5 Ingredients for a Home Office That Works
Whether you have a dedicated room for it, or just a corner, here are the most important elements of a good study
According to the Pain Association of Singapore neck and back pain is the most common pain that plagues working Singaporeans. It’s inevitable with prolonged sitting – whether it’s in a corporate office or your own home office – hence the importance of a good desk and ergonomic chair.
But it’s not just a good desk and ergonomic chair that can contribute to your well-being as you work; a well-lit space provides eye comfort and may decrease headaches caused by inadequate lighting, while a clutter-free workspace helps keep the mind clear and provides you with a visual resting spot.
But it’s not just a good desk and ergonomic chair that can contribute to your well-being as you work; a well-lit space provides eye comfort and may decrease headaches caused by inadequate lighting, while a clutter-free workspace helps keep the mind clear and provides you with a visual resting spot.
2. A good ergonomic chair
Ergonomic features “are of little or no value if the chairs are not a proper fit for the user,” according to a study by furniture manufacturer Herman Miller. An adjustable chair makes it possible to vary the seat position, easing muscle tension. The longer you sit, the more important it is to have a chair that can be adjusted into different positions. Like buying a mattress, it’s important to find a work chair that fits your body.
12 designer chairs that give any home office a lift
Ergonomic features “are of little or no value if the chairs are not a proper fit for the user,” according to a study by furniture manufacturer Herman Miller. An adjustable chair makes it possible to vary the seat position, easing muscle tension. The longer you sit, the more important it is to have a chair that can be adjusted into different positions. Like buying a mattress, it’s important to find a work chair that fits your body.
12 designer chairs that give any home office a lift
3. Lighting
Good light to work in includes a combination of daylight, general light and task lighting that does not produce glare or reflections on the work surface. Glare usually occurs when the bulb is too close to the work surface, while reflections are caused by glossy surfaces.
As the main task in the study is reading, sufficient lighting from the ceiling to read easily during the daytime and an angled desk lamp that allows extra directional light for darker days and evenings are ideal. Lighting company Lightcraft recommends a task light of 500 lux (the measure of intensity of the bulb).
How to plan for your lighting needs
Good light to work in includes a combination of daylight, general light and task lighting that does not produce glare or reflections on the work surface. Glare usually occurs when the bulb is too close to the work surface, while reflections are caused by glossy surfaces.
As the main task in the study is reading, sufficient lighting from the ceiling to read easily during the daytime and an angled desk lamp that allows extra directional light for darker days and evenings are ideal. Lighting company Lightcraft recommends a task light of 500 lux (the measure of intensity of the bulb).
How to plan for your lighting needs
4. Storage
Keep your work surface clutter-free by providing storage solutions for files, paperwork and books. Some homeowners have eschewed paper books for e-books, so they may not require as much storage; but it’s always good to have the dedicated space to stash things away so that they don’t pile up on your desk and make it unusable.
Keep your work surface clutter-free by providing storage solutions for files, paperwork and books. Some homeowners have eschewed paper books for e-books, so they may not require as much storage; but it’s always good to have the dedicated space to stash things away so that they don’t pile up on your desk and make it unusable.
5. Clearance and circulation space
Provide for enough space in front of the desk to move a chair freely to access the desk and to get up easily. For children, 110 centimetres is the ideal clearance; for adults, 120 centimetres. For small spaces, a comfortable clearance is 80 centimetres.
Provide for enough space in front of the desk to move a chair freely to access the desk and to get up easily. For children, 110 centimetres is the ideal clearance; for adults, 120 centimetres. For small spaces, a comfortable clearance is 80 centimetres.
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What do you consider an essential ingredient for a home office that you don’t see here? Let us know in the Comments section.
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Find Singapore interior designers and decorators to help you with your home office
TELL US
What do you consider an essential ingredient for a home office that you don’t see here? Let us know in the Comments section.
MORE
Find Singapore interior designers and decorators to help you with your home office
Also known as your desk – which your computer shares with a task lamp and office supplies. interior designer Nikki Hunt of Design Intervention recommends a desk of about 130 by 70 centimetres for school children, and a minimum of 160 by 70 centimetres for adults.
The ideal desk height recommended by the Singapore Standard Code of Practice for Office Ergonomics published by Spring Singapore is 70 centimetres and this can apply to the home just as well.
Pick the right home office desk