I work from home as a freelance web designer, and when my office is messy or simply not arranged well my productivity really suffers. I've learned by experience that a tidy and aesthetically pleasing office can make the difference between hitting deadlines or writing lame excuses to clients for late work. Do you ever work from home? What helps/hinders your productivity?

Making Your Home Study Look Professional
When you work from home, you should have a home study that looks as professional as possible. That way, you will be able to concentrate on your work without having any of the distractions of the home that can negatively impact on the amount of work and, therefore, the money that your business can earn.

There are several ways to make your home office look more professional. First of all, you should give your home study a room of its own. It does not look in any way professional, after all, to be working on the sofa in front of the television or on the kitchen table. You should instead have a permanent desk in a spare room, with all of the equipment that you need immediately to hand. The tools that you have in your office should include, at the very least, a computer, a phone and a connection to the internet for email.

One of the most obvious ways of keeping your home study looking professional is to ensure that it is kept clean and tidy. You should also set up your PC, chair and desk at the correct height so that you can work without slouching. You should also position any equipment, such as a phone and some stationery, in a place that is accessible so that you do not have to stretch to reach them.


This set up is ideal for those who need to store lots of items - papers, files, samples, etc.

I need A LOT of surface area and this L-shaped desk is perfect.

One day I hope to have an office large enough for a small settee or atleast a comfy chair for looking through magazines and art books

Though a separate room is ideal, if you don't have one, a creative use of space can make a surprisingly adequate home office.

Love this loft home office.

Your home study should be free of too many of the distractions that would undermine its work-like appearance. This means that you should not have a television unless it directly relates to your business. Ideally you would have a window near your desk to provide inspiration and calm, although if you find it too distracting you may want to cover it with a blind. Overall, the home study should be simple, with no overly distracting gadgets and only the items that are necessary for you to be able to do your work. Another factor that has a great influence on the professionalism of your office is the home study furniture that you choose. This includes computer desks, filing cabinets and desks and chairs. You will want to find a desk, for example, that is durable and that is at the right height, in addition to a computer chair that allows you to stay comfortable for many hours of work at a time.

disclosure: this post is sponsored by Neville Johnson

The benefits of built-ins and fitted furniture done right

There are many advantages to choosing fitted home furniture. One of the biggest advantages of this type of furniture is the amount of space that you can access compared with free-standing furniture. Many people are increasingly pressed for space in their homes, with items of furniture that are full to the brim. This means that any extra items that need to be stored often end up causing clutter on the floor or being left on the top of wardrobes and desks, getting covered in dust. This is of course impractical, as it leaves you with less surface area and also negatively impacts on the appearance of your home, making it look messy and uninviting.

A Real Transformation
Fitted furniture, however, transforms the look of your home, making use of every inch of your room for storage, unlike free-standing furniture which will almost always leave huge, wasted spaces in comparison. With fitted home furniture, not only do you get to eliminate the excess clutter for a much cleaner, tidier appearance, but the furniture itself also makes your home look more seamless, with wardrobes that stretch from floor to ceiling. You benefit from furniture with smooth lines and no ugly gaps. This can be a particular issue when you are looking for furniture for a room that is of an awkward shape, for example one that has tricky alcoves or that is impeded by a sloping ceiling, the latter obviously a frequent issue for renovated attics.

Since I work from home, a nice home office is a must. When I finally settle down and decide to live somewhere for more than one year, I will definitely be investing in an awesome desk and shelf system. I LOVE built in bookshelves.

What a gorgeous entertainment room - rooms which are often so hard to make gorgeous!

If my closet were half this orderly and efficient I'd be a happy girl.



Versatile Furniture
Fitted furniture can also be incredibly versatile. Remember that this type of furniture can be made to measure, meaning that you do not have to settle for the shape of furniture that you see on the manufacturer’s website! There are many fitted home furniture designers who can create ingenious solutions for your room so that space can be freed up in ways you never thought possible. This allows you to create a solution for each room so that not an inch of space is ever wasted in any part of your house. The space that becomes available as a result actually makes each room look bigger, along with being much more appealing due to the outstanding individual designs you can request on custom-made furniture.

A wide range of fitted furniture can be purchased, meaning that you can make your home look truly seamless by introducing the same style to different areas of your house, from bedrooms and box rooms to loft conversions and guest rooms.

disclosure: this post is sponsored by Neville Johnson

Beautiful built-ins

I've lived in quite a few old houses and one thing I love about them are the built-in features. Bookcases, desks, window seats - they add so much charm and personality. How about you? What's your feeling on built-ins?

A dreamy day bed/window seat - oh the hours I could spend there
via My Home Ideas

...a little girl's paradise...
via LKS Design


serene office - my desk is never that clean though - as I use it to work on... :)

I love this room. The curtains hung lower ads a lot of dimension to the room I think...










via Decor Pad

via High Fashion Home Blog