How to furnish a studio: ideas for a perfect home office space
Smart working is spreading more and more in Italy and abroad. The so-called work from home is now a reality that affects many people and to achieve it in the best possible way, a computer support and a chair are not enough. The right environment is needed. , with accessories and atmosphere that can help you concentrate and avoid distractions. For this reason, we have collected the best ideas and advice on how to furnish a study in the right way.
Before starting, however, we suggest you watch this short video where we explain which are the perfect exercises to perform during the minutes of smart working break, because physical well-being is never to be neglected!
The essential furnishing accessories for a study
Let's start by debunking a myth: working from home does not mean just needing a computer, a good internet line, a support surface and a more or less comfortable chair. In fact, although smart working certainly offers organizational advantages , especially for those who have a family with children, it is also full of "pitfalls" and distractions. The temptation to stay and work in bed or on the sofa just around the corner, but we know how functional they are not for the whole day of work.
Therefore, let's see in detail what furniture is essential to furnish a studio, or a room that simulates in all respects a station in an office. This part of the house must be reserved only for your home office and it would be better to spend the moments of pause in another room, perhaps in the living room.
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When thinking of a studio, the first thing that comes to mind is the desk. This support surface must be large enough to best accommodate the laptop, a lamp to have a comfortable and functional light source and all the rest of the material, such as pens, papers, notebooks, diary and much more. Normally, a functional desk also has a chest of drawers or at least two drawers incorporated in the lower part where you can store other useful objects without creating excessive clutter on the surface.
Place your desk in a spot near a window where natural light comes in during the day, and that is also close enough to a power outlet, which is essential for your computer and other accessories.
2. Comfortable and ergonomic chair
A normal kitchen chair, the living room armchair or the chair where you put your clothes in the bedroom are certainly not good for studying or for working long hours in front of a computer screen. You need an ergonomic chair that allows you to support your back well and that your feet touch the floor. This is the only way to assume a correct posture.
Usually swivel and wheeled models are preferred, although one of the essential factors remains the knob positioned under the seat that allows you to adjust the height. In addition, the backrest must be tiltable and ergonomic, ie that it adapts to the curvature of the seat. There are various types of work chairs: the preferred ones are those with armrests and with upholstery that adapts to the colors of the room.
You can buy the practical Exofcer Armchair in ergonomic fabric on Amazon for only 76 €.
3. Other furniture and accessories for the organization of the environment
What cannot be missing in a study are a bookcase and shelves to accommodate all the more voluminous objects not suitable for the desk. To give harmony to the room it is preferable to choose all these furnishing accessories of the same design so as to be surrounded by a uniform and well organized environment. When setting up such furniture it is important to arrange the various accessories. For example, gather on the same shelf o space for all books on a certain topic or notebooks and folders with related documents and papers.
In addition, if the desk does not have built-in drawers, it would be better to decide for a comfortable and practical chest of drawers to be placed on the side, so as to have pens, notepads, post-its and other stationery materials at hand. Finally, remember a table lamp to be strategically placed on your desk.
© iStock
The right atmosphere to work
We have already mentioned how to work you need the right, organized and precise setting where there is no confusion and disorder. In addition, attention must also be paid to other elements, such as, for example, the colors of the walls.
Many studies have shown how the tint of the walls around us has an effect on our mind and our performance. The shades that best suit a studio are white and neutral, light or pastel colors, which, by instilling calm and tranquility, facilitate concentration. In fact, it has been noticed how dark or too intense colors lead to an additional strain on the eyes, to be absolutely avoided when you are already in front of the computer screen for many hours.
Equally fundamental is the lighting. In addition to having a window as a sufficiently large source of natural light, in your studio there must be the right lighting. Cold lights are not recommended, while white or warm ones are fine, as they do not strain the view even more. .
Finally, for the flooring there is a wide choice and can vary according to the rest of the house. Many prefer to put parquet in the study, which has always been an emblem of warmth and hospitality, while a light tiled floor is increasingly trendy, capable of give more depth to the room.
The styles of furniture for a study
To furnish a studio in your home, you can indulge yourself with your imagination. We advise you to opt for a furnishing style in order to have guidelines in choosing the various furniture, accessories and objects that will be useful for setting up your work corner.
1. Shabby chic style
Let's start with what in recent years has become one of the most loved furnishing styles: shabby chic. The term shabby chic means "elegantly unkempt". It originated in the English countryside, where the houses were furnished with used and "old" furniture, with faded colors, and which gave the impression of being simple houses in stark contrast to the city ones. Today, however, it is used to furnish city apartments to give them a country touch without losing elegance and modernity.
If you want to set up your studio according to this style, you will need a desk in light wood, perhaps painted in white with a decoupled effect. The work chair will have to adapt as much as possible to the soft shades typical of shabby chic, while for the others accessories we recommend vintage-inspired prints that are not too obvious for the walls and a corner to place your books with objects that seem to take the whole environment back in time.
2. A classic study
It may seem obvious, but in more traditionally furnished homes, a classic style study is perfect. Let's start with the desk which must be unpainted wood, preferably in shades of dark brown. Usually, the work chair is black, comfortable but elegant with wide armrests. In fact, although it must be integrated into the furniture of the surrounding space, we must not forget how important it is to have the right chair during the many hours of work on the computer or sitting at a desk.Moreover, if you want a classic study, the floor to be preferred is undoubtedly the parquet which gives a warm and relaxing atmosphere.
For other furnishing accessories, opt for refined and not too eccentric furniture, such as a wooden or wall bookcase, so that it recalls the colors of the walls. The same goes for the shelves. Finally, hang paintings or prints with not too much color. vivid or framed photographs.
3. A modern workplace
If, on the other hand, you want a contemporary studio because it is more in line with the rest of the house, you must choose furniture and objects with an avant-garde design and made with semi-industrial materials such as metal, plastic, wrought iron and bamboo. Unlike shabby chic and classic style, a modern home office can have brighter colors or cool shades such as ivory, gray, blue or orange. The important thing is not to mix too many bright colors because they could strain your eyes during the day and distract you while are you working.
When arranging the furnishing accessories, you can play on symmetries so as to make your study functional and well organized. Do not forget the small plants to arrange either on the desk or on the shelves of the library and an efficient white lighting system that gives a touch of a trendy look to the whole environment.
How to furnish a studio in a small house?
We know that you don't always have an extra room available where you can make your own personal study. If you have a modest-sized house, our suggestion is to create a work corner or in the living room or bedroom. We strongly advise against the kitchen because it is already an environment full of distractions and not very functional to be organized as a home office space.
Whether you've chosen your living room or bedroom, opt for a part of the room that has a good source of light. For example, you could place your desk under or next to the window so that you have natural light for most of your working day. When dealing with a small space, the important thing is to keep it tidy and organized. To do this, try to divide your office station from the rest of the room: do not mix the various accessories and objects so as not to create confusion.
Even if it is not a real study, it is always better to use an ergonomic chair with a reclining back, place a lamp with a warm light on the side of the computer and set up a shelf or two nearby where to prepare the books or the rest of the material. from work so as not to overcrowd the desk.