25 Best Home Office Setup Ideas for 2023 (+ Productivity Hacks)
Corey McCraw is a staff writer covering VoIP and Unified Communications. Corey has over a decade of experience in marketing, tech writing, and corporate communications and has even penned content for the former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.
With more than five years of content writing experience, Sam covers office technology topics at Fit Small Business, including business phone systems and unified communications as a service (UCaaS).
This article is part of a larger series on Unified Communications.
To create the best home office setup, invest in ergonomic furniture, remote collaboration tools, and reliable business phone systems. Design your space with the right color schemes and greenery, and make provisions for storage and meeting area. With a well-decorated, properly equipped room, you’ll be more motivated and efficient in accomplishing tasks. Here’s a compilation of the best ideas for a home office setup for work-from-home professionals:
Must-have Equipment for the Best Home Office Setup
In the same way that the right tools are essential in a traditional office setup, building a dedicated workspace at home requires proper gear to make managing tasks easier and improve comfort while accomplishing to-dos. In this list of home office setup ideas, we covered the must-have furniture pieces, fixtures, and gadgets to complete your space.
1. Make Sure You Have High-speed Internet
With most of our work done in collaboration with others online, a fast and reliable internet is essential in completing the home office concept. If the nature of your job is handling different types of calls using a voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) system, it’s even more important to ensure you have high-speed internet.
The best VoIP service providers for home offices, namely Ooma, Nextiva, and Phone.com, feature free speed test tools on their websites, which tell you if your internet meets VoIP network requirements. Upgrade your internet subscription, if necessary.
Test your internet connection and see if your network can accommodate VoIP services. (Source: Ooma)
To further ensure an excellent connection, reconsider the placement of the router. If your home office is far from the router and blocked by walls, there’s a good chance that you’ll experience internet problems. If you cannot rearrange the router, one way to improve internet speed is to use Wi-Fi extenders or repeaters. This is especially beneficial when your office is in a dead zone.
2. Upgrade Your Laptop
The average laptop’s lifespan is three to five years. Most devices are still usable after five years, but they may be less efficient in running certain applications. If your laptop cannot multitask easily and no longer supports operating system upgrades, it’s time to upgrade. When choosing among laptop options, consider the device’s size and portability, random access memory (RAM) space, battery life, storage, and the number of universal serial bus (USB) ports.
We recommend the MacBook Air, a thin, lightweight laptop, operating on an M2 chip that integrates the central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU).
3. Choose a Height-adjustable Desk
The best home office setup prioritizes a height-adjustable desk that promotes efficiency and comfort. Sitting for long periods contribute to health issues, including high blood pressure, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. With a height-adjustable desk, you get to take regular breaks from sitting.
A standing desk keeps you from sitting for prolonged periods, reducing the risk for health problems, including cardiovascular diseases. (Source: Unsplash)
Find a work desk with a broad range of heights, great stability, and one-touch operation for ease of use. Ensure it has enough surface area and storage for all your work essentials. Work is easier to manage when you have all that you need in one place.
4. Buy a Laptop Stand
This gear also helps in maintaining good posture and improving comfort while working. It allows raising the device to eye level, keeping users from hunching over their laptops. Aside from promoting better posture, a stand prevents laptop airflow problems, which happen when the device sits on a flat surface for a long time. With this gear, you’ll maintain your laptop’s optimal performance for a long time.
5. Use an Ergonomic Chair
The best office setup isn’t complete without an ergonomic chair that fosters good posture. When shopping for a chair, choose one that has an adjustable seat height, lumbar and arm support, back tilt tension, and a headrest. Go for those made of comfortable materials with enough padding so you can sit comfortably for hours. They should also come with high-quality casters, like those from Steelcase, so it’s easy to move around while seated.
A high-quality ergonomic chair prevents back pains caused by prolonged sitting. (Source: Steelcase)
Don’t forget to consider the seat width and depth. The seat width must provide ample space for thigh support. At the same time, the chair must be deep enough that your back is able to lean against the backrest comfortably. The right ergonomic chair will reduce back pains and improve blood circulation—making you more productive while working. If you’re looking for furniture options, consider our top picks for the best office chairs.
6. Improve Lighting Quality
The best home office setup offers great visibility on the task you’re working on and improves comfort. Avoid working directly under overhead lights to reduce glare. Instead, use lamp shades to create a diffused type of lighting that’s easy on the eyes. Task lighting is also beneficial to give better visibility on the documents you’re working on.
