Having your own home office makes it easier for you to tailor it to your exact requirements, utility and design-wise. These are some basic tips you can follow.

2. 1. Furnish your home office
with ergonomic furniture.

3. You will be sitting, writing or
using a computer at your desk
for many hours at a stretch, so
your office chair and workstation
need to be ergonomically
designed and adjusted for your
personal comfort.

4. Chairs, armrests and headrests
must be adjustable, and the desk
height must be just right.

5. Good support must be
provided for the back, spine,
neck, and wrists to reduce
discomfort from sitting,
looking at the monitor and
typing for long hours.

6. 2. Control the noise level in
your home office.

7. This can be one of the main
disadvantages of working
from home for people who
telecommute or run a
business from home; noise
kills focus and productivity at
work.

8. Make sure that other family
members are aware when
you are working and ensure
that they understand that you
need peace and quiet during
these times.

9. 3. Get the correct lighting for
your home office.

10. If you have a window in your
home office, then you can use
minimal artificial light and
allow natural light to illuminate
the room during the daytime.
By afternoon and evening,
artificial lighting should be
used.

11. Some prefer a brightly-lit
room to keep them alert while
others prefer a single tall
floorstanding light or a desk
lamp to keep them relaxed
and focussed while working.

12. No matter your preference,
what’s important is to reduce
if not eliminate glare that can
cause discomfort to your
eyes.

13. 4. Decorate your home office
appropriately.

14. The home office can still
incorporate personal touches
within a professional-looking
setting. The décor you can use
will depend on your personal
background, what kind of work
you do and your personal taste.

15. For most people, the interior
design will centre on the
colour scheme of the home
office. Colours can affect your
mood and productivity as you
work, so consider the overall
scheme carefully.

16. A subdued palette will often
work best, perhaps a
combination of blue and
white or brown and cream.

17. More vibrant colours can then be
added in the form of decorative
objects such as a painting, small
sculpture, plants, artificial
flowers, photo frames,
organisers, and other accessories
typically found in a home office.

18. Some people like their home
office interior design to be as
minimal as possible, while
others go for a warm homely
style.

19. The basic rule is to follow
whatever interior design
scheme will make you feel
comfortable and productive.

20. Unless you welcome clients to
your office (and even if you do,
depending on your clients!),
don't be afraid to be a little
frivolous in designing your work
space with personalised
touches –

21. If amusing photos of your kids
or pets will boost your morale
during a tough assignment,
then by all means have them
on display.

22. Having your own home
office makes it easier for
you to tailor it to your
exact requirements, utility
and design-wise.

23. These are some basic tips you
can follow in designing a
comfortable home office.

24. Now it's over to you to
tweak things as appropriate
to suit your profession and
personal tastes.