theSun Property April 2017

theSun ON FRIDAY

MARCH 11, 2016

theSun ON FRIDAY

APRIL 7, 2017

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PHOTO: KIKETTE-INTERIOR

workplace has evolved a

lot in the last fewyears. The

advancement of technology

and a revolution in

workplace culture have come to

shape themodern officewe know

today – one that is completely

different from the offices of not too

long ago. InMalaysia, we can see

this newdesign trend cultivated in

offices such as Google, MindValley

andKFit among others.

While part of this transformation

is precipitated by today’smore

flexibleworking hours and

conditions like having the option to

work fromhome and other

revolutionaryworking concepts

that make for a happier andmore

productiveworkforce – the current

state-of-the-art working spaces

itself is said to benefit employee as

well as employer in unconventional

ways andmeans.

With that, we focus on home, a

present-daywork space and how

one can get themost out of work

time in this environment. For

starters, it is advisable to designate a

space or room in your home as your

“office zone”. The area should not

only reflect your personal style but

also be decorated and designed to

keep you focused and ultimately

boost productivity. Here are a few

tips:

CONTROL THE OFFICE

ENVIRONMENT

It is important that the interior

climate of your office space keep

you focusedwhile you areworking.

Ensure temperature controls of fans

or air-conditioning are kept at a

comfortable level, neither too high

or low for interiors that are not too

stuffy or chilly. Proper ventilation

and natural sunlight is known to

help keep one energised throughout

the day. Therefore, consider getting

skylights or clerestory

windows (series of

windows on the upper

levels of highwalls),

which both help

elevate the height of

the room for adequate

ventilationwhile

ensuring sufficient

natural lighting.

Where possible, avoid

fluorescent lights as

they cause

drowsiness. Instead,

have an adjustable

lamp at your desk, to

usewhen it gets dark.

USE COLOUR

PSYCHOLOGY

Colour has a

psychological effect

on our emotions.

Hence, the reason it is

important that your

home office bear the

right hues to generate

the right “qi” or

energy force. It is not

surprising that white

is said to be the default

colour to dress any

office interior as it is

associatedwith an

open, airy feeling, especiallywhen

pairedwith natural lighting. Colours

such as green and blue are calming

and refreshing and reported to

improve focus and efficiency. Try

pairing both these colours for the

ultimate creative dream team. Think

light bluewalls pairedwith green

plants or a bright green rug for a

room that is calming and refreshing

for the soul. You can also consider

yellow for the office as it is the

colour of optimism. Use it as

accents in your office setting, as in

hanging art pieces, throwpillows or

extra seating.

PERSONAL TOUCHES

FOR COMFORT

According to experts, it is easier for

you to get into the productive frame

of mind if you are comfortable in

your surrounding environment.

Therefore, create an art gallery of

family photos above your desk or

have these displayed in your line of

sight. Bring your personal interests

into the office decor. If you love to

read, then line your walls with

shelves of your favourite books. If

you have collected arty handicraft,

souvenirs or memorabilia (that

bring back goodmemories) from

your travels, create a small display

area for them. Ahome in Stockholm

uses a bright yellowopen-shelf

cupboard to display knickknacks

while giving the small office a pop of

colour. Place a daybed or chaise

lounge in your work space to create

a small nookwhere you can take

short breaks or power naps. Then

again, as every personal touch is

“personal” according to the

character of the individual, gowith

what motivates or inspires you and

redecorate occasionally if andwhen

you please.

ORGANISATION

MADE PRETTY

Bulkymetal cabinets are for

corporate offices, or so they say ...

Although they could portray that

zen-effect or reflect your “preferred

style”, in this case, we are looking at

creativeways tomake office

organisation part of a pretty place.

Start by implementing a command

centre in your officewhere letters

andmagazines, calendars, to-do lists

and cork boards jive. Some

suggestions: get a fancy photo frame

and use the glass to jot down daily

tasks inwhiteboardmarkers or go

wild by creating an accent wall

using chalkboard paint so that each

day it can serve a different function

(inspirational quote today –

comprehensive to-do list tomorrow

– like that). Pegboards are also a

favourite, as

Bondville

blogger Steph

Bond-Hutkin can attest to. A

pegboard sits atop her daughter’s

room, withmovablemint shelves

that hold her books and stationery,

while a to-do list and calendar hang

above them. As for office stationery,

clear plastic containers are a current

favourite as it not only keeps

stationery organised but makes it

easier to locate needed items while

adding bursts of colour in your

office confines.

THE SPACE FACTOR

It is still possible to create a home

officewhen you are short of space.

Look for a small corner in any room

of your home that can be used as a

tiny office area. Invest in a sturdy

table that can fit into the nook of

your home, such as a wall-mounted

table or even a vintage school desk,

as long as it can hold your laptop or

PC. Another alternative –make like

designer Kate Collins and have your

nightstandwork double duty as

your office table. To pull this off,

Collins placed a clean, modernmini

deskwith a single drawer for

storage and a simplewooden chair

next to her bed. If crawling into bed

is your number oneweakness and

you prefer to dowork outside your

bedroom, then consider a place that

ismostly under-furnished and

overlooked, eg. the hallway.

Swedish property realtor

Entrance,

made use of a home’s wide hallway

and turned it into a work space

using a simple vintage desk paired

with amodern black chair. A large

mirror is placed above the desk to

reflect light for brightness,

illuminating the space to help keep

one energisedwhileworking. Do

not forget to spruce up these small

corners withmodest-sized

decorative items (for amore

spacious perception). Build vertical

shelves for extra storage to keep

folders, books or as a display of

knickknacks if required.

Sometimes a work area can be as

simple as lounging on the couch

with your laptop, depending on the

kind of work you are involved in.

However, a permanent place to sit

downwith other occupational

elements do help improve focus and

will yield better results work-wise.

> Elements that make for a

great home-office environment

Working

atmosphere

PHOTO: BONDVILLE

PHOTO: HOUSEOF JADE

PHOTO: ENTRANCE

PHOTO: KATE COLLINS

PHOTO: KATHRYN LEMASTER

PHOTO: CRISP ARCHITECTS

PHOTO: THE CONTAINER STORE

ALYSSA J. OON