Many professionals are working from home for the first time this year. Some of those professionals also have spouses or significant others working from home as well — leaving them no choice but to share a common workspace. Whether that be turning the small office into space for two or turning the spare bedroom into an official office where both can share the space comfortably, here’s how to set up your home office to be spacious enough for both of you to work
Storage
To maximize your space, you are going to need a ton of storage. Storage furniture like filing cabinets and carts make it easy to save space, while keeping your things organized. For an optimal organizational system, getting two separate storage units for each of you will help keep things the way that each of you likes. Sideboards are another option if you want to disguise your storage system. Depending on how big, you can each pick a side and organize it however you’d like. The best part of living in a more paperless world is that you shouldn’t really have tons to stash.
Desks
You don’t need to spend a ton of money on a fancy desk. Save money and buy something simple like two separate writing desks that way you can use the difference to invest in storage. With two separate desks, you can place them on opposite sides of the room which will give you more room to spread out instead of being on top of each other. Unless you have a ton of papers and files to store, a writing desk should be more than sufficient. Make sure to get them wide enough to place two screens if your job requires both. Since they come in different sizes, you need to make sure you get the right size for your needs.
WiFi
This one should probably be at the very top of the list. There’s nothing more annoying than slow internet speeds that can cause a distraction in the middle of a very productive day. Getting the right service provider can make a world of difference especially during those Zoom meetings. Service providers such as Utah Broadband internet provider provides enough power to run several devices at once. Meaning you don’t have to worry about outages or delays.
Decor
To put the final touches on your new in-home office, try using minimal decor type items that aren’t too bulky or seem to make the room crowded. Simple touches such as plants in terracotta pots placed in the corner of the room or on the corner of a desk can help reduce stress, increase productivity, and make your office more welcoming.
Personalized items can also make the room feel equally shared. Small items such as couples wall art, framed pictures on floating shelves, or small keepsakes that you can add should be done but modestly. Keep in mind that this is where you need to be your most effective so while you want to make your office feel inviting to the both of you, you don’t want to overdo it with little distractions.
Another tip to keep in mind when shopping for office furniture and other items is that it will get a little tricky if you both have separate tastes. To compromise, choose something that meets in the middle. If your style is glam and your significant other is a minimalist, meet in the middle where you can add some small glam accent pieces to a bare wall or surface. Don’t go overboard and enjoy the work at home setup while you can. Who knows, this may be our new norm for all professionals.
