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Home Office Improvements That Make Working From Home Easier In Minneapolis

December 21, 2020

For many, remote work has become a way of life -- and brings some unforeseen challenges.

Whether you’re a work-from-home connoisseur or looking to make a small workspace temporarily, the concept of being productive in your day-to-day home doesn’t always have to mean working from your kitchen table. The answer to an efficient home workspace is identifying items that will make life better for your daily grind. And this space should also spark joy as you have to live here, too.

From ergonomic desks to Polywood interior shutters, check out these five quick office ideas that allow you to work from home easier. 

Your Home Office Should Be Your Home Office

While cozying up on the couch and banging away on your laptop may feel luxurious at first, not separating “home mode” from “work mode” can feel detrimental to your psyche.

If you don’t yet, create a workspace in the house. This place should be primarily for work, a separate area from your daily activities. This should help you keep away from a wandering mind. You don’t necessarily need an executive oak desk with a wall full of motivational posters, but at least try to use a corner table and chair that is “work only.”

Have a corner in your dining room that would double as a workspace? Create a independent space by installing an easy-to-use, elegant sliding barn door or panel track to divide the room.

Polywood shutters in a home office.
 

Find A Desk That Accommodates Your Things

As a lot of your day is spent seated, you should consider a workspace that uses ergonomic support while integrating your desired spatial needs. That means using the perfect work surface.

Now, here’s one pro tip: don’t go for a “that will do” desk set-up. A coffee table that poses as your desk during the day will only become annoying. You should use a piece of furniture that adjusts to your workplace rituals. If you primarily use a laptop then a smaller desk or work-only table can work. But if you’re stacking books and papers, or need a complicated PC setup, you probably want a bigger surface.

If you rather not get a traditional desk, make one from other materials. An old door or MDF board on top of storage cubbies can easily transform into a versatile work center. When you finally use the correct desk, the easier work from home can seem in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis home office with plantation shutters.
 

Direct Natural Light When You Use The Right Window Coverings

It’s no surprise that adequate lighting can affect your daily video call. Not enough backlight and you’re shrowded in shadow, but an overexposure to sun glare, and you’re flushed out. The amount of natural light can also be the difference between a productive day, and one that finds you making numerous trips to the coffee maker.

To make work at home easier, you should install a window treatment that can handle natural light. Plantation shutters, as an example, have louvers that can be angled so that your workspace always has the correct level of outside light without sun glare. They will also help block outside sounds, like cars or pedestrians. And if your plantation shutters are crafted from Polywood®, they can also help with energy-efficiency.

Luckily, Polywood shutters are a wonderful window treatment for your space, not to mention they are easy to clean and operate.

Home office with polywood shutters.
 

Upgrade Your Seat From That Uncomfortable Chair

After a few days in your improved home office space, you start to realize that using that hard folding chair just isn’t holding up.

Instead, use an ergonomic office chair to make you more comfortable, or enhance your current seat with a little extra back support if you need to have it last until you decide on your next chair. Of course, you can opt for a standing desk, and then your current seat could suffice. 

 

Don’t Be Afraid To Experiment

 
Benefits of improving your home office

One of the benefits of work from home is that you can arrange the room outside the ordinary office layout. However, sometimes settling on the optimal order takes time and plenty of experimentation. And sometimes it takes thinking what’s best for you.

Keep asking yourself about what the best way to set up the office. You might find out that you need a couple monitors instead of one 15-inch monitor. Or why not try three? Or you might find you perform best with a wireless keyboard and two larger monitors attached to the wall. Whiteboards, foot massagers, and overstuffed armchairs -- it’s how you like it. And if that doesn't work like you thought, go ahead and change it out without filing an expense report.

 

Start your Home Office Project in Minneapolis with Sunburst Shutters

Ready to transform your work area? Just call 952-856-8130 or complete the form below to book your in-home consultation. The seasoned experts at Sunburst Shutters Minneapolis will help you choose the window coverings that will take your office to the next level and make work at home easier in Minneapolis.