How To Build A Home Office - The Basics

Advice , Home Office , How To Build A Home Office , Interiors   

This week The Elgin Avenue is dedicated to discussing all things 'home office'. For months I was pondering my home work space, pinning, discussing, buying, unpacking . . . and finally I feel as if my little nook is coming together. SO for the next 5 days I'll be sharing pics and tips of my own home office, how you can construct your own, and a few fun items in between.

OK, so here’s the deal - building a home office is EASY. 

In fact, it is as easy as ‘desk + laptop’ - to paraphrase one of my fellow work-from-home-ers. 

That said, in order to get to the kind of Pinterest-worthy home office space we all not so secretly want, it takes a good base, and a lot of imagination further down the line. Today I bring to you: How To Build A Home Office - The Basics - laying down the foundations of an awesome home work space. Later in the week I’ll be discussing how to bring personality, colour and inspiration in to the equation. 

Here’s a list of the core items you’ll need, to get your home office started: 

Read on for my personal take on the home office, and a list of all of my favourite items and stores . . . 

The Desk

Desk - Linnmon/Finnvard White & Beech - £70 -  IKEA

I knew from the get go that I wanted a BIG desk. I like to be able to lay paper out, have files open, a coffee on the go and still see white space. A desk is the ultimate personal choice, so it is important to find one right for you. 

If you are not sure what kind of a desk will suit you, ask yourself a few questions: 

- which room will your desk be in - and how much space will you have in total for your home office?   - what kind of work will you be doing day to day? Do you need to draw? Use a computer? Lay items out? 
- what kind of colour scheme are you looking to build for your office? Your desk will be the base. 

All of these questions will inform exactly what you need to look for. Then when it comes to buying a desk, there are a few places I recommend looking: IKEA is great for simple, affordable pieces (that's where I bought mine!), John Lewis has quality stylish desks and Viking Direct has a huge selection. 

My desk is the Linnmon/Finnvard table top and trestle from IKEA, which comes in at the grand cost of £70! Yes, IKEA rocks. 

Unless you have a strong sense of colour direction for your home office, I would suggest buying a neutral desk; white, wood or black. Think of a neutral office foundation as your equivalent to jeans & the perfect tee - you can dress it up or down and accessorise whenever you want - giving ultimate flexibility. I'll be sharing my tips on personalising a neutral space later in the week.  This Hickory Desk from John Lewis is super sweet - and neutral! - and comes with built in storage. If you are looking to spend a little more money this Mira Desk is Scandi-chic incarnate.

The Chair

Chair - Idolf Style - £45 - IKEA

The importance of a good office chair cannot be overstated, you will be sat here for HOURS. When I was constructing my home office my priorities were all askew "does it LOOK good?" I'd ask myself when I should have been asking if it FELT good first. I bought completely the wrong chair for the purpose - it is way too hard and I developed a sore back. Ouch. Moral of the story peeps: prioritise comfort before style when buying your office chair.

Moving forward I am going to invest in a more ergonomic model, possibly this Malkolm Swivel Chair from IKEA. Here is a little inforgraphic on how we should be sitting at our desk - I'll be reminding myself of this when I buy my new chair. 

The Computer

 Laptop - MacBook Pro - 13.4"

I bought my computer right before my first term at University, I had heard of the 'magic' of Macs, and wanted my in on the action. Am I converted? 100% YES! If you are working with graphics, images or design a lot, I have not come across another brand which can handle the work nearly as well. My MacBook Pro has seen me through all of my University projects, my blog, external work and day to day use. The one change I am planning on making is to buy a laptop stand, attachable keyboard and mouse. Since working day in day out at the laptop I have found that I strain my neck, hopefully making these investments will help. 

Top Tip! I have had my MacBook Pro for over 4 years, during this time it began to slow down. This year I decided to have it wiped at the Apple store and reset. This removes all files, programmes and history - so make sure you transfer all of your documents to an external hard drive. I now backup constantly and try to keep my laptop as free of images, videos and large files as possible. 

As much as I love my MacBook Pro, I am on the lookout for a desktop. I am looking at iMacs, if you guys have any recommendations on which ones you have worked with and liked - I'd love the advice!

Here is a comprehensive list of everything featured in this post:

- Desk: Linnmon/Finnvard, White & Beech, IKEA
- Laptop: MacBook Pro 13.3"
- Chair: Idolf Chair, IKEA
- Lamp: Tertial Work Lamp, IKEA
- Folders: Paperchase
- Bin: IKEA Flowerpot
- Notebook: Moleskin
- Trunk: Vintage

Basics over, are you excited for the personalisation post later this week?!

I would LOVE to know if you guys have a home office space of your own, how you have constructed it, or if you are looking to create one in the future. 

Have an awesome day all!

Love, 

MB x