If you have a spare bedroom in your home, you may not know what to do with it. You can turn it into a guest bedroom or use it as a library, but with so many people working from home or going to school virtually because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, everyone in the family could benefit from having a functional office. An office can make it easier for you to focus while you work from home, but it also serves as a great virtual classroom for your kids. Here are three tips for turning your space into an office that everyone loves to work in.
Set Up Separate Workstations
Most people have trouble concentrating if they don’t have a separate workspace. This is especially true for people who are working on different tasks. If your kids are in different grades, they can’t share resources, and they could be a distraction to you if you are trying to work from home. This problem can be remedied simply by setting up separate workstations. If your kids are working at one long table, use cardboard dividers to separate them. You can also divide the office into makeshift cubicles, so everyone in the family has a designated spot to work in.
Get Organized
Clutter makes it difficult for people to concentrate. If your office is overflowing with school and work supplies, you may get distracted by the mess and spend more time cleaning than you do working. Similarly, your kids may want to play with supplies instead of completing schoolwork. When you transform your spare room into an office, make sure you invest in plenty of storage containers so you can keep all your supplies organized. Not only will this practice reduce office clutter, but it also makes it easy to find the items you need.
You can find a wide variety of storage containers that make organizing your office easier. If you’re trying to save floor space, use small containers that fit easily onto a shelf. If floor space isn’t an issue, but you need to keep supplies separate for your kids, invest in a larger storage container with multiple drawers, and assign each one to a kid. Some of the supplies you may want to organize are listed below.
- Textbooks
- Glue
- Writing utensils
- Paperclips
- Tacks
- Blank paper
- Notebooks
Add Some Color
A lifeless, monochromatic office makes work and school boring. You don’t want to overwhelm the space with many bright colors, but it is a good idea to liven up the office. Add a few fun paintings to the walls for a bright pop of color that isn’t too distracting or invest in colorful wiggle seats to help your kids concentrate. If you want to create engaging virtual classrooms for your kids, you may also want to consider putting learning tools on the wall. A large map of the world or posters listing all the U.S. Presidents could be great visual tools that help young kids grasp different concepts while bringing a little color to the space.
Contact JTB Homes
Turning a spare room into an office doesn’t have to be complicated. The important thing to remember is to keep the room functional, so everyone in the family can do their best work in the space. With a little planning, you can design a suitable space for both school and work so your family can thrive even with the social restrictions that are currently in place.
Use these three tips to create an inviting, functional space for everyone, and if you’re in the market for a new home with a spare bedroom, contact JTB Homes today to see what we have available