Have a well-lit workstation using a lampshade and task lighting. (Source: Unsplash)
As much as possible, maximize natural lighting. Exposure to natural light helps produce vitamin D in the body, which is linked to improved moods and better concentration. Aside from helping you be more productive at work, natural light drastically enhances your appearance on video calls, especially when facing a window. The light fills in the sides and helps project accurate skin tones on video meetings.
Bring natural light into your home office to improve the ambiance and aesthetics of the space.
7. Purchase Noise-canceling Headphones
These devices allow you to listen to relaxing or upbeat music while working, while also eliminating distracting sounds. More importantly, high-quality headsets are great for improving the quality of calls. The noise-canceling microphone will reduce background noise and help callers hear your voice more clearly. With fewer distractions on the call, there’s less need to repeat information.
Improve call quality by choosing headsets with advanced noise-canceling features and dual microphones. (Source: Poly)
Invest in VoIP headsets with advanced active noise cancellation features, which drown out low sounds, such as those in fans or air conditioning units. Explore here the best VoIP headsets with impeccable audio quality.
8. Get Premium Speakers
Fill your entire room with productivity-boosting music by adding premium speakers to your work-from-home setup. Some great brands worth exploring include Audioengine, Creative Pebble, Logitech, and Pioneer DJ. Play different kinds of sounds, depending on your liking: classical music, ambient, nature sounds, or white noise.
The Creative Pebble Pro features RGB lighting and connects easily with headsets and microphones. (Source: Creative)
9. Find a Good Webcam
If you frequently organize or join virtual meetings, don’t rely on the camera in your laptop to achieve top-notch video quality. Go for an external webcam, as this has more space for lenses and other electronic components, which provide better resolution. Some even have a built-in ring light that instantly reduces blemishes and creates a clear, crisp image. Others have frame rates as high as 120 frames per second, allowing you a smoother, less choppy video output.
An external webcam improves image quality in video meetings.
10. Invest in a Dual Monitor Setup
A dual monitor setup helps optimize work performance since you see more content and can readily check multiple windows without any hassle. It’s suitable for tasks that require comparing different kinds of documents.
Improve multitasking with a dual monitor setup in your home office. (Source: Unsplash)
More importantly, a dual monitor setup improves collaboration with others. Have one monitor for your video meetings on Zoom or RingCentral, and then another for Google Docs as a reference for your virtual discussions. To learn more about these video conferencing solutions, read our in-depth Zoom review and RingCentral review.
11. Switch to an Ergonomic Keyboard
Since modern work involves long hours of typing on the keyboard, it makes sense to choose a device that reduces arm or wrist pain and elevates comfort. An ergonomic keyboard features a curved frame, which allows you to place your hands and wrists in a more natural posture, minimizing the tension on the muscles. Some have cushioned wrist rests, providing extra support. The brands Kinesis, Logitech, and Microsoft carry excellent ergonomic keyboards.
Make typing more comfortable by choosing an ergonomic keyboard (Source: Adobe Stock)
12. Add a Whiteboard
Make it easy for your small team to brainstorm ideas by incorporating a whiteboard in your home office. Depending on the space you have, choose between a fixed or a mobile board. But if you want a more versatile option, opt for Post-it’s Flex Write Surface, a whiteboard film that sticks to a wall and converts it into a writing surface. With this, you can illustrate ideas and processes on any wall without worrying about stains from permanent markers.
13. Use a Power Strip
Over time, you may find yourself adding more tools to your home office setup, including printers, photocopiers, and fax machines. As you might expect, these devices require power, so it’s worth buying a power strip and including it in your work-from-home setup ideas.
When choosing among products, consider the number of outlets available, length of the cord, and extra safety features like 15- or 20-amp circuit breakers. It’s also best to choose ones with USB ports.
14. Subscribe to a Collaboration Tool
Software that supports project management, chat, file sharing, and virtual meetings is an essential tool for remote work, as it makes team collaboration easy. If you’re an entrepreneur who just started a small business, invest in a unified communications as a service (UCaaS) platform that provides voice, video, and messaging functionalities.
Consider Microsoft Teams and Skype, two of our top picks for low-cost and free UCaaS solutions. Read our Microsoft Teams review to learn more about the tool.
