Guest Post - How to Set Up a Home Office You Love

Technology has been helping more people work remotely from home for years. The US Census Department recorded 7% of adults worked from home in 2019. This figure showed a 5.2% increase compared to data from two years earlier. Since the beginning of the pandemic, more people than ever are turning to remote work. But for the best results, you need a comfortable office space that you'll love using. But what can I do to set up a home office I’ll love?

Finding the Perfect Work Space

Organizing a home office is much easier if you have a small room you hardly ever use. You can install a larger desk and plenty of storage units. You might even keep your home office all to yourself. However, many family homes just don't have the available space. Many remote workers must be inventive and versatile to incorporate a small home office in communal rooms. Some closets offer remarkably large areas where you can at least fit a desk and tiered shelving or equipment such as a multifunctional printer. A small, comfortable space can often be found beneath stairs or in a corner of your living room.

Maintaining Privacy

In a shared environment, it's difficult to maintain a degree of privacy. A simple solution is to invest in a portable, folding screen. You can even make one to custom fit around your desk. Construct an open frame with at least three folding sections for stability, then cover it with fabric or even paper. An alternative is to fix a rail to the ceiling and hang drapes from it. Sometimes you can find a suitable room divider with shelves and compartments that can store some of your folders and files.

Adaptable Office Furniture

Now you've set up your workspace, you'll need some office furniture. If you're building your office on a budget, there are ways you can improvise. A kitchen table works fine as a desk. Open shelves on the wall above your desk can be customized to make the best use of the space. When you design your own home office, you can place furniture where you can reach everything easily. You can use any type of cupboard for equipment such as headphones, printing inks and stationery. If you have sensitive files, fit a small lock to a drawer to keep them safe.

Ergonomically Designed Chair

One item of office furniture you should choose wisely is a chair. Research shows that home working increases your monthly output by 1.4 days. It means you could be spending even more than eight hours every day sitting at your desk. Unfortunately, being sedentary with poor posture can contribute to the musculoskeletal problems suffered by half the adult population.

You can try to avoid future discomfort by taking time for regular breaks. But the most effective solution is to invest in an ergonomically designed chair. You can save money by purchasing an unwanted one from a city office refurbishment. Features to look for include lumbar support, adjustable height, and a backrest and side arms that can be adjusted to suit you.

Avoiding Eyestrain

Eyestrain known as Computer Vision Syndrome includes blurred vision, headaches and uncomfortable, dry eyes. Around 58% of adults in the US suffer from these symptoms when working at their computer screens throughout the day. The 20-20-20 rule helps keep your eyes feeling comfortable. It suggests you should stop work every twenty minutes and focus for twenty seconds on an object twenty feet away. When designing your home office, fix a favorite picture or plant at exactly that distance from your desk to help you remember.

Sympathetic Lighting

Natural light is always beneficial during the day. If possible, choose a part of the room where you have window space. If it faces south, you could have problems throughout the day from the sun getting in your eyes. A daylight window blind can make your space more enjoyable by cutting out the glare of the sun while allowing through adequate natural daylight. On cloudy days or at night, sympathetic lighting could include eco-friendly LED bulbs. Choose LED lighting with a temperature rating between 2,700K and 4,500K. White lighting containing a quantity of blue is supposed to improve your concentration.

Relaxing Decor

Now you've assembled all the components of your new home office, you need to make it a space you can truly love. A relaxing atmosphere is essential. You can even employ Feng Shui philosophy to make sure your shelves and desk are in tune with the other items of furniture in the room. Declutter if necessary to make the area around your home office feel more spacious and calming. If you're improvising with furniture, a quick coat of paint can give your office a stylish, coordinated look. Pastel colors such as gray, pale blue, beige, cream or light green work best. Consider reupholstering your office chair in toning fabric.

Conclusion

Your brand-new home office doesn't have to cost a fortune. Improvisation is fine but making your office comfortable is how you'll grow to love it. If a separate room is unavailable, choose a secluded spot within a larger communal area. Coordinated decor should make it welcoming and stylish. Find an ergonomic chair and pay attention to lighting to keep your eyes comfortable.

