Office Design On The Wild Side

I know a lot of fellow bloggers and marketing creatives read my blog (hello!) and some of us are lucky enough to go freelance and make the most out of working from home. Not too long ago, we spoke about the benefits of moving your office into the garden if you work from home. With remote working becoming more prevalent and UK homes being notoriously small, this is often the ideal solution for people in similar industries to myself. And, there’s no better time to make it work for you than when the sun is shining! What could be better for getting your inspiration flowing than looking out at a sun-bathed lawn?

The trouble is that, too often, we don’t take the time we should over outside home offices. We keep them as basic as possible, and barely even consider things like decor and accessories. This is often because we don’t consider garden office decor to be a priority. Besides, an office is a functional space, isn’t it? As long as you have a desk and a half decent chair, you’re good to go. Right?

Wrong! According to Chameleon Business Interiors, the majority of workers (remote workers included), spend around 50% of their time in their offices. As much as getting rooms like your bedroom perfect is vital, then, so is designing an outside office which doesn’t look like a garden shed. The moment you turn your attention to this space, job satisfaction and even productivity should start to skyrocket.

The trouble is that, until now, you’ve been attending a workplace where someone else takes care of the design for you. The question is, then, how exactly can you create a garden working space which serves your purpose?

Flooring first

Firstly; you want to think about flooring. Never underestimate how far the flooring you put in place can impact this space on the whole. If your current garden office has a crumbling shed floor, you’ll struggle to reach a professional mindset. Instead, your best bet would be to install something like a timber flooring. This would stay in keeping with the garden theme while still looking much neater. By pairing this with a few stylish rugs and making sure to keep everything clean, you can harness a professional mindset and make even a small garden office seem spacious.

Can’t forget your chair

You don’t need us to tell you how vital your work chair is to the results you see when you’re sitting in it. If you make the mistake of using any old chair, you’ll soon pay for it. On a functional level, an old chair could wreak havoc on your posture and back health. A chair which doesn’t offer support could also see you failing to sit up straight, which can hinder the flow of ideas.

It should go without saying, then, that you need to buy an ergonomically designed chair. For the sake of getting design right, you also want to think about a chair which looks the part. Far from being a practical matter, your desk chair is sure to become a key feature of the room. As such, it’s worth looking out for options such as bright coloured chairs, which add a pop of colour and draw the eye. Equally, you could opt to keep the natural theme alive by selecting wooden chairs like the Cherner desk chair. Available in either walnut or beech, this is sure to see you feeling at one with the wild every time you sit down to work.

Take care of the temperature

A study published in the journal ‘Plos One’ found that temperature has a significant impact on productivity. The study found that this is especially the case for women, with female participants performing markedly better in higher temperatures. As such, you also need to make sure that you’re taking care of temperature in your garden office. This isn’t as much of an issue as we head into summer. If anything, you’re going to want to install more windows and ceiling fans to avoid a greenhouse effect over the coming months. But, you also need to consider how you’re going to keep the space warm once winter rolls around.

The good news is that tackling this now ensures you never go cold later. That’s especially vital considering that your outside office will be impervious to any heating in your home. The best option here would be some sort of fire, but an open fireplace isn’t the smartest option for a wood-based office. Instead, then, you might want to opt for a log burner to keep your heat source contained. It’s even worth investing in a free-standing burner like the ones you can find out more about from Ultimate Fires. That way, there’s no risk of any unpleasant office accidents. Not to mention that this can bring a touch of class, which is sure to help your outside office professionalism.

Look after lighting

Lighting is a crucial element in any commercial office. And, your garden office should be no different given that light can literally impact whether you’re able to use the space. If you try to work in a dingy office hidden among the trees, you’re never going to get your best stuff done. Nor will you be able to ensure that your decor efforts here shine in all their glory. That’s why you should spend plenty of time focusing on the lighting, which would be best. Ideally, you want to make as much use of natural light as you can. The glory of a garden office is that you have unblocked access to light all day long. All you need to do is install plenty of outdoor office windows to make the most of it. You could even go for a sleek glass-wall design at the front of your office space.

Equally, you want to take care of indoor lighting for drab days. Pendant lights are fantastic for this purpose as they bring directed light right down to you. Opting for a stylish desk lamp which provides plenty of light coverage could also be a worthwhile addition. You might also want to think about exterior lighting. That way, you’ll be able to use your garden office when the nights start drawing in again. While you can’t sue yourself, it’s still vital that you take every step towards workplace safety. Floodlights fitted with sensors are often best for this purpose. With these in place, you’re guaranteed to get the coverage you need without any hassle on your part.

Bring the outdoors in

It’s rare to find a modern office which doesn’t contain at least one or two plants. Though these additions may look fantastic, their regular office presence is about more than just appearance. Take, for instance, the 2014 study by Dr. Craig Knight from the University of Exeter. He made a point of studying office productivity both before and after the introduction of plants. His results found that productivity improved by an impressive 15% after plants were put in place. There was even some evidence that plant presence improved memory retention and attention spans. In short; it was good news all around.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that you don’t need to worry because your office is outside. You’ll still feel a level of disconnect from the plants around you unless you bring a few into your office itself. At the very least, this is sure to make the space look alive and thriving. You needn’t go wild with this (excuse the pun), but consider incorporating a few succulents on your desk, or a potted tree in the corner. You’d be surprised how much better you’re able to work as a result.

Furnish from the heart

Lastly, it’s vital that you furnish from the heart if you’re going to get the most out of this space. At last being able to inject your mark on your working space is one of the best things about stepping away from a traditional office. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that you can’t add a heart to your outside office just because it’s separate from your home. We aren’t saying that you need to go crazy with ornaments and other additions which could clutter and distract your workspace. But, investing in cute functional accessories could add the personality you need to get design right. Look out for cute pencil holders, or even trash cans which make the space feel more like home. You could even invest in some art pieces for your walls. These provide interest without distracting your days. Or, you could look for a stylish shelving unit so that you can store relevant business books or files. Either way, put a little heart behind your home garden office, and see how much more you enjoy spending time there.

A final word

There’s no denying that a garden office can be a wonderful place to work. More so even than a home-based office, this is a sure way to take control of your working life at last. When you work in a space like this, increased productivity is at your fingertips. You just need to take care of decor and functionality to make sure that you can reach it.