Communicate easily with team members using Microsoft Teams’ chat feature. (Source: Microsoft)
15. Get a Business Phone Number
This great tip for a home office setup is beneficial in maintaining professionalism and streamlining call management. With a dedicated phone number, you get to designate business hours, customize a greeting message for customers, and enhance your brand image overall. Forward calls to multiple phones easily and ensure that your business accommodates all customer inquiries.
Choose among different types of business phone numbers: local, toll-free, vanity, and international. VoIP provider Grasshopper offers custom toll-free phone numbers, which help reinforce brand identity and recall. Meanwhile, 8×8 provides international phone numbers in over 100 countries. Use this guide when deciding which business phone number works best for your needs.
16. Invest in VoIP Hardware
Businesses that often make phone calls to clients and partners will benefit from a VoIP system as a primary communication solution. VoIP offers several features that help you manage calls more efficiently, including automated attendants, call screening, call recording, call forwarding, and call queueing. Consider these types of VoIP equipment to make the most of your phone system:
- Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA): Connect a standard telephone to a computer or network to enable internet-enabled calls.
- VoIP headset: Answer calls quickly and hands-free. Choose between wired and wireless equipment depending on your needs.
- Desk IP phones: Place calls over the internet through these devices connected to computers or routers through Ethernet cables. Maximize different call management features like caller ID and call transfer, displayed on the graphical LCD screen. Consider our top picks for VoIP phones for businesses.
- Conferencing phones: Allow several participants to join a phone conversation simultaneously. You must dial participants’ phone numbers to let them join the call.
VoIP provider 8×8 allows businesses to buy and rent IP phones. (Source: 8×8)
Must-have Design Elements for the Best Home Office Setup
The overall design of your home office influences mood and motivation. Details like color schemes and level of neatness will either improve or dampen work efficiency. These are some of the best ways to set up a home office aesthetically:
17. Decide on a ‘Style’ or ‘Concept’
The overarching theme or design concept will guide you in choosing which elements to add to the space—ensuring that everything’s cohesive. For instance, when you channel minimalist aesthetics, it’s easy to pick colors because the style follows monochromatic and neutral palettes.
In terms of furnishings, you automatically go for simple, streamlined pieces, as opposed to flamboyant ones. Explore different interior designs: industrial, mid-century modern, bohemian, and rustic.
18. Incorporate Productivity-boosting Colors
Colors are not just home office decor elements that improve aesthetic appeal. They evoke a certain ambiance that affects your state of mind when working. Color therapy suggests that the color red is stimulating while the color green is calming. Yellow improves concentration, while orange enhances moods.
Pick the right hues for your home office to create an environment conducive to productivity. Get inspiration from home office examples online if you’re unsure how to incorporate certain colors.
19. Introduce Plants to the Home Office Space
The most amazing home office setups feature an abundance of greenery, as plants help relieve stress and improve concentration. Studies show that people who have plants in their workspace tend to perform better. If you’re looking for low-maintenance greenery, snake plants, aloe, and English ivy are some great choices.
Plants add visual appeal to the home office and help relieve work stress. (Source: Unsplash)
20. Organize Your Office & Keep the Space Tidy
According to a study published in the International Journal of Psychological Research and Reviews, clutter negatively affects work satisfaction and pleasure and increases the risk of burnout and tension. In the practical sense, you lose precious time for work when you have to rummage through piles of papers to find a specific document. In the same way, it’s difficult to focus when you’re surrounded by a mountain of files that remind you of things to address.
Use racks and boxes to keep your home office neat and conducive for work. (Source: Unsplash)
This is why organization using different storage fixtures and accessories is among the top home office setup ideas. To put documents in order, use a filing cabinet and place it near your work desk to make them easy to reach when you need them. For books and other materials that are worth displaying, put them on floating shelves. For wired electronics and other unsightly items, conceal them in baskets, bins, and ottomans or seating furniture that also serve as storage.
21. Maximize Desk Organizers
The desk easily fills up with stuff when you’re busy working. This is why aside from filing cabinets, you must have desk organizers with different compartments for various items, like sticky notes, notebooks, and other office supplies.
Another good home desk setup idea is mounting a pegboard onto the wall. With this, you’ll be able to hang headphones, organize pens and other items, and easily pick them up when needed. Make it a habit to clean your desk when you’re done working.
22. Dedicate a Space for Meetings
If you’re having clients or colleagues over to your place for alignment huddles, plan your home office design layout in a way that makes room for a meeting area. Similarly, have a dedicated spot where you’ll join virtual meetings. Ideally, your background should be tidy and void of personal items.