Author Bio:

Paula O’Gorman is Promotive’s Design & Marketing Manager and is responsible for planning, leading and coordinating the activity of the marketing agency that specializes in logo design and graphic design. She graduated with a distinction in Design & Communication from Waterford Institute of Technology in 2003 and joined the Cantec Group immediately afterwards. Starting as a junior graphic designer, she now manages her team at the senior management level.

Different Types of Garage Doors

According to the National Association of Realtors, the national median cost of replacing a garage door is $2,300. What's impressive is if you sell your house, you will recover a whopping 87% of your investment. Undoubtedly, this is one of the highest percentages of recovered costs according to the report.

Also, since a front-facing garage door can eat up almost 20% of the home's front facade, a beat-up and obsolete garage door can be a liability. No wonder many homeowners consider garage door repair as a smart investment. Apart from adding visual appeal, it is crucial that the garage door should work seamlessly.

If you are like most homeowners, you are likely wondering what the different types of garage doors are and what option suits your home best. Whether you need a garage door for your home or business, below are the options available at your disposal. Keep in mind that different garage doors have different styles and offer various functionalities.

Residential Garage Doors

When selecting a residential garage door, there are certain factors you need to consider, such as door configuration and material. You also need to figure out the type of opener you want. A belt or chain drive are two of the most common options. You need to also determine if you want to opt for a single panel or a sectional door, among others.

Traditional Raised-Panel Door

Also referred to as "classic," this garage style is known for its symmetrical rectangular panel. Traditional raised-panel garage doors are well-liked because they open upward rather than swing out. This is considered a safety feature for those who want to create a family-safe home.

Thanks to their classic look, traditional raised panel doors are considered timeless and can be great accents to any home. When investing in a traditional raised panel door, you also need to decide if you want it with raised or recessed panels. A raised panel will add depth, while a recessed panel can help you achieve a more traditional look.

Carriage House Door

Depending on your design goals, you have the option to purchase a single or double bay garage door. However, it is important to remember that carriage doors can be opened either by going up or swinging out. 

If you choose one that swings out, you will need more room. Otherwise, you might hit someone while opening. Aside from being unique, carriage house garage doors are also ideal if you want to achieve a rustic and homey feel. 

Contemporary Door

If you have a modern home, a contemporary garage door would be a great addition. Most contemporary garage doors are a mixture of glass and metal elements. This combination can help ensure your house stands out, boosting curb appeal in the process. 

Typically, this type of garage door opens and closes by moving up and down, just like traditional raised panel doors. However, it can also be installed as a single panel door, so it opens to the side. 

Commercial Garage Doors

Similar to residential garage doors, commercial garage doors can come in various materials and styles. However, since commercial garage doors serve another purpose, keeping in mind the intent of the garage door is crucial to the selection process. 

For instance, if you have a warehouse, you most likely prefer a door that allows airflow and light. In a similar scenario, picking a door with a window is recommended. 

Overhead Door

This is one of the most popular commercial garage doors available. Overhead doors can be automatic or manual. The term overhead door derives from the way the door opens—moving along a track and lifting towards the ceiling. 

Overhead doors come in various materials and styles. It also comes with slats that create sections. Overhead doors can also come with windows, although this is not always considered necessary.

Fire-Rated Door

Fire-rated garage doors work in the same manner as overhead doors. They can also come with a motor or can be opened manually. What differentiates the fire-rated garage door from overhead is it has a fire-resistant material. This makes fire-rated doors safer.

Fire-rated doors are typically used in distribution centers, warehouses, and other locations with a significant number of people/employees present.

Roll-Up Door

Unlike fire-rated and overhead garage doors, roll-up doors are thinner but more flexible. Often they are considered ideal for places with wide openings. This is also a great option if you are looking for a garage door that can endure the harsh elements.

