5 COMMON HOME OFFICE MISTAKES | Part 3

Many times, I am brought into a home because the homeowner is frustrated with a specific space. When that space is a home office, I have often found the same mistakes happening over and over. These mistakes are not only made by homeowners, but also by many designers, consultants, contractors, and architects. Hopefully, this article will shed some light on a few of these and help you set up a home office that works for you, not against you.

Most design professionals will agree that an office needs to address function, aesthetics, ergonomics, and beauty. I agree, but where I stand apart is that I also address the emotional and mental well-being of the person occupying the space.  This additional element, blending traditional design with energetic aspects, takes your work potential to a higher level. By respecting our physical, mental, and emotional needs, our work environment becomes inviting and stimulating, promoting professional and personal success.

An office must support its people or it has failed its purpose. Our bodies will not lie to us; if the work environment is not supporting them, they WILL get our attention. They will make it hard for us to focus, or make us feel foggy-headed or tired, or pester us with aches and pains that cause us to lose focus, fidget, and eventually get up and leave the space, which, in turn, interrupts productivity, creativity, mental flow, and satisfaction.

This reaction can happen with any ill-designed office situation, but in a home office, the temptation to focus on household tasks when frustrated in the office is almost irresistible. Do not let that temptation win, or the business will suffer. The business will soon become a side gig; your career will struggle, and eventually fade away.

If your home office is to support you financially, it’s extremely important that it empowers you, not weakens you. Each home office is as unique as the person using it and the tasks required of the job. The common mistakes highlighted in this article have easy solutions that can help any business get started on the right foot. Keep in mind, there are many other aspects to consider that affect your natural rhythms, which we can explore in a personal consultation. (Click here to take your space and career to their highest potential.) But, to help you get a supercharged start, let’s focus on the top 5 mistakes—and the tips to fix them:

Mistake #1: The desk is facing the wall.

I have seen this mistake in offices, study areas, craft areas, and kitchens. It can look amazing, but when put into action, the results are the same: it drains us mentally and emotionally, much like banging your head against a wall drains us; our thoughts flow out and immediately bounce back, creating mental agitation. People will instinctively try to correct the issue by angling the chair, but this causes the body to twist, creating in a new discomfort. These areas are rarely used and become wasted space. When an office desk faces a wall, it not only drains us, it quietly increases stress and anxiety levels, prevents us from seeing what is around us which creates a feeling of vulnerability, and weakens our career progress.

The fix: Position your desk to face into the room, ideally with open space in front of it and a wall 36”-48” behind your desk chair to provide a solid support. This creates a sense of security, openness, authority, and control.

(credit: hello-hayley.com)

Mistake #2: Converting a closet or claiming a portion of your bedroom as your office.

Neither of these choices will support a successful career nor a work zone. I realize “cloffices” are being touted as a space-saving choice, which may be true, but they will suffocate a business and a person’s psyche. Here are a few reasons a closet does not support an active business:

• Converting a standard closet into a work zone positions you to face the wall. You will have the same distress mentioned above in “Mistake #1: The desk is facing the wall.”
• Converting a walk-in closet lacks proper ventilation, lighting, and ergonomic support.
• Most closets will feel cramped, cluttered, and prison-like, which closes down thoughts and creativity, and diminishes growth.
• Typically, closets are attached to active rooms or areas of the house. This does not create enough separation for business calls, virtual meetings, and mental concentration.

As for claiming a portion of the bedroom for an office, here are a few reasons why that is not supportive:

• As mentioned above, this does not create enough separation for business calls, virtual meetings, and mental concentration.
• A bedroom’s purpose is to relax us and wrap us with quietness and tranquility. The energy of an office, its deadlines, stress, and harried energy, disrupts the serenity of a bedroom. That active energy will linger in the room, making it difficult to sleep, which makes the room fail as a bedroom. Also, being able to see a constant reminder of business responsibilities prevents us from turning loose of the day and easing into the stillness of the night.
• Psychologically, the mind will lack focus, and productivity will decline in a bedroom, which makes the space fail as an office.
• Bedrooms do not make professional settings for virtual meetings.

The fix: If you must use a standard closet, turn it into a credenza/storage niche. This gives you two arrangement options: 1) Place your desk in front of the storage niche, facing into the room. The niche will be behind you and easily accessible. 2.) Have the storage niche in another area of the room. This provides flexibility to close the doors, hiding its busyness.

As for a bedroom office, the only ‘fix’ is reassigning an unoccupied bedroom as an office. Otherwise, offices and bedrooms do not mix.

Even though the credenza is free-standing, this idea could easily be adapted to an existing closet niche.  (credit: morganstewartinteriors.com)

Mistake #3: Poor desk and desk chair selection.

Selecting a desk and desk chair is more complex than one may think. The mistake in many home offices is that a makeshift table, such as a coffee table, dining table, or open table-like surface, is being used for a desk. The same scenario happens with the desk chair; it is either a dining chair or a lightweight, low-backed task chair. These pieces are not engineered to ergonomically support a person spending long days at a computer or intended for an executive leader. Inappropriate furniture will not only cause physical “dis-ease”; it will weaken your productivity and self-esteem.

