Neptune design director Fred Horlock explains how to create a productive working space in your home, from a dedicated office to a quiet corner for admin.
The home-from-office
The dedicated home office or study is a real asset in a busy household. It allows privacy and concentration when working but also means business can be shut away at the end of the day. ‘The room should be focused on assisting productivity as much as the aesthetics,’ says Neptune design director Fred Horlock, who suggests the following:
• Position a large desk centrally in the room with storage behind and more interesting open storage in your eye line. ‘This gives the room a sense of air and space,’ explains Fred. ‘The worst option is a desk pushed against a wall as it won’t give the user anything to look at when taking those important visual breaks from a screen. A central desk is also a commanding position and can psychologically help you feel more confident and in control.’
• Go for a mid-tone colour scheme; nothing too bright or white which can be tiring. For similar reasons, avoid anything too bold in colour. In a small room, you can prevent a sense of enclosure by painting the ceiling a colour. ‘Don’t use coloured walls and a white painted ceiling,’ says Fred, ‘as this makes the room feel like a box.’
• Introduce architectural elements – whether that is a fireplace, open shelving, or panelling – to anchor the room, balance the dominance of the desk, and add character.
• Allow for a variety of lighting options. During the day, a cooler, natural light offers the best environment as it feels fresh, so look for LED bulbs in ‘cool white’ to ‘daylight’. As the day evolves, you can introduce lamps with ‘warm white’ bulbs.
• Consider your background for online meetings. A mix of low-level, closed storage with open storage, shelving or artworks above allows you to display books and decorative pieces that will also add a sense of personality to the space.
The dual-function working space
If you can’t assign one room as a sole-purpose office, then a dual-function space is the solution – a home office that doubles as a snug, a guest room, or maybe a crafting or yoga area. The key is to decide what the primary use of the room is and focus the decor around that. If the room is regularly used as a snug and occasionally for working from home, then lean towards a cosy vibe with darker colours. If the room is often used as a guest bedroom, consider wallpapering it and introducing softer elements like table lamps and throws. Fred advises:
• Be curated and compact with office storage. Ideally, your workspace will consist of some closed cupboards, a neat desk that could double as a dressing or craft table, and a laptop rather than a desktop screen.
• ‘This is a space you work in, rather than an “office”,’ says Fred, ‘but you still need a desk that offers good worktop space and storage. The new Eliot desk has drawer-like trays that can be pulled out for working and stowed away at other times.’
• The petite proportions of the Larsson writing desk make it an ideal option in a dual-purpose guest room and home office. Its decorative detailing ensures it won’t feel too office-y, and it will co-ordinate with other pieces in the Larsson bedroom collection.
• A supportive chair, like the upholstered Shoreditch carver or Tilbury dining chair, is important, but avoid the classic, roller-wheeled desk chair as this will not integrate well.
• Keep day-to-day office equipment in trays and boxes that you can put away at the end of work to return the room to its other use.
• Opt for table and floor lamps rather than angled task lights (which will add to the sense of an office environment) or overhead lights (which will cast shadows over the desk).
The hideaway office
Clutter is no one’s friend, and random papers, files and stationery will make a room feel untidy and disorganised. If you need an occasional place to work, do as the Georgians and Victorians did and introduce a writing space or corner with a made-for-purpose bureau or writing desk. ‘Think of these spots as a chance to slow down and be present in the task at hand, whether that is writing Christmas cards or doing a supermarket order,’ says Fred.
• Creating a writing nook is a good way to utilise an under-used space: it can give an awkward corner, the empty back of a sofa, or a window area a new purpose, especially when its utilitarian aspects can be hidden away so it is visually appealing too.
• ‘The key is to avoid high-traffic areas,’ says Fred. ‘Even if you’re spending 15 minutes booking flights, you need to be able to concentrate, so position the workspace in a quiet corner or even an upstairs landing.’
• Look for statement pieces of furniture that will enhance the room as well as offer practical workspace. The Chichester workstation has room for a desktop screen and is a feature in its own right, sitting just as comfortably in a sitting room, dining room or kitchen. The Ardingly is an elegant oak console with a lid that flips up to reveal a desk area complete with cable management funnels and dedicated space for a laptop.
• Light, glare and noise are still considerations, so think about where you position the writing desk and avoid having a window directly behind the seat.
• As these pieces are not always in use, avoid positioning a permanent chair in front of the bureau. Instead, keep an upholstered footstool or chair nearby that can be pulled up as required.
