One of the hardest things to do when it comes to interior design is crafting a home office that is aesthetically pleasing, productive and free of distractions. The popularity of home offices and workspaces has definitely surged in the last few years, thanks to increased connectivity and the new-age gadgets that make it far more efficient. Even though working from home has its advantages, often it is work efficiency and speed that takes the biggest hit. While a simple workspace in the bedroom will suffice for those who just spend a few fleeting minutes checking mails and tying up loose ends, others required a dedicated and dynamic home office.
By applying the principles of Feng Shui for home office design, one can easily turn a boring and disorganized space into a functional work area. These Feng Shui pointers also work equally well in an office space and will help you in creating a work environment that is comfortable, creative and filled with an air of positivity.
1. Always Face the Door
One of the absolute basics of creating a home office is to ensure that your work desk is always facing the door. Turning your back to the entrance is considered negative, and it also makes you feel a lot less secure in the room. Yet do not sit directly in front of the entrance. The idea is to have a view of the door at all times, but to avoid sitting straight in line with the way in. You can do this by simply moving your chair around a bit or placing the desk in the center of the room.
2. A Balance of Light and Dark
Much like in a bedroom crafted using Feng Shui, the idea here is also to have a balanced and serene ambiance that blends the light and dark colors with ease. Do not just use neutrals or plain white, as it can lead to a boring space. Instead, add bright pops of red, green or yellow to usher in some vibrant energy, and you can also combine different textures such as metal, glass, wood and stone to create a symbolic balance of elements in the room.
3. Create a Focal Point
Try and shape a distinct focal point in the home office, as this will be the space around which the entire positive energy in the room will gather. It could simply be your workstation or any other feature in the room. This will also help you in decorating the space with a lot more clarity and will stop the unnecessary dissipation of energy.
4. Get the Right Support!
Apart from always facing the door, also ensure that your back is toward a wall or a corner for support. This will give you a commanding position in the room and will ensure that you feel a lot more secure. If you have a large window in this space and the backdrop is filled with giant mountains or tall skyscrapers, then even this makes for positive Feng Shui. These structures are viewed as support that will keep the positivity within the room and help work productivity.
5. Natural and Pleasing Light
This is arguably the most important feature of workspaces, and natural light can play a big role in varying the overall ambiance of the room. Pull back those drapes or blinds to ensure that there is as much natural ventilation as possible during work hours. Do not create a completely dark room by covering up the windows fully during daytime. Get around the problem of glare (in case you use a laptop) by changing the orientation of the workspace. Remember that natural light is always way better than artificial illumination in offices.
6. A Tinge of Greenery
Modern offices are pretty high on electromagnetic noise and negative energy, and one of the easiest ways to put an end to this problem is by adding a beautiful plant to the room. This could be a small herb in a stylish little pot on the table or a large tropical potted plant in the corner; natural greenery helps balance the ying and yang of the room perfectly. A large plant will also give the office a refreshing, cheerful look and a much needed ‘organic touch’.
7. Orientation and the Views
There are plenty of other little details that you can adopt to improve the Feng Shui of your office. For starters, if you work with a laptop, then placing it in the north or west direction is a great idea indeed. Try to make sure that no two doors are open at the same time in the room, and avoid the view of long corridors, toilets, elevators or storage rooms directly from your sitting position. Elegantly decorate the first corner that you see on entering the room, and do not leave it completely empty.
8. Reflective Surfaces and Happy Memories
One of the biggest qualms that many homeowners have is the presence of reflective surfaces and mirrors in their home office. As a general rule, this is a bad idea indeed. But if you are forced to sit with your back to the door in the office, then use a mirror or metallic surface to view the reflection of the entrance from your sitting position. This is one of the best ways to work around a problem that most of us tend to encounter. Also, hang photographs and artwork that bring back happy memories and fill you with positivity.
9. Always De-Clutter
Finally, the most important tip of all is to keep any clutter away. Not only is this a simple matter of aesthetics and efficiency, clutter traps and adds to the negative energy in the room. Tuck away all the wires and cords in the room so that they are not visually apparent. This allows for a free flow of chi and also frees up space that you can use for other tasks. Cleanliness and organization are arguably the first steps toward positive chi!