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If you work and you’re reading this, I’ll bet you’re working from home. And that’s probably at your dining room table. Unless you’re tucked away in a dark guest room. Or maybe you actually have a “home office” but there’s now three of you trying to use it. Sound familiar?
Our current situation has the country scrambling to “WFH” in a thoughtful way. And how many people are searching for “zoom-appropriate” backdrops? (Please feel free to save one of our rooms if you want to fake it!). And maybe you do have that coveted home office, but do you have TWO for both working parents PLUS a school room? I doubt it.
via Kate Lester Interiors
I know in our family, with two working parents and one particularly private third grader, we need three desk areas, not just three desks. And then of course there’s the little guy who needs room for arts and crafts. Our homes are doing double (and triple) duty and I’m not sure that’s going to change anytime soon. In fact, I am not the only one who believes this current climate will change the way we work forever – desk chair salesmen are so happy right now (invest in a good one – but not an ugly one, please).
For these reasons, we are seeing Google meets and Zoom chats happen in dining rooms and our workouts in hallways! But how do you make a previously unused space useful for your needs NOW? Maybe you have room to pull up a desk at the foot of your bed like Alice Lane Interiors did below -- a genius way to get some privacy while you work.
via Alice Lane Interiors
Repurpose what you have, move some furniture around and, most importantly, come to terms with what you really need and what works for your family. Those of us with little ones might need a dedicated play space close to the kitchen or home office. Someone with teenage children might need an unused guest room to become high school hangout. For now, you’re not having guests anyway.
My home office also serves as art room and homework/virtual school room. (And yes, I juggle my zoom calls with my third grader’s schedule).
Regardless, we all need a good chair that is supportive and comfortable but looks darn good while doing it! So this week’s Britt’s Picks are just that – all our favorite chairs that work at the dining table but also on that zoom call. (And we always recover cushions for our projects in a faux leather or performance fabric!)
Check them out in our Britt’s Picks section of the website – most of them are on sale at retailers. We know our clients are using the space below as "classroom" for all three kids! Good thing those chairs are now family-proof.
From Project Morningside
If you can't seem to pull it all together, we are here to help. Check out our Britt Box offering and inquire here if you're interested!
And until life is "perfect", here are my top tips for a great WFH environment:
1. Engage your smell factor – light your favorite candle (we have a few in Britt's Picks) or pick some fresh flowers from your garden and pop them in a new vase you love. These are things we can’t normally do in the workplace, so take advantage of making that space your own! It’s calming and stimulating at the same time!
2. Buy some fun pens – my favorites are erasable colored pens (it’s a thing….adding them to my Britts Picks under “Littles”)
3. Move your art around – art stimulates you from a color and memory standpoint and if you have an emotional tie to the piece, it can be transformative when you look at it. Lean it against a wall if you don’t have the wall space. Even better if it’s a Gray Malin print and you get to go on a little vacay.
4. Get organized! More to come on this topic, but that’s for another day. Clean up your workspace at the end of the day, set a system that works for you. I like to make my to-do list at the end of the day so I know I have a little sense of closure at night and can begin the next day fresh with a purpose.
5. Get Dressed! My mom always told me "if you look good, you feel good" and I swear it's true. Get dressed, even if it's comfy clothes. You'll still feel cuter than you did when you woke up. And that's half the battle these days.
xo,
