{"id":36588,"date":"2021-09-17T06:40:43","date_gmt":"2021-09-17T10:40:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/?p=36588"},"modified":"2021-09-17T06:40:43","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T10:40:43","slug":"those-working-at-home-advised-to-have-space-that-is-both-productive-and-pleasing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2021\/09\/those-working-at-home-advised-to-have-space-that-is-both-productive-and-pleasing\/","title":{"rendered":"Those Working At Home Advised To Have Space That Is Both Productive And Pleasing"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_36589\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36589\" style=\"width: 201px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-36589\" src=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2021\/09\/design-story-walker-c-201x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"201\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2021\/09\/design-story-walker-c-201x300.jpg 201w, https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2021\/09\/design-story-walker-c.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 201px) 100vw, 201px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36589\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shelly Walker, interior designer and owner of Finishing Touches Home D\u00e9cor in Malta.<br \/>Courtesy Finishing Touches Home Decor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>By Christine Graf<\/p>\n<p>Because<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>of the COVID-19 pandemic, more Americans are working from home than ever before. The remote workforce grew from 22 percent in 2019 to forty-two percent in 2020. In some white-collar professions, 80 percent of workers continue to work remotely, and because employers are realizing that employees can be just as productive from home, remote work options are expected to become common even after the pandemic ends.<\/p>\n<p>For those who are spending more time in their home offices, interior designers suggest having a space that is both productive and aesthetically pleasing.<\/p>\n<p>According to Shelly Walker, interior designer and owner of Finishing Touches Home D\u00e9cor in Malta, home offices have become a staple in people\u2019s houses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople really want to make their home offices comfortable because they are going to be there a lot. Some of my clients say they aren\u2019t even going back to the office and will be working from home from now on,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople are definitely dressing up their space behind the computer for having Zoom calls. They also want the lighting to be right for being in the meeting and for just being in the room. You want a lot of light including natural light.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s1\"><span class=\"s2\"><!--more--><\/span><\/span>Proper lighting in a workspace can increase productivity while poor lighting can cause eyestrain and headaches. Research shows that poor lighting can also contribute to depression and other deficiencies in the body. Adequate light has been shown to improve both mood and energy levels.<\/p>\n<p>According to Lake George Design owner, interior designer Katelyn Moskos, those who don\u2019t have access to natural light have various options.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can layer lights if you don\u2019t have natural light. Don\u2019t just use the light on the ceiling, and use accent lamps. You want lights coming from all different angles as opposed to just head on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Walker, more people are choosing to purchase height-adjustable desks as well as ergonomic chairs and keyboards. Height-adjustable desks can be easily raised and lowered and allow a person to work while sitting or standing, and an ergonomically designed workspace can reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries including strains and aches. While minor in the short-term, they can develop into serious injuries over time.<\/p>\n<p>When deciding on a color scheme for a home office, Moskos suggests that her clients chooses colors that inspire them. When it comes to furnishing the space, she believes less is often more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSimple and minimal goes a long way. You don\u2019t want to overdo it. You are what you surround yourself with whether it be clutter or chaos or things that are simple and peaceful. A lot of people make the mistake of doing open shelving and having all of their chaos on the shelving exposed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll of your storage should be in storage, and open shelving is for things that just make you smile. I also suggest de-cluttering weekly because a cluttered workspace clutters productivity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Both designers agree that having a designated work space is especially important for parents who have children at home.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s easy to get stuck in the rut of being at home especially when you have kids at home. You need to remind yourself that it is a work space,\u201d said Moskos.<\/p>\n<p>Walker\u2019s clients are choosing to make their home offices more cohesive with the rest of their homes. They are adding comfortable accent chairs,colorful patterns, and rugs to make the space more welcoming.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople are starting to get away from all of the whites and grays, and they are choosing lighter woods,\u201d she said. \u201cAnother trend is that people are going with more wallpaper, and it\u2019s becoming a staple in everyone\u2019s house&#8211;especially temporary wallpaper that can be removed. Big patterns are very popular.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wallpaper\u2014both traditional and temporary\u2014is also popular with Moskos\u2019 clients. Many are choosing what she describes as a busier design.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are doing a very simple room with that one bold accent wall,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to color, white remains popular at Lake George Design. Because it reflects so much light, white makes rooms looks brighter<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople are really responding to white. People like the lightness, the cleanness, and the simplicity of it,\u201d said Moskos. \u201cThey also like more natural products and combining different textures\u2014maybe a fluffy pillow with a leather pillow and switching out the throw pillows every couple of months. It brings new light to the space that you are looking at every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Walker, her clients also gravitating towards products made of natural materials such as wicker at rattan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Christine Graf Because\u00a0 of the COVID-19 pandemic, more Americans are working from home than ever before. The remote workforce grew from 22 percent in 2019 to forty-two percent in 2020. In some white-collar professions, 80 percent of workers continue to work remotely, and because employers are realizing that employees can be just as productive [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":36589,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-energy"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>Those Working At Home Advised To Have Space That Is Both Productive And Pleasing - Saratoga Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2021\/09\/those-working-at-home-advised-to-have-space-that-is-both-productive-and-pleasing\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Those Working At Home Advised To Have Space That Is Both Productive And Pleasing - Saratoga Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Christine Graf Because\u00a0 of the COVID-19 pandemic, more Americans are working from home than ever before. 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