How to Make Your Work From Home Space a Sanctuary

Table of contents

• Minimalist Design Elements 
• Built-Ins For Storage
• Take Your Best Location Option
• Choose A Full-Service Home Renovation Contractor

It’s no secret that COVID-19 laid bare certain downsides to office life, sending people home to work remotely and deepening interest in work from home spaces. Now, over a year into the ordeal, many people are being given the option to remain home permanently.

The key to working from home effectively is to have a work from home space that encourages productivity. We’ve been building home offices for people since long before the pandemic, so keep reading to explore examples from our portfolio and get our tips for how to craft your ideal work from home space – and how we can help. 

[#Design]Minimalist design elements[#Design] 

Naturally, we called out an emphasis on work from home spaces at the beginning of our guide to the incoming and outgoing interior home renovation trends of 2021. The best work from home space is different for everyone based on their own preferences, but places that are meant to encourage productivity tend to benefit from certain design elements: clean lines, minimalist furniture. It’s all about eliminating distractions and keeping one focused. 

In their guide to the trends of 2021, Arch Digest mentions the demand for renovating homes to better suit a “live/work dynamic.” They quote one CEO who points to a bigger focus on “functional spaces,” like “built-in furniture that can be hidden away or used for work and storage, or improving sound insulation in existing walls and areas to create a calm environment for work.” 

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[#Storage]Built-ins for storage[#Storage]

At Gallery, incorporating built-ins is one of our specialties, such as a recent project in which we built bookshelf storage that opens up to function as a workspace desk. In another project, our clients already had a great work from home space, an office that doubled as a library. We rejuvenated it with fresh wallpaper, refinished woodwork, and built-in bookshelves.

Bright lighting can stimulate positive feelings, while low air quality has the opposite effect. All these factors and more are in our control when designing a work from home space. In a condo we renovated on the Upper East Side, large windows are essential to stimulate creativity and focus alike. The large desk – another built-in – offers lots of storage for optimum file organization, too. 

[#Take]Take your best location option[#Take]

It goes without saying but location is essential when designing a work from home space that you intend to be a sanctuary. In other words, don’t hold onto the spare room for annual guests if that’s the best spot in the home for an office. If doubling up works for you, you can try a compromise that one of our clients recently made. We took what was once a large closet and transformed it into a home office that can easily become a guest bedroom, comfortably sleeping one visitor. 

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One last thing: you need a great chair. This is one of the most important aspects of a work from home space, but it’s also easy to miss or not give the proper weight when planning your home office. Do yourself a favor and put in the time and effort to find an ergonomic chair that suits you.

[#Choose]choose a full-service home renovation contractor[#Choose]

Whether you’ve always wanted to incorporate a work from home space in your home renovation or are now realizing how useful one can be, a design-build firm like Gallery can help. We handle NYC home renovations from start to finish, driving all aspects of a client's project from interior design and architectural planning to building board management and demolition plus construction.

Ready to renovate? Contact us for a consultation.