Creating a new home office? Everything you need to know…

One key part of starting a successful home renovation project is to begin by listing what the requirements of the space are. For example, if you are solely creating a home office then a big consideration may be within the styling and the feel you want to create, depending on the kind of work you may be doing. If you are in a creative field opting for an open-plan layout may be more beneficial to allow you to work on big projects. Alternatively, if you are working heavily on a computer you may want a more neutral colour palette to create a sense of calm and focus. This will then influence other decisions within your plans, such as which flooring design might flow well with the overall aesthetic.

You might find your space will also have other demands, such as multifunctional use. Many of our customers have chosen areas such as a dining table in an open-plan kitchen to work from. These customers may find the use of zoning and borders beneficial to separate open-plan areas, separating work and home life. This type of layout is known as broken plan living, a key trend we think we’ll be seeing more of in 2021. You can see this in action below with Dovetail Lavastone bordered with Natural Plank Highland.

Another key consideration when planning your home office is whether you want it to flow with your existing interior style or be unique to the area. We have a selection of many different styles and colour palettes to choose from, meaning there is a floor design for every interior scheme, making it easy to flow seamlessly throughout your home. If you’re looking to create a unique area, a great way to make a statement is through patterned design. Contrast natural woods with geometric or encaustic tiles, such as Northmore Sable Black pictured below, for a contemporary look, perfect if you want to create a contrast between your working area and family area.

Creating a cosy home office nook is a great way to utilise the space available in your home. Our patterned designs such as Parquet Charcoal by Neisha Crosland and Pattern Larkspur by Dee Hardwicke work brilliantly to create a sense of space and work well in both small and bigger rooms. Using our MSeries woods to border the pattern adds an additional dimension to the area, plus they blend beautifully with your furnishings or provide contrast.

One thing key to productivity when home working is feeling energised and motivated. When planning your renovation, think about the use of light in the space. Where possible, having lots of natural light is great, especially when working with screens frequently, in order to make you feel more awake and refreshed. In rooms where finding natural light is difficult, it may be a good idea to add in brighter or monochrome tones to brighten the area. One way to do this easily is through the flooring, with light-toned woods, like Limed Oak Parquet below, bringing that beach house vibe and patterned designs featuring natural-toned colour palettes that feel like bringing a piece of the outdoors in.

Having a space that will be functional and comfortable year-round is important, especially during colder winters and hot weather spells. Our customers have transformed their conservatory and garden room spaces to a bright uplifting space to work from in the summertime. The great thing about including a Harvey Maria floor is that they are compatible with underfloor heating- meaning that even in conservatory spaces customers can enjoy their beautiful workspaces comfortably during the winter too. We love Natural Plank Hickory, pictured below, for a cosy home office nook.