Working from home is a trend that is here to stay! It provides convenience, productivity and a relaxed working environment. Sure, it’s not all roses, and a couple of disadvantages to WFH are worth mentioning. Still, more and more people have been looking to create or revamp their working space at home, and home office designs have been on the rise recently as a result. Seeing that working from home will continue to be relevant, we thought about bringing you the best trends of 2022.
So, if you were looking to create a working space in an attic or to renovate your current home office, look no further. Here are the top recent designs of 2022! As a bonus, we’ll also tell you a bit about stuff that you should steer clear of – trends that are on their way out and that don’t deserve your time and effort.
These designs will be all the rage in 2022
1. Hybrid furniture solutions
Getting creative with space is the new trend, and hybrid furniture allows people to capitalize on their creativity. Many households have more than one person working from home, and that means innovating the working space. Pop-up coffee tables can easily become workstations, laptop tables are often mobile so that you can move around and standing desks are gaining popularity. This pop-up table from Ikea, for example, can do the job nicely in any type of living room.
2. Your own Zoom Room
Participating in video conferences and meetings is common for somebody who works from home. However, few things are more annoying and counterproductive than being interrupted constantly by family members, for instance. Thus, many have set out to create their own Zoom Room, a place that is perfect for video conferencing – a quiet area (possibly a more remotely located room in a corner of the house) with a professional background, good natural lighting and an ergonomic chair.
3. Floating desks and huge windows
Spare nooks located in light-filled areas of the house have been transformed into home office spaces more and more frequently. Many corners of your home have a larger window that could flood the entire room with light. Imagine adding a floating desk there, a unique plant and a laptop stand – You’re good to go. WFH never seemed so good! Such minimalistic looks have recently been preferred for home offices, so you should try it if you have a good spot in mind.
4. Going to work…in your garage.
It might sound strange, but don’t dismiss the idea yet! If you have an unused shed or garage, you can easily convert it into an airy, modern office with some work. Imagine installing walls of windows, painting the space your favorite color and adding a few unique design elements to instill your character. Walking from the main house to your backyard or garage could provide you with the change in environment that is essential to every commute.
5. Short on space? Secretary desks are perfect!
Even the smallest apartment can fit a minimalistic secretary desk in a nook or cranny. If you can’t afford to create a dedicated office space, this is the perfect solution! Find a cranny in your apartment, have some work done to revamp the space, and use a modern secretary desk for your laptop and documents. Surround it with some eye-catching artwork, a tall indoor plant and a stylish lamp (or even an abstract piece) that make a statement and you’re good to go.
6. Open shelving, beyond the kitchen
While open shelving started out as a kitchen trend, it can be a great solution for your home office. Floating shelves have the potential to add a unique look to your working space while serving as an ingenious storage spot. The good news is that this solution is also very DIY-friendly – Floating shelves are a simple job for an avid DIYer. Adding a few books, a poster and a statement abstract artwork on your floating shelves will totally revitalize your working space.
7. Monochromatic settings
While people have been increasingly creative in their kitchens, living rooms or bedrooms with the use of different colors, they tend to keep home offices color consistent, preferring black or white settings. Black themes are slick and versatile, black furniture does not show stains and marks as other colors do and black desks exude a sense of vibrancy and power. On the other hand, white is one of the most versatile and elegant colors. With white, finding the right furniture for your home office décor isn’t difficult since most manufacturers have products in white or that easily match it.
8. Lighting – practicality and looks
Standard office lighting is arguably obsolete, limited and solely practical. More and more luxury interiors worldwide tend to foster statement pieces, pendants and chandeliers, along with table lights, wall lights, bookshelf lighting and more. The possibilities are endless in this sense, so don’t be afraid to experiment. Go out of your comfort zone and create a working space that says something about you. Ultimately, you should also pick lighting for its looks, not just for its function.
9. Using the walls to the max
If you consider yourself to be a creative person, then no working space is complete without a personal touch, a dash of flair, a sprinkle of uniqueness. Personal mood boards and artwork are just two examples of things that can spruce up an otherwise dull wall. Feel free to complete the design with uniquely shaped wall clocks, interesting wallpaper, oddly shaped bookcases, calendars and mirrors. You’ll spend a good couple of hours a day right next to that wall, so you better make it attractive and a pleasure to look at!
10. Making room for kids
Working at home until late in the evening with kids around the house is no easy feat. Ironically, home offices have started to incorporate a small kid’s space in them. One of the main goals of successfully working from home is to avoid distractions. But instead of disrupting your work rhythm and struggling endlessly to keep kids out of your home office, how about creating a space for them next to you? More and more people argue this solution is surprisingly effective and that your kids won’t feel left out when your workday is longer than usual.
These 3 home office trends are on their way out
The following trends defined home offices for the last decade or so. However, professionals argue that working spaces have been taking a serious shift recently, and these three trends will no longer be making headlines. If you’re looking for a modern office that keeps up with current styles, you should avoid these already outdated tendencies.
- Oversized desks – Large desks have long been preferred, as they were thought to convey power and authority. But more and more people are moving away from unjustifiably large desks. Big and bulky workspaces are on their way out, being replaced by simplified designs and minimalistic settings. People now tend to prioritize mobility, convenience and effectiveness when choosing the perfect desk for their home office.
- Barely decent seating – Dining room chairs, stools and couches won’t cut it anymore when it comes to your home office seating. We have witnessed a fascinating rise of ergonomic chairs and an awareness regarding the importance of adequate seating. Office chairs are now regarded as investments. They can become statement pieces as well as having a range of benefits for your physical health.
- Overload vs. simplicity – Distractions are public enemy number one when it comes to working from home. While we cannot completely avoid external distractions, we can and should focus on the things that we do have control over. Simply decorative items with no purpose, little knickknacks and cute trinkets have been proven to decrease productivity. After a while, they’ll just get in your way and clutter your office space.
Matei Idu, Smart Living