How To Upgrade Your Home Office In Style

Make Your Space Work Harder

With more of us working from home, the demands on our living space have increased exponentially over the past year – and with that comes the need for more flexibility. Whether you want to convert a corner of your kitchen into a compact study or upgrade a spare room into a dedicated home office, there are plenty of inspiring and clever solutions available at John Lewis & Partners to ensure your space works as hard it can. Just remember to consider furniture that is empathetic to the style of the space – a console-style desk with a drawer for your laptop will be a subtle addition to your living room, while a modular system with shelving above might work well in an open-plan family room.

Choose The Right Equipment 

You don’t have to spend a fortune to create a home working space that is productive, organised and stylish – there’s an array of options available at John Lewis to achieve your goals, whatever your budget. Regardless of time or money, however, it’s always important to have the right equipment for the job. First, determine who is using the space and how – is this purely for an adult or will children use it for homework as well? Do you have a plug socket nearby? Make a list of your priorities and buy accordingly to suit your needs.

Get It Right First Time

If you don’t know where to start, John Lewis also has its own professional, convenient virtual home design service available. From the comfort of your own home, a home design stylist will show you how to make the most of your space by creating a hardworking and productive solution. They’ll answer any questions you might have and give you tailored and specific advice relevant to your lifestyle and budget. That way, you'll end up with a personalised shopping list, which will then be emailed to you for your reference later on. Best of all, it’s completely free of charge, with no minimum spend necessary.

Desks

From compact designs to built-in storage, think about what you want from your desk, as well as where it’s going to go. Is it just for you or all the family to use? Does it need storage or to fit in an alcove? Do you want to combine it with other items or just shelving? The style may matter more if it has to blend into an existing scheme, while in a dedicated study, function might take priority over form.

Chairs

Office chairs have come a long way and can now offer top-of-the-range ergonomic comfort without compromising on style. And when you’re sitting for prolonged periods of time, it makes sense to invest in proper seating. If different people will be using the desk, make sure the chair is adjustable so everyone can use it comfortably.

Lamps

Task lighting is so important, especially on shorter winter days when natural daylight is limited, or if you don’t sit near a window. Ideally, place it behind the laptop screen to deflect the glare.

Functional

Tap into the practical solutions to enhance your working day, such as laptop stands and even a standing desk. Combining comfort with function is a sure-fire way to working most productively.

Accessories

Tidy desk, tidy mind. So get organised with an assortment of trays, pots and files. In a perfect world, we might strive to go paperless, but if you do find yourself with lots of documents or books, it’s important to have a place for to tidy everything away so the clutter doesn’t get on top of you.

To see the full range of furniture and accessories, visit JohnLewis.com and to find out more about the Virtual Home Design Service, click here.