How to Set Up a Home Office in a Bedroom

03.11.2022

Many people enjoy hybrid working, dividing their working hours between their home and the office. Whilst this has provided many with a better work life balance, it’s important that you have a space at home so you can work productively and comfortably, whilst still maintaining a separation between your personal and work lives.

However, not everyone will have a spare room that they can convert into a home office. Instead, you may have to make a room, like your bedroom, multifunctional. It can be a challenge to get the balance right when you set up a home office in a bedroom, but with the below tips and work from home essentials, you can create a productive home office within a peaceful bedroom haven.

Divide the Space

The key to working productively in a bedroom home office and to keeping a healthy work-life balance is to divide the space into two separate areas. You will, ideally, be able to seamlessly move between the two areas, keeping focused on work when you’re at your desk and fully relaxing in your bedroom when the working day is done.

There are many different ways you can divide the room. You could physically section off your home office using a double-sided bookcase or shelving, which has the added benefit of providing storage space. You could use a room divider screen or curtain, so you can block off the office area when you’re done working. If you don’t have enough space for a physical divider, you could use paint or wallpaper to delineate the areas.

You could also divide the room into two spaces with your décor. You could aim to have two complementary but different styles for each part of the room. This way you can create a sense of unity but still keep a separation between the workspace and the relaxing space.

Consider Where Your Desk Faces

It can be better to set up your desk so it faces against a wall or window. If you have your desk facing out into the room, you could be more easily distracted by your bedroom. Facing a wall will help you to keep focused on your work, but you should remember to take breaks away from your desk to stretch your eyes and get a change of scenery. You can decorate the wall you’re facing with some simple art to improve the aesthetics, or you could put up a whiteboard so you can make notes, write your to-do list, and put up reminders for meetings or important dates. Having this information in your eyeline whilst you work can help you to stay organised and productive, although you should try to avoid making it too busy, as this can be distracting.

Many people like to put their desk near or facing a window, so they can take a mental break from work by looking out the window. This also provides lots of natural light, which can help you to avoid eye strain when working at a screen. Natural light can also help with your mental wellbeing, especially in the darker winter months.

Remember Ergonomics

One of the most important things to remember when setting up a home office in your bedroom is ergonomics. There are many ways that you can utilise ergonomic office equipment and also save space for your home office area in a bedroom. For example, a laptop stand and monitor riser will help to raise your screen to an appropriate level, so you can work without straining your neck or slouching. Our laptop stand can be folded away tidily when not in use, so you can easily clear away your equipment at the end of the working day when it’s time to relax.

You can also use a standing desk converter for your home office setup. Our standing desk converter allows you to move seamlessly between sitting and standing, so you can improve your posture and encourage muscle movement throughout the day, helping you to avoid the common aches and pains of working at a desk. Our desk converter moves up and down in its own footprint, saving space. It has an unobtrusive, minimalist design that can fit with any interior style. You can combine a standing desk converter with our desk stool. Our ergonomic stool can provide support when you’re standing at your desk, so you won’t over strain your muscles. Plus, it has a rounded base that encourages a rocking movement whilst you work, keeping you active and moving to reduce pressure on your muscles.

Use Storage to Keep Organised

Properly utilising storage boxes and desk storage can help you to keep a clear space so you can stay focused on work during work hours and then fully relax when work is done for the day. Our Cosy range of storage is available in our three inviting Cosy colours, so you can mix and match to create your perfect home office style. Whether you need cube storage boxes, drawer cabinets, or magazine files, we have the storage solution that you need. Think about the equipment that you might want to pack away at the end of the day, to clear your desk so you’re not tempted to work into the night or think about work when you should be relaxing.

Using storage will help to keep your room free of clutter and also help you to stay focused and productive. You could have different colours of storage for work and personal items, to help with your organisation at home and maintain a separation between the two areas. This can be especially helpful if you sometimes need to use your desk for non-work activities, such as arts and crafts or as a dressing table.

Think Vertical

If you’re short on space in your bedroom, you should maximise the space available on the walls. We’ve mentioned using a whiteboard for reminders and notes, but you could also use it as a peg board, using magnets to fix items to it. You could also use the walls around your desk for home office shelving, which can be helpful for filing documents. This will keep all your important documents to hand, so they’re easily accessible. You could also use the shelving for your home file storage, although you should aim to use different colours of storage to differentiate between work and personal files.

It's important to light your home office space adequately, especially if the room or area doesn’t get much natural light. However, if you don’t have much space, you might not want to take up desk space or floor space with a lamp. Instead, use wall-mounted lights above or near your desk, so you can always get the right amount of lighting. Wall-mounted lights will mean no space is taken up on your workstation, so you can keep an organised desk that’s free of clutter.

Buy Furniture for the Space You Have

Consider your room and the space you have available to convert into a home office area. Look for furniture that will fit this space, rather than trying to fit furniture that is too big or the wrong shape. So, if you have a long but thin room, look for a long, thin desk, that will give you the maximum amount of space. If your room is more square, a smaller corner desk might work best. If you’re really short on space, a floating desk or foldaway desk might be the solution.

Nooks and niches in your room can be perfect for a desk and home office area, so look for spaces in between wardrobes or in alcoves. You could even create a ‘cloffice’ – that’s closet office – by converting a closet into a home office with a slimline desk and even some shelving. With a cloffice, you can shut the door at the end of the day, effectively removing the work area from your relaxing space when your day is finished.