A neutral background for video calls is ideal so it doesn’t distract others during the meeting. Alternatively, there’s also the at-home office idea of having eye-catching artwork for a background that still conveys professionalism.
23. Create an Inspiration Wall
This is one of the most recommended home office setup ideas if you want to enhance your space’s visual appeal further. Turn an empty wall in your office into an inspirational corner where you hang beautiful photos, favorite brands and quotes, and different illustrations that motivate you. Revisit this corner when you’re in a creative slump and find renewed inspiration. When curated well, this also makes for an excellent background for video meetings.
Hang creativity pegs and make an accent wall that serves as an inspiration corner in your home office. (Source: Unsplash)
24. Bring the Outdoors In
The desk location is the most important consideration when deciding the best home office layout. We recommend placing the desk at a spot where you can look at something pleasing, for example, your house’s garden or the nearby beach. This way, every time you take a visual break from your screen, you’ll have a refreshing treat from outdoor views.
A desk near a window offers relaxing outdoor views that ease work-from-home stress.
If you’re in a windowless room, hang a nature-inspired artwork on the wall opposite your desk. Choose decor pieces with nature elements: fresh flowers, seashell trays, wicker baskets, or water artwork.
25. Make Room for a Coffee Nook
Recreate the coffee station in your corporate workplace. Choose a space in your home office that fits a table where you’ll place all your coffee essentials. If you’re limited in space, use a movable cart instead.
Decide which coffee maker to get, according to your budget: espresso machine, drip coffee maker, French press, or percolator. Complete your coffee nook with necessary accessories, namely coffee jars, pod holders, cream and sugar containers, a milk frother, mugs, and napkins.
Carve out a coffee nook in your home office and get your caffeine fix easily.
Productivity Hacks for Work-from-home Professionals
While a home office sets you up for better productivity, it takes good habits to maximize its benefits. After all, you’re still in the comfort of home with family members or friends, where it’s hard to resist the temptation of putting off work and attending to household duties. In this section, we tackle the best practices for maximizing your time in the home office.
In the same way you condition yourself to get the job done when reporting to the office with bosses and colleagues, your mind and body should be in work mode as soon as you step inside your home office. By extension, family and friends staying with you should understand that when you’re in the home office, you’re doing important work that requires focus. Non-urgent concerns over household matters will have to wait until you take your break.
It’s easier to manage tasks and stay committed to finishing them when you plot them in a schedule. With a timetable telling you to get this certain task done by a certain time so you can have enough time to do other tasks, you’ll feel more motivated to follow through with your to-do’s for the day. monday.com, Trello, and Asana are just some task management tools worth using.
Aside from avoiding slacking off, the best benefit of creating a daily schedule is avoiding work spilling over into the hours you’re supposed to rest and spend time with the family. Since you accomplished all you need to do for the day by sticking to your schedule, you can enjoy more time for personal matters.
Write down your to-do’s and plot them in a schedule to create a structure for your workday. (Source: Unsplash)
Everyone has different times for productivity peaks. Figure out yours by observing your alertness, energy level, and productivity at different hours of the day. Once you determine that, schedule your most important tasks for that specific period.
Guard your focus during this time, and minimize giving in to distractions, like going out of your home office to have a snack break and conversing with loved ones at home. For the rest of the tasks, distribute them during the remaining hours of the day.
Tasks often take longer to finish than you initially expected. As a result, you usually accomplish less than what you planned to cover. Rather than sticking to the minimum number of deliverables for the day, plan to do more so you can work harder. In case you fail to meet your target, you’ll still see more tasks finished at the end of the day. Share your daily commitment to the team to increase accountability using unified communications tools like RingCentral.
VoIP system provider RingCentral features a team chat option where colleagues share updates on tasks. (Source: RingCentral)
The Pomodoro technique is a productivity hack that involves breaking work into intervals. Set your timer to 25 minutes and work on your chosen task until the timer rings. When the time is up, take a short five-minute break. Then, work for another 25 minutes, again spending a five-minute break after the timer ends. After three or four sets of 25-minute work, take a longer break for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Bottom Line
Working from home is the modern norm that will dominate different industries for years. It provides cost savings, promotes greater flexibility in scheduling, and prevents commute stress, contributing to greater job satisfaction and productivity. To maximize the benefits of remote work, an excellent home office setup is necessary. Create one that provides the right tools, fosters a comfortable ambiance, and makes it easy to get the job done.
