Putting the pro in productivity: top home office design ideas

Whether you run a business from your home or have children who are ramping into the later years of their secondary or tertiary education, having a home office offers a prime space for getting work done efficiently by eliminating the commute time to CBD corporate buildings or libraries. 

Here, we share the top styling tips for a home office that are geared towards enhancing your productivity levels, drawing on clinical research to support the design tips. We also discuss why renovating or re-designing a spare room of your house into a home office could prove to be very fruitful when you plan to sell your home in due course. 

Growing demand for home offices 
It's likely that the home office will become a major interior design trend in the coming decades as millennials (those reaching young adulthood in the 2000s) make up the majority of global workforces, because this group prefers flexible or mobile workspaces. A variety of international studies by Colliers and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) prove this to be the case, finding that millennials value a work-life balance lifestyle and appreciate company culture that has a working from home or mobile working option. Citing statistics by the International Data Corporation, Colliers reported that, although in 2010 there were more than one billion mobile workers around the planet, this number is expected to grow by 6 per cent per annum over the next decade. PwC's 2013 global generational study echoed similar themes, emphasising that off-site workspaces were popular among millennials.

This is important when you consider that renting or selling your home in the coming years will likely be targeting the millennial market. Indeed, a Deloitte survey found that by 2025, 75 per cent of workers around the world would be from Generation Y. So, a house with an elegantly styled home office is sure to attract them to your property. Not to mention, you will get plenty of use and value from the room during your time at home too!

A chic yet productive home office 
While it is enticing to have a home office, there are certain distractions that arise – after all, the kitchen and lounge are just a short walk away and your desire to take breaks could obstruct your productivity. With this in mind, you can decorate the room strategically to boost your output and productively use the time. 

Last year, a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology proved what many nature lovers perhaps knew for decades – having plants around us makes us work better. The study found that looking at plants for as little as 40 seconds improved concentration and boosted productivity, too.

Biophillic design has been a growing presence in the architecture and interior design industry, steadily incorporating more and more organic, natural materials into the exterior of buildings as well as in interior furniture and styling. This is why the IMO Kase Planter is the perfect storage option for a home office, growing a planter atop the shelves for a pop of healthy green. Easily keep files, books and folders below the blooms.

If storage is a key priority for your home office, the sophisticated shelving of the Wally Bookshelf by Ultimate Living is a sensible choice. Not only can you have all your relevant books at easy access, the shelving units offer ample space for chic decorative objects such as vases, statues and small potted indoor plants. 

Those fond of a minimalist, industrial-luxe look will adore the Loft High Shelving Unit by Corso de' Fiori – style it with concrete vases and rose gold metallic accents.

As for the desk itself, there are a variety of options, since this is the statement piece of the room. The Monarch table by Goldsworthy comes in versatile monochrome tones suitable to any interior theme, and offers a spacious desk surface. On the other hand, the Airia desk from Matissehas good storage in subtle, thin drawers that tuck neatly away. If you love minimalism and stability, the Stark Desk by Tim Webber Design makes for an impressive centrepiece. For those pressed for space who have converted a small area into a home office, a little yet functional desk such as the Nelson Swag Leg Desk from Matisse is a clever solution.

While these options are suited to a home office, if you actually use your abode as the venue of the business itself – such as running an accountancy firm from at home or another commercial home-business – your home office should portray power and professionalism. The Aircraft Desk M4160 from Montigny offers precisely that, sure to make a positive first impression on your clients.

Finally, you'll need to tie the look together with an ergonomic chair. It's of the utmost importance that you care for your posture since a sedentary lifestyle can cause health issues. Zenith's Belite chair is an ideal option, combining environmentally friendly design with a curved seat back and padded seating for quality ergonomics.