CLEVER HOME-OFFICE DESIGN WITH STYLISH FUNCTIONALITY
The right furniture can help us create mental distance with work
As we head into the colder months and spend more time indoors, it's a good time to think about interior design. Because in this time of increased isolation, the right design can help keep you sane, says Nicole Basenach, VP of consumer experience with Quebec-based South Shore Furniture.
South Shore has been manufacturing furniture across North America for more than 80 years, says Basenach, and has conducted plenty of research on the way people live in and use their homes.
Workspace, the company's latest collection, is created specifically for working from home. Basenach says South Shore spent a lot of time visiting co-working spaces and professionals and entrepreneurs who are currently working remotely to understand their greatest challenges.
“Our designers have also been working from home for months now, and there is no better way to design for a need than experience it yourself,” she says.
South Shore's research found that people are struggling with not having the luxury of a dedicated, managed office. Many feel disorganized in their home workspaces with printers, paper, craft supplies and music all getting jumbled together.
Many people also work with multiple screens, says Basenach, which creates desk space and cable management issues, and they don't feel they have enough storage solutions. They also found that many home-workers view traditional office furniture as ugly, cold and too professional looking to suit their home decor.
There is a real demand, says Basenach, for desks and chairs that fit into small spaces like kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms, good storage options to help keep surfaces clear and cables out of sight, and home office furniture that is affordable and appealing, as well as durable.
There are also ergonomic considerations when working from home, and the need to change position and move around in the day, just like in a larger office setting. Desks with adjustable heights (mechanical standing desks) are proving popular.
South Shore's new Workspace collection features four different styles. There's the clean, contemporary Kozack collection, the bohemian-inspired Taile collection, the designer/artist inspired Zelia collection (with desks designed for multiple monitors or larger screens), and the Helsy collection. “Our Helsy collection is one of my favourites,” says Basenach. “It's warm, has cosy finishes, and a clean, trendy Scandinavian style means it blends perfectly into residential décor.”
It's more important than ever for people to feel happy in their homes so they can create some mental distance between their work and home lives. “Store work things away when the day is done. Have a separate space for work, even if it's not a dedicated room. Make sure you have access to natural light and include greenery and plants into your decor,” says Basenach.
Regardless of the current confinements of COVID, winter is an ideal time to reorganize, refresh and redecorate our homes and home offices, continues Basenach, and it's good for the soul.
Focusing on the things we can control can give us energy. The Scandinavian concept of hygge (a quality of cosy and comfort that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being) will be more prevalent than ever in Canadian homes this winter, she says.
THERE'S A RUG FOR THAT ...
Area rugs are one of the easiest ways to achieve cosy at home, says Ben Hyman, co-founder and CEO of San Francisco Bay Area-based Revival Rugs, which has just released a new line of one-of-a-kind Turkish rugs.
“To keep things cosy, layer lower-piled rugs to add some beautiful texture and cover up a cold floor,” he says.
“A second approach is to purchase a high piled rug that your feet can sink into.”
If you're on a budget or have a favourite old rug that you love and want to carry on using, purchasing a rug pad to go under it is an excellent way to provide additional cushioning, he says.