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