Your office desk and chair are the main hub of your business. It is the foundation that supports your business’s financial activity, publicity, client base, reputation, and authority. It needs to reflect your self-assurance, trustworthiness, and professionalism. Building a solid foundation for a business requires a solid desk and a chair that fits you and your ambitions.

The fix: When looking for a desk, look for a solid front panel (face) made from solid material. Wood is a great choice, but other solid materials can work. Avoid glass table-like desks (or any table-like desk) and collapsible desks. These appear weak, fragile, and not well-grounded, which emits a feeling of vulnerability, instability, and insecurity.

As for a desk chair, look for one that fits your body and ergonomically supports you, so that you can be comfortable while focusing on the tasks at hand. Select an adjustable chair that supports your back and lumbar, and can be adjusted so your thighs and hands remain parallel to the floor while working. It also needs to have a high back that protects your head; this creates feelings of security, protection, authority, and confidence. It also subliminally communicates your professionalism in virtual meetings.

Mistake #4: Poor lighting.

We are nourished and energized by light. When it is misused it can wreak havoc on our health, and productivity. My observations are that many home offices are not letting light work for them. I totally understand, because it can be a bit confusing, but it is vital for your well-being and productivity, Proper lighting enlivens us. Here is how common light mistakes affect us:

• Insufficient lighting causes eye strain and creates fatigue.  The fix: Use layered lighting (ambient + task + accent). Ensure the room is comfortably bright overall.

• Relying only on ceiling lights creates shadows and uneven lighting.  The fix: Add desk lamps or floor lamps to provide focused task lighting.

• Too harsh or cool (blue) lighting causes glare, headaches, and a cold atmosphere. These are lights labeled “Daylight” with a Kelvin measurement of 4000-5000k.  The fix: Use warmer white bulbs, between 3000-3500K, for a more natural and energizing tone.

• Direct lighting hitting your monitor leads to glare and eye strain.  The fix: Place a diffused light to the side of your screen, or use an anti-glare screen filter.

• Poor desk lamp placement can cause shadows, creating eye strain and mental fatigue.  The fix: Place the lamp on the opposite side of your dominant hand; adjust the angle to avoid reflections.

• Ignoring natural light wastes quality lighting and suppresses your mood.  The fix: Position your desk with a window at its side, then control the brightness with the window treatment.

• Not being able to adjust the lighting effects your ability to adapt to different tasks or times of the day.  The fix: Use dimmers and dimmable bulbs, smart lighting, or lamps with brightness settings.

• Choosing decorative fixtures that don’t provide useful light.   The fix: There are hundreds of lighting fixtures available – make sure the fixture not only looks good but performs as needed; if it doesn’t measure up, move on.

This is a nice example of well-balanced even lighting created by layering ambient, task, and accent lighting. Layering light works with our natural rhythms and keeps our energy charged and fresh. Also, as a side note, notice the back wall décor, this is the backdrop for virtual meetings. (credit: jenniepence.com)

Mistake #5: Too much furniture for the space.

Placing too much furniture or furniture that is too large for a room can overwhelm the space, making it feel cramped, cluttered, and difficult to navigate. It disrupts visual balance, limits functionality, and can create a sense of discomfort or chaos rather than comfort and cohesion. Having too much furniture or furniture that doesn’t fit the scale of the room can lead to several key mistakes:

• Restricted movement: Reduces walking space and makes the room feel tight and congested.
• Cluttered appearance: Too much or oversized furniture can visually crowd the space, making it feel messy or uninviting.
• Poor functionality: Essential areas (doorways, windows, or pathways) may become blocked or hard to access.
• Disrupted aesthetics: The scale and proportion of furniture are key to a balanced design—large items in a small room can throw off visual harmony.
• Limited flexibility: Over furnished rooms are harder to rearrange or adapt for different uses or occasions.

The fix: Focus on scale, proportion, and purpose. Always carry your office’s dimensions or scaled floor plan with you. Then you can save time and money by choosing the appropriately sized pieces that will leave enough open space for comfort, flow, and visual breathing room. Less is more!

(credit: canadianloghomes.com)

The above small office is a great example of “less is more”. There is space for the mind to expand and create, and space to move around comfortably. The back wall and tall chair provides support, function, and a lovely backdrop for virtual meetings. Even though it is not ideal to have the desk in the path of the door, this room requires an exception since there is no way to avoid being in the path of a door. By placing the desk as far from the door as possible will lessen the energetic disturbance while allowing the occupant to see all doors and window when seated, which establishes control of the room and the business.

Avoiding these common mistakes will help set the tone of your business immediately. You will be empowered, productive, and inspired. Once you get your office ready and open for business, schedule a personal consultation to take it to the next level. (Click here to contact me.)  Don’t delay, let’s put your office to work for you and maximize your time, talent, and success!