MARK STEVEN PEREZ
Interior Designer and partner, GUSSYDESIGN Inc.
As interior designers, our eyes are trained to look at every corner and nook of each space we are in, including those that are not so visible like undersurfaces of tables and countertops. We mind how everything goes well
together the moment we step into the room—from the flooring to the walls, to the ceiling, lighting, the ambiance, ergonomics, and comfort of the furniture, the color schemes, and even the scent, acoustics, and air conditioning. The success of the design is really based on the designer’s attention to detail and the total experience of the user inside the interior space.
The same goes for designing for a WFH set up. The main objective here is to be able to create a workspace that’s effective, comfortable, and of course, inspiring for any user. He or she should be able to efficiently focus on work tasks, and be productive at the end of the day. The space should be welllit, free from unnecessary clutter and distractions. The work table should be good enough for the amount of counter space the person needs. Some need more counter space for papers, books, and devices.
Storage spaces and organization are also important. When you “go to work,” you want your space to be clean and organized well so you know where to get your files, stapler, and other small stuff. Extra drawers come in handy. For those who need a printer, it’s also important to know where to put them. We are so lucky we can now print wirelessly. Sometimes these printers eat so much of the counter space. Now, we can hide these printers away and place them in some shelving so we can really maximize our work counters.
Once we have defined the essential requirements, we can now create and visualize the look that would best fit and inspire the client.
Color scheme, materials and finishes of the furniture, lighting, storage, and nice table accessories come in play here. Plants also play a big role here, for we always need a visual rest from looking at our computer for hours. It’s always nice to have some greens on top of your desk or near you at some corner in the room. Besides, they also help purify the air we breathe in the room.
When it comes to lighting, some people prefer day-light fixtures, others want it warm-white or somewhere in the middle, like cool-white. But cool-white to warm-white lighting colors are more flattering than having day-lights. Day-light is really more for office. It really depends on the client’s preference. If he or she prefers day-light as a general lighting, we can put a nice interesting table lamp on one corner and have cool-white bulb in it to set the ambience.
Overall, the client’s need and personality are what we really consider when designing an ideal WFH setup. It’s very personal in a way and we, as the interior designer, try our best to marry what they need and like, and what we think professionally would really work best for them.
On the other hand, when it comes to designing or styling for online video meetings like Zoom and MS Teams, the approach is different. It’s somehow viewer-centered, this time. You want to look fresh in front of them. Lighting again plays a big role here. You want to be clearly seen on cam, or else it defeats the purpose of you being on a video call.
Lucky are those who have windows near their work stations because they have natural lighting, and they get to take a break every now and then, and appreciate the view outside. Warm to cool-white lighting are much flattering than day-light. So to tone down its harshness on cam, you can turn a table lamp on in front of you or use an artificial studio lighting, like a ring light for you to look better on cam.
When it comes to composition, it helps to set your camera or laptop in place to capture not just your best angle but also the best possible view of your background. It’s always great on cam to have an interesting visual of what’s behind you so your viewers could appreciate everything they see on their screens and also get a glimpse of your personality with your choice of furniture and art.
When you’re in a business video call, it should be at least decent, presentable, and professional enough. It’s also understandable if you don’t have that kind of background, or if you just want some privacy—you can always use a nice crisp image as a virtual background, like I do since I prefer to work in my bedroom, with the best view and lighting during the day.