Working from home has certainly forced many of us to get creative with our spaces. Incorporating our workspaces into everyday living areas can be difficult. If you find yourself setting up massive PC monitors at the dining room table, this post is for you. We’ll show you how to hide your office in your living room without it overtaking the entire room.
If you can manage it, your living room makes a great area for you to set up a home office. However, you may not want to have work items out all the time, which is completely understandable. It can also be difficult when you have friends over, so we’ll show you how to effectively integrate your home office into your living room.
Keep Your Work Items Confined
The first step to take is to make sure you are organized with your paperwork and other items you need for a typical day in the office. Find yourself a dedicated spot in your living room and stick to it. This will take a lot of discipline.
We all know how tempting it is to sit with our laptops on the sofa, but keeping your work bits and your living area separated from each other will also help you to switch off and enjoy your home at the end of your working day.
Use Furniture Wisely
One great way to do this is to take advantage of unused corners or little nooks where you put plants or ornaments just to fill the space. Most jobs where you can work from home do not require loads of files or books because it’s all on your laptop or PC. Even a small desk of around 60cm can serve as a great workstation.
Desks with shelves and drawers that close are also great if you’re using your living room as a home office. You’ll be able to have what you need out when you’re working, then put them away and forget about them when you’re done.
If you are having company over, you can put decorations or house plants on your desk to disguise the workspace as an integral part of the living room.
Storage Is Your Friend
Not all office furniture comes with shelves and drawers. If you find yourself in this situation, invest in some storage units that will fit your work equipment such as your laptop, power cables, and notebooks. Some of these units can go under your desk, or even over the desk, above your head.
Storage can be stylish and multifunctional. For example, a small side table with drawers can also serve as a perfect extra surface for guests to put a drink down on. Something like this will also fit under a desk if you do want to keep everything completely separate.
More storage can also help you stay organized and will make it easier to stick to your designated work area. Storage units such as shelving will also allow you to personalize your space with books and plants. Personalization will help integrate the work and the living space.
Incorporate Your Office into Your Living Room Design
There are some stunning pieces of office furniture on the market, and it’s not difficult to match color schemes and styles to those of your living room. You can integrate pieces in your workspace that complement some of the features of your living area too.
If you can’t put your computer away, try using the monitor for digital photo displays. It will repurpose it for reflecting on happy memories during downtime, and be a conversation starter for when you have guests around.
Even color coordinating the smallest details like pencil holders or filing storage can bring a room together. It’s also really fun to do and will help you feel organized and settled when you’re hard at work. Adding plants to your workspace is also a great way for a home office to blend into the living area.
Working And Living In Harmony
It can be really difficult to set up a workspace only for work purposes in your home. Many of us don’t have enough space so isn’t an option for everyone. Rather than setting up a space in the kitchen, bedroom, or dining room, try out integrating a workspace into the living room.
Hopefully, we’ve given you some helpful tips and tricks on how to effectively hide your home office in your living room. It’s easy to integrate a desk and some storage when it’s done tastefully. A workspace doesn’t have to be invasive and can actually be a great feature for a living area.
