Your working environment is key for an efficient approach to work. And where you position your office desk is a particularly important element. You need the right light, space and ambience to make your home office work for you.

Everyone works differently.  So, what works for one person, may not work for another. But here are a few principles that will give you some ideas to work from when designing your office layout and finding a position for your desk.

You’ll want to consider a few things about your furniture and how you work before you get started with positioning your office desk.

Desk size

A key consideration will be the size of your desk – and your chair.

If your desk is small, it may loan itself more to sitting in a corner of the room, but a larger office desk may make a spectacular centrepiece if placed in the centre of a room.

Electrical sockets

If you use a computer (which most of us do these days), you’re likely to need to be close to an electrical socket to plug in your computer, phone charger and desk lamp. If you have access to an electrical socket, but there aren’t enough for the many devices you need to power, using a pop up socket or an electrical socket tower can give you access to more charging sockets without losing office desk or floor space.

Daylight

Natural light is good for us. Not only does it help our body to understand when it’s day and when it’s night, but it can also help reduce eye strain and even cut down your electricity bill, so place your desk close to a natural source of light whenever you can. If you spend lots of time on video calls, you may need to be quite careful about the angle of the light. Light directly behind you may limit your colleagues’ view of you to a shadowy silhouette. Light directly in front of you can make you look quite unwell. If you don’t have many choices as to the angle you are lit from, a one-way blind should reduce the glare and help you look more human in all of your video calls.

Your view

Consider your view. If you spend a lot of time on calls then being able to look out at the sky and the trees, or people passing by can be much more enjoyable than looking at a blank wall – but if you’re someone who is easily distracted, looking out on people having fun may cause more problems than not being beside a window at all.

An office desk that is perpendicular to a window can give you a better view without being too distracting but also without giving the light halo that interferes with your video calls.

Feng Shui

Feng Shui masters believe that your energy can best be harnessed by ensuring an effective flow of energy through your working environment. Feng Shui home office design suggests your back should be to a wall and you should have a clear view of the door – without being in line with the door. This is called the ‘Commanding Position’ and is alleged to give you optimal energy to deal with whatever comes your way during the working day.

What’s behind you?

Make sure whatever is behind your desk in your home office is visually appealing. If you spend half your day on video calls, switch on your camera and look at what your colleagues or customers can see behind you. Will they spot any unsightly washing on the radiator, or a box of ‘stuff’ waiting to be sorted? If there is just a plain wall behind you, try livening it up with a pop of colour from a picture, plant, or maybe some sporting memorabilia that would provide a great talking point.

If you have a standing desk be sure to check your background works at all heights, whether you are sitting or standing.

At the end of your day, home offices are as unique as you and I. Everyone works differently, so take some time to try out a few desk positions before you start making permanent holes in walls etc. With some trial and error, you’ll find the desk position that helps you feel energised throughout the day and gives you the space you need whilst you plough through that daily to-do list.

For more advice on finding the right office furniture to fit your space, chat with our friendly advisors online or give us a call on 01295 565001.