Scissor Gates

Also known as security gates, this option is typically made out of steel. However, unlike other commercial garage door options, it opens by sliding left to right. It also locks once it is closed. Scissor gates also have a second garage door behind them. 

Scissor doors also come in different styles—from solid metal to something with a gate-like appearance. Retail stores commonly use the latter.

Final Thoughts

Finding the right garage door is no walk in the park. However, the guide above should get your search efforts off to a superb start.

How to Recover From a Hoarding Situation

Although one of America's greatest strengths is its easy access to just about any material item you could want, this can also lead to some people's greatest problem: hoarding. If you or someone you know is recovering from a hoarding situation, it can be a long and difficult process to go through. Fortunately, if you stick with it, there is light at the end of the tunnel. To help you make your way through the mounds of stuff, here are a few steps to follow.

Address Mental Health

The goal when recovering from a hoarding situation is to make sure you or your loved one don't return to that situation. Therefore, it's often beneficial to seek professional counseling to help you identify the trigger behind the hoarding so that you can address this root issue. Otherwise, you'll simply be attacking the symptoms and likely end up right back where you started at some point.

Take It One Step at a Time

A house full of trash and treasure can be an overwhelming task to tackle. That's why it's a good idea to focus on the small stuff. If you can achieve a small victory by cleaning out a drawer in the kitchen, for example, that victory will inspire you to move on to other areas of the home. By taking on one small task at a time, you'll eventually be able to tackle the entire house.

Dispose of Unneeded Items

As you go through various items, it's important to have places to put them once they've been sorted. For example, you may want to rent a dumpster so that you can have a quick and easy place to dispose of garbage and unwanted items. You can even find a junk vehicle buyer for cash if there are junk cars on the property so that you don't have to go through a time-consuming process to dispose of these large and unruly items.

Craft a Plan for Future Success

After you've completed your cleaning journey, it's important to craft a plan for future success. You want to be sure that you know what to do with new items as they come into your home so that they don't start accumulating again. You'll also want to make a plan that will help prevent you from bringing certain items into your home altogether. This will help you stay on top of the cleanliness of your home with minimal effort.

Always Ask for Help

During every step of the process, it's always a good idea to ask for help. Although it can be embarrassing to invite someone into a cluttered home, the fact is that most people are more than willing to help if you're willing to ask. Don't let pride get in the way of you finally tackling a hoarding problem once and for all.

Tips for Picking the Right Siding for Your Home

Picking the right siding for your home can be a complicated decision, and the results of it are literally something you'll see every day after it's done. Having a few tips at your hand helps you navigate this process.

Determine the Aesthetic You Would Like

Vinyl and other kinds of siding have come a long way, to the point that they can even sometimes mimic the look and feel of other kinds of siding. Just like there are tile floors that look and feel like wood, you can get sidings that give the texture and appearance of something entirely different while still protecting your home. Get to know the possibilities.

Set a Budget

You might not be able to set a realistic budget until you get a few quotes and know what your options are, but at some point, you'll need to put a cap on how many dollars you will spend on this project. Without one, you might wind up blowing a lot more money than is necessary.

Think About Who Your Installer Will Be

Your choice of siding materials might be restricted by who you have done the installation. Using someone like Kelly's Construction Inc can mean having multiple options available. However, if you've decided on vinyl siding, then a brick mason can't do the whole home for you.

Consider How Much Time You Have Left in That Home

The time you have left in your current home matters in two different ways. First, if you're going to be there a long time, then you want a siding that will give you protection and peace of mind for an equally long time. Second, if you're going to be selling soon, you want to put up something that will make a good impression on local buyers and perhaps match their tastes.

Remember Your HoA

If your community doesn't have a homeowner's association, then you might not have to worry about this one. However, if you do, then there might be bylaws that dictate what you can and can't do with your home's appearance and siding. Learn what the details are so you can abide by them.

Make a Decision You Can Live With

As you can see, there are multiple factors involved with picking the right siding for your home. Some of these tips might apply, but others might not. Weigh each of them carefully, though. This is a decision you might have to live with for quite some time.