Working from home comes with plenty of perks like sleeping in, enjoying lunch from the comfort of your own kitchen, and not spending your evenings stuck in rush hour traffic. But when you don’t have a designated home office available, it can take some of the excitement out of remote work. If you live in a smaller house or share an apartment with roommates, you may need to set up a home office in your bedroom, which can be tight on space. Follow these six tips to create a home office and bedroom combo that won’t wear you out.
1. Be Mindful of Desk Placement
How you position the desk in your bedroom can not only impact how the room looks, but it can also affect your productivity levels during the workday. Try to face your desk toward a wall or set of windows. You can push the desk flat against the wall to keep your bedroom more open, and you won’t be distracted by the sight of your nap-tempting bed or television.
2. Separate Your Sleep and Work Areas
Working from your bedroom can make it difficult to shut off the work-focused part of your brain. Separate your work area and sleep area so your brain knows it can officially leave thoughts of work behind once you cross that barrier between your desk and your bed.
Start by putting as much physical space between your bed and desk as possible. In smaller rooms, you might only have a few inches to work with. For small bedroom and office combo ideas, try drawing a physical line between your work area and bed with curtains, a screen, or a room divider. This will allow you to draw the curtains at the end of the day or put up the screen or divider to close off your work zone and shut out all thoughts of work.
If you’re putting a desk in a master bedroom, you might be able to put a wider gap between your bed and desk. Consider visually dividing the two areas with an area rug under your workspace. The rug will section off your office and help signal to your brain when to be in work mode and when to be in relaxation mode.
3. Keep Your Existing Decor in Mind
Your office and bed should be separate areas, but they still share a room. When choosing your home office furniture, make sure it coordinates with your existing bedroom furniture. Stick to the same color scheme for your bedroom and office, and try to tie in desk decor with your bedding or any art or decorations you have hanging on your walls.
4. Combine Your Desk and Vanity
Tight on bedroom space? A desk and vanity combo could be the perfect space-saving solution. Turning your desk into an area where you can also get ready in the mornings or for a night on the town means you can cut down on the number of furniture items in your bedroom.
If you’re on a budget, you can easily DIY a vanity desk. Find a standard desk you like with plenty of surface space and drawers. Some drawers can be dedicated to hair and makeup products, and others can hold office supplies. Position your desk against a wall and hang a wall mirror above it. You can set up your laptop during work hours and use the mirror and desk space for doing your makeup and hair after hours.
5. Select a Chair That Tucks Under the Desk
Your main focus when choosing an office chair should be comfort — after all, you’ll be sitting in it for eight hours every day. However, you also want to think about size. A bulky chair might not be a big deal in a normal office setting, but you don’t want your chair taking up more space than necessary in your bedroom, especially when you’re not working. Find a chair that fits neatly under your desk so you can easily tuck it away after you log off for the day. Search for chairs that either don’t have arms or have adjustable arms you can lower for a better fit.
6. Be Strategic With Storage
Every office — home or otherwise — calls for storage. You need somewhere to stash pens, paper, important documents, and any books you might have. With an office in your bedroom, you need to choose your storage solutions carefully. It’s easy for a small space to become cluttered, and clutter leads to extra stress.
If you need a filing cabinet, get one with wheels that you can stow in your closet to keep it out of the way. For desktop storage, stay organized with baskets, pen cups, and small, stackable drawers. You can also take advantage of wall space with floating shelves.
Create Your Dream Bedroom Office With CORT Furniture Outlet
Working where you sleep can get tiring. If you’re ready to create an energizing bedroom office, head to CORT Furniture Outlet to find home office furniture that fits your space. With our expansive and constantly changing inventory, you can purchase furniture you love and take it home with you the same day. Stop by your nearest CORT Furniture Outlet or shop online today!
