HOME+GARDEN
your home office and you
BY SAM EVANS OF www.humphreysofhenley.co.uk
I have worked at home for the last 14 years and loved it. 12 of those years were working for a large corporate, and now I have launched my own luxury lifestyle online business. There are so many more pros than cons of working from home, and as long as we know what those cons are then we can manage their impact on our effectiveness. I have read many articles about creating my perfect home office, telling me that I should paint it yellow, keep it immaculately tidy and have photos of my loved ones on all of the shelves. I completely agree that my office is part of my home and should be treated as such, but what works for me won’t work for the next person and I struggle with being told that there is a panacea. This is what prompted me to put my thoughts in writing. As I have developed my ideas, my office has evolved into a much more inviting place. I hope you enjoy it.
d. Bit of luxury – maybe room for another chair to sit, be creative or just ponder
2. ROLE OF YOUR OFFICE Frederick Herzberg spent a huge amount of time focusing on what motivates and demotivates us. Interestingly, demotivators are not the opposite of motivators. If we are feeling unhappy in our job and one day the printer doesn’t work, we will happily blame the printer for all of our ills. However if we are happy in our job and the printer is working, we will not do backflips around the office in delight! So if you have a lovely home office which is bright, functional and contains all that you need but you are still unhappy in your work, then just maybe it is time to have a good think about your working life. Re-decoration is unlikely to be the answer.
Desk Accessories: This was the fun bit. I could go down the traditional leather route with all of the pen holders, desk filing, etc, or should I choose one of the beautiful designs that are now available? The designers have focused on men and women so if you share an office with your partner or friend I believe that there are designs for most tastes. Technology: Few of us function without some form of technology, so here is your opportunity to choose tablet and telephone covers in the most stunning range of colours to match or contrast with your office colour scheme. Orange leather was my choice for both, and it also means that they never get lost in my briefcase or handbag.
1. ENVIRONMENT AND ATTITUDE Being positive helps us to achieve our tasks, whatever their size and importance (remember that the bumble bee can’t fly because it’s body is too heavy for its wings, but no one has ever told the bumblebee that). Our environment is important, but the right mental attitude comes from more than the colour of the paint or the light on your desk. Let’s acknowledge that. Now we focus on what we can do about our environment: a. Colourful and bright – we’ll talk more about colour but it does not have to be yellow b. Comfortable and organised – both are subjective so identify your version of comfort and organisation c. Inspirational – I even have a Team GB flag from London 2012 to remind me what is possible
3. ACCESSORIES There are some fabulous pieces to buy to make our office as welcoming as our sitting room or country kitchen. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune; a bit of forward planning can make the whole process very satisfying and cost effective. This is what I thought about when planning my office: My desk: My first decision was the choice between a desk and a table. Both would serve the purpose, so the considerations were practicality, would it fit around the angled staircase, was it high enough and could I fit the small filing cabinet underneath it? The number of splinters I would have to endure was also a consideration of the some of the tables that I saw. Lighting: I don’t have endless natural light, so my focus is to keep the office very well lit to reduce tiredness and eyestrain. Ceiling and desk lights are usually the best combination.
4. STORAGE Filing and storage is an important decision for me because filing is my least favourite pastime. I have all of the best intentions but there is always something more important to do! My solution is to have glamorous filing cabinets; I even found some mirrored ones, similar in style to the other mirrored furniture available. They also help with spreading the light around my office. I am still far from perfect but I use my filing cabinets more because I like them.
5. TIME MANAGEMENT “The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.” Stephen R. Covey I was once told, and now firmly believe, that when implementing any kind of process or system, success is 10% dependent on the tools or technology and 90% dependent on the person or people doing it. I don’t believe that there is a time management panacea because people are so different and react to deadlines in very different ways. The key is to find the system that works
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