6 interior designer's secrets to help you create the most productive, organised, and inspired home office.

Working from home is GREAT. No commute, no dress code, no fight over who left their dirty plate in the sink. But working from home can be SO distracting!

Let’s be honest, it takes a lot of self discipline to work from home, and most of us don’t have that discipline, at least not right now. I can’t socialise or go to the gym, I have lost most of my work, have no money coming in, but live in one of the most expensive cities in the world, so don’t you dare expect of me to be super self disciplined. Let me eat all the carbs and cheese and leave me alone…

[rant over]

Last month, I finally stopped working from a small desk in the living room and turned my guest bedroom into an actual office (minus the bed frame and mattress up against the wall). I used to spend about 15 hours a week working from that desk. After the company I was contracting for shut their office, I was home full time. It just wasn’t going to work. On top of that, my partner got sent home to work and the two of us in the living room all day was a recipe for disaster.

So there I was, walking around our 2 bedroom flat trying find a solution, and looked at the bed in the guest bedroom. I loved that room because it was the tidiest and prettiest of all, I’d go there just to watch Netflix. But it hit me: we don’t need a guest bedroom if we cannot have any guest! A few days later, the mattress and frame were stacked up against a wall and the room was ready to go!

Although temporary I have finally created the perfect home office. It’s highly functional, allows me to truly focus on my work, and most importantly it’s a space where I feel good and inspired.

Want to know how I did it? The following 6 steps are super easy design tips to create the perfect home office, regardless of your budget or space, hope it helps!

Choose a deep desk & position it right

Choose the width of the desk to suit your space and needs. This is up to you. I personally dream of a 3 meter long desk where I can have all my plans, sketches and materials within reach, but right now I am happy with a 2 meter long desk. What you really want is to choose a desk that is at least 600mm deep, 700 to 800 is ideal.

Having a deep desk allows you to have your screen further away, which is great for your eyes. If you can position your forearms flat on the desk to type on the keyboard, it means you have a good posture, and your back won’t suffer too much. Try to position your screen at an arm’s distance.

PRO TIP: Your eyes should be aligned with the top of your screen to avoid tension in your neck.

In term of position, avoid putting your desk straight up against a blank wall. Every 20 mins or so you should look away from the screen and in the distance so your eyes can relax a bit, so being positioned fully or partially facing an open room or a window is ideal.

SAVVY TIP: I found the biggest desk on gumtree, it was being given away for free! After a quick research I found it for $200 online! This is great if your office is temporary. When you go back to the office, you can sell it or help someone out by giving it away!

Choose a chair that has good ergonomics

I understand that when we set up our office space, we want it to be stylish and pretty. But trust me, after 2 hours sat on a pretty dining chair, your back (and bum) will hate you. If you want to stay focused and productive, you have to be comfortable. I would never choose a desk chair for its look over its practicality. Choose a chair that swivels, it helps you move and stretch whilst working. Choose a good back support and an adjustable height.

The best example of a chair that is really comfortable, affordable and stylish is the Eames office chair. You can find replicas at many places online but the cheapest one I found was this one from Zanui priced at $169.95

Replica Eames Office Chair

Keep your desktop clean and organised with smart storage and accessories

I find that to have a clear mind, I need a clean space. During the day, my desk gets really messy. I use a few different notebooks, love using post it notes and lots of pens. But I make a point to clean it up at the end of every day. Arriving in the morning to a tidy space makes you feel like you can get to work straight away.

Have on your desk the things you use every day. A jar with a few essential pens, your calculator etc… Put away the rest. You can easily get a nice desktop organiser from office works or target for around $10.

PRO TIP: choose an organiser that let’s you put documents vertically, it makes it a lot easier to find documents and to stay organised.

If you work from a laptop, consider using a seperate keyboard and mouse. (and screen if you can). It really does help with comfort (posture and eye strain)

Want to get more Interior Designer's secrets? Read all about The 10 biggest Kitchen Design Mistakes that could Ruin your Kitchen and how to Avoid them

Take the time to clean up and organise what is on your computer

Now that you desk is clean and organised, you want to do the same with your desktop. Take the time to put things in folders and have a nice clean desktop in front of you.

Surround yourself with what inspires and motivates you

Whenever you look up from your screen, you should see something that makes you happy. A photo of someone you love, an inspiring quote, your vision board… These little details have the power to soothe you when you’re stressed, motivate you when you’re discouraged or inspire you when you feel like you are you are just over it. They will make you feel good and boost your focus and productivity.

Create a mindful space where you feel good

Your home office is now pretty close to perfection! Now is time for the final touches.

I always say that a good space is a space that ignites all your senses. In order to feel comfortable and happy in a space, you need more than just pretty things to look at.

- Make sure you have good quality speaker or headphones. There is no better way to focus on work than getting into the zone while listening to a good playlist.

- Put a bit of life on your desk. Adding a plant on your desktop will get you connected to nature and the world around you. Ivy is a great desk plant. They grow fast and don’t need much care.

- Choose something that smells nice. A nice smell definitely helps with stress and focus. My personal favourite are candles because of the soft warm light they create but you can also go for an oil diffuser, a desktop humidifier, or even fresh flowers!