How To Turn Your Spare Bedroom Into A Home Study*

*This is a collaborative post*

The nature of work is changing. The number of people working from home is increasing every year. Hundreds of new businesses are started from home and even if you work for someone else you may work from home for a few days a week.

Working from home has a lot of advantages. You are flexible in your working hours and this allows you to fit your work around your other commitments. You do not get distracted by a busy office environment and you may feel more relaxed. You can avoid commuting to work and worrying about the train or the bus not turning up on time. Contrary to popular opinion, people who work from home do not waste their time! They are amongst the most productive workers around.

If you are working from home there will be a few changes that you have to make to create a space where you can focus on your work tasks. Typically, it is a spare bedroom that gets converted into a work space. Here are some ideas on how you can make a productive workspace that you look forward to heading into in the morning.

Pexels

Give the room a makeover

If the room looks like a spare bedroom it will not put you in the mood for working so a few things have to change. Take out the bed. Replace it with a fold-away mattress or futon so that you do not lose the area to put up guests when you are not working.

Replace the carpet with laminate flooring. This gives a business-like feel and you can use a chair on castors much easier than you can on a carpet. It is also quicker and easier to clean. You have to get rid of any floral wallpaper. Give walls a lick of paint with a neutral emulsion. Everything should be calm and neutral and business-like.

The patterned bedroom curtains need to come down and be replaced with made to measure blinds or plain curtains. You can click here to find out how to order anything from Roman and Venetian blinds to readymade curtains that are beautifully designed and manufactured to a very high standard. There is loads of guidance on how to measure your windows to get a perfect fit. This is a quick, simple, and affordable way to decorate your new study.

A study cannot be cluttered. It will make you feel stressed, distract you from what you are doing and you will lose focus. Box up everything that you don’t need and put it in your loft. If you do not have a loft space you can put it into storage for a while whilst you decide what to do with it.

Invest in some equipment

Working from home involves a lot of equipment and paperwork. At the very least, you will need a PC or a laptop and you will need a desk to put it on. A laptop may be more suitable if you want the option of working away from home as well. You also need an office chair. Select an ergonomic chair that will work with your body to help your posture. You sit in an office chair for many hours every day and this can put a big strain on your muscles and joints. If you worked in an office somewhere else you would get a suitable chair so why accept an old dining chair or a stool when you work from home? You will simply get tired more easily and get a lot of aches and pains that could have been avoided.

Try to choose a model that has a lumbar support and an adjustable backrest. You may also want a foot stool and an ergonomic mouse pad to prevent repetitive strain injuries. A filing cabinet is essential for storing all your papers and files. A small printer/scanner is very useful and does not cost a lot.

The most important thing that you will need is a reliable broadband connection. If you are not happy with your current provider, shop around, do a search online for Internet providers in my area and try and get a better deal. Remember to check out the download and the upload speed that you are being provided with.

It just takes a little time and effort to create your perfect office space in your spare room. The best thing is that you can shut the door when you have finished work and the house becomes your home once more.

*Contributed by Sam Jones