How to design the perfect home office and make WFH even better

The Work From Home (WFH) trend has just been underscored by an announcement by Spotify that it will allow its employees choose where they'd like work, "both for their preference of coming into the office or staying mostly at home and their geographic location in the world".

Yet as WFH becomes the default rather than the exception, the latest Home Improvement Trends Report from Rated People suggests that the majority of those working from home are doing so in less than ideal conditions.

The Reality of Working from Home

The majority of us are having to use existing spaces in our homes that are not geared up for homeworking. A fifth of those surveyed (21%) set up shop in the living room, 15% work in their bedroom, 7% work in the kitchen, and a few people (2%) decided the garage was the best place to get down to business - either for peace and quiet or due to not having anywhere else to go.

The research also revealed a change in our behaviour when we're not working in a traditional shared office. One in six (17%) people have taken a nap during the day when working from home. Some 15% say they often work in their pyjamas, 10% have woken up just minutes before they need to be on a call or virtual meeting, and 9% claim to join calls whilst getting on with other tasks like housework, exercise or even going to the shops.

PICS | Work from home offices - the unglamorous edition

As searches for the perfect home office spike on Instagram, one in four people who work from home (24%) say they're embarrassed by their background on video calls, 41% don't have a proper desk, 22% often work sitting on the floor, and a third (29%) have to clear toys off their 'desk' each day before they start work.

Not ideal. Yet, despite this, almost half (47%) of people who worked from home in 2020 say they prefer working remotely - 43% went on to say they now intend to work from home more in the future than they ever had done previously (even if COVID-19 were to completely disappear). And well over a third (38%) are planning improvements to the design of their home office this year.

A recipe for success?

With this in mind, Rated People studied more than 100 of the most stylish and most-liked home office designs on Instagram to discover the core components each of them shared - from the optimum number of houseplants, to the most motivational wall colours, and even the best art to have on the wall.

To arrive at the perfect formula, Rated People looked at seven key design elements in each image, including: wall colour, floor colour and material; style, features and colour of the desk; chair type, colour and material; the total number of houseplants, type of shelves, and key decorative features such as artwork.

The perfect home office according to Instagram = White walls + medium wood bare floorboards + a wooden, writing style desk with no drawers+ a white, fabric fixed leg chair + two houseplants + fixed simple shelves + a framed print of the outdoors.