There are a number of perks to working from home: no commute, no dress code, and a more flexible schedule. But there are some drawbacks, too. For starters, many people don’t have an extra room that they can dedicate to a home office. Having a separate office may be preferable, but if this isn’t an option, consider creating a home office in your bedroom instead. 

Incorporating a home office into your bedroom is challenging because you must create a space where you can both focus and relax. But it is possible to overcome this challenge with the right guidance and design. Follow these tips to set up a productive workspace in your bedroom:

Put Your Desk in the Proper Position

It may seem insignificant, but the positioning of your desk can play a major role in creating the perfect home office in your bedroom. Positioning your desk so it faces your bed or TV could negatively impact your productivity at work. The view of your bed or TV could distract you during the workday and make you want to take a nap or kick back and relax.

It’s best to position your desk so it is facing either a wall or window. Your bed and TV will be out of sight and out of mind, so you will have no choice but to focus on the work in front of you. If you choose to face a window, make sure the glare from the window does not interfere with your ability to see your computer screen.

Separate Work and Sleep Areas

The key to finding the perfect work-life balance when working at home is separating your work and sleep areas. Fortunately, it is still possible to separate these two areas even if they are located in the same room.

The easiest way to separate these areas is to leave plenty of space between your desk and your bed. This way, you can mentally switch out of work mode whenever you walk over to the other side of the room to relax.

But this probably isn’t an option in a small-sized bedroom. If it’s not possible to leave space between the two areas, consider separating them with a curtain, screen, or room divider. This is the most effective way to create a clear physical and mental distinction between your work area and sleep area.

Create A Sense of Cohesion

Even though you are creating a separation between your work and sleep areas, it’s still important to make sure these two spaces complement one another. If the home office design clashes with the rest of the bedroom, it will disrupt the flow and ruin the look of the entire room.

To create a sense of cohesion, make sure you use the same color scheme in the office and bedroom. You can also create cohesion by using the same textiles and prints in both spaces. This will make the entire room look unified and complete.

Choose Multi-Functional Items

It’s crucial to maximize every inch of space in a room that doubles as a bedroom and home office. One way to maximize space is to choose pieces that serve more than one purpose. 

For example, choose a desk that can also act as a nightstand so you don’t need to find a way to fit two separate pieces of furniture into your room. Place a lamp on the desk so you can use it as a reading lamp and to light up your workspace on the nights you decide to burn the midnight oil. This is a great way to make the most out of every inch of space in your bedroom-home office.

Incorporate Lots of Storage Space

If your workspace is constantly covered in papers and files, forgetting about work and relaxing in the bedroom area will be a challenge. Not only will the presence of clutter remind you of work, but studies show that clutter can actually cause anxiety.

To avoid this problem, it’s best to design a home office in your bedroom with plenty of storage space. Think vertically and horizontally when deciding how to fit more storage space into your new home office. Baskets, file cabinets, and floating shelves can help you organize your workspace so you can relax once you’re off the clock.

Invest In A Loft Bed

You may want to consider investing in a loft bed if you plan on working from home permanently. A loft bed is like a bunk bed without a bottom bunk. The space below the bed is completely open, so you can easily create a workspace underneath.

You may not have a dedicated room for a home office, but by following these tips, you can carve out the space for a functional office in your bedroom.