06/09/2026
How to Set Up a Home Office That Actually Works: What Has Changed Since 2015
I first wrote about how to set up a home office in 2015.
Back then, working from home was still treated as a perk. A spare day away from the office. A chance to avoid traffic, work in track pants and stop someone else from stealing your lunch from the communal fridge.
Today, it is part of how many businesses operate.
Interestingly, some of my original advice has held up remarkably well. Choosing the right location, creating separation and resetting the space at the end of each day still matter.
Other parts have aged.
I recommended putting a mini-fridge and kettle within arm’s reach. Comfortable? Absolutely. Helpful after sitting motionless for eight hours? Probably not.
The biggest change is that a home office can no longer be treated as a decorated corner with a laptop in it. It needs to function as a legitimate workplace.
Here is how to set up a home office that actually supports your performance, health and home.
1. Choose a space you can leave
The first decision is not what desk to buy. It is where work will live.
A separate room with a door remains the best option, but not every home has one available. A study nook, converted wardrobe, quiet corner, garage or purpose-built backyard room can all work when properly planned.
The objective is separation.
You need a physical and psychological line between where you work and where you live. Without one, work starts spreading across the kitchen table, lounge and bedroom until the entire house feels like an office you never leave.
If you are using part of a shared room, define the space with shelving, a screen, rug or different wall colour. The boundary does not need to be permanent. It needs to be obvious.
Avoid setting up in the bedroom if you can. It is difficult to switch off when the last thing you see at night is tomorrow’s workload sitting on a desk.
2. Build the workstation around your body
In 2015, home-office advice focused heavily on how the space looked.
Today, we know the better question is how it feels after four hours.
Start with the fundamentals:
* A supportive, adjustable chair
* A desk at the correct height
* A monitor or laptop stand
* A separate keyboard and mouse
* Enough space to work without twisting or reaching
* Simple cable management to remove trip hazards and clutter
Position the screen around eye level or slightly below and approximately an arm’s length away. Keep the keyboard and mouse close enough that your elbows remain comfortably beside your body.
If you work from a laptop for extended periods, raise the screen and connect a separate keyboard and mouse. A laptop is portable by design. That does not automatically make it an eight-hour workstation.
A sit-stand desk can help, but standing in one position all day is not the answer either. Your body needs variation, not another position in which to become completely stationary.
3. Get the light, noise and temperature right
These three factors can quietly destroy concentration.
Natural light is valuable, but desk placement matters. Position your workstation side-on to a window where possible. A window directly in front of you can create glare. One directly behind you can turn every video call into an anonymous television interview.
Use an adjustable desk lamp rather than relying entirely on overhead lighting.
Soft furnishings, rugs, curtains and upholstered furniture can help reduce echo and outside noise. If the space is shared, good headphones may be one of the smartest investments you make.
Temperature and ventilation deserve equal attention. This is particularly important when converting a garage or backyard building.
Before turning either into an office, consider:
* Insulation
* Airflow
* Heating and cooling
* Natural light
* Power supply
* Internet access
* Security
* Any building or council requirements
A stylish office that becomes unbearable by mid-morning is just an expensive storage room with Wi-Fi.
4. Treat internet and technology as infrastructure
A decade ago, the home-office technology checklist was largely a laptop, phone and Bluetooth speaker.
That no longer cuts it.
Reliable internet now sits alongside power and lighting as essential infrastructure. Test the signal in your proposed office before committing to the location. If coverage is unreliable, consider a mesh network, Wi-Fi extender or wired connection.
Your setup may also need:
* Accessible charging points
* Surge protection
* A headset for meetings and calls
* A backup internet option
* Secure passwords and updated software
* Safe storage for devices and documents
* Appropriate lighting and camera positioning
Working from home does not remove your responsibility to protect business and client information. Lock the screen when you step away and keep confidential material out of shared household areas.
The five-second commute is convenient. A five-hour internet outage is not.
5. Create a professional video-call position
Your home office is now regularly visible to clients, colleagues and potential employers.
It does not need to resemble a television studio, but it should look deliberate.
Position the camera near eye level. Use soft light from in front of you rather than a bright window behind you. Keep the visible background clean without making it look aggressively staged.
Artwork, shelving or a plant can add some personality. The washing basket generally adds too much.
Check what the camera sees before joining a meeting. Your background becomes part of the way people experience you, whether you intend it to or not.
6. Make movement part of the design
One part of my 2015 advice definitely needs reversing.
I suggested keeping a mini-fridge and kettle close enough to eliminate interruptions. Today, I would put them further away.
You need reasons to stand up.
Take phone calls while walking when practical. Move between sitting and standing. Step outside between longer meetings. Refill your water rather than installing a small convenience store beneath the desk.
A productive home office should support focused work without trapping you in one position.
Convenience is useful. Too much convenience turns the working day into a hostage situation.
7. Add personality without creating clutter
A home office should feel like part of your home.
Plants, artwork, photographs and well-designed storage can make the room more enjoyable without overwhelming it. Mirrors may help a smaller room feel more open, but position them carefully to avoid screen glare and distracting reflections.
Choose plants suited to the available light rather than buying something photogenic that requires the climate of northern Brazil.
Storage matters more than decoration. When everything has a place, the room is easier to reset and easier to use.
The goal is not to build the most impressive office on Instagram. It is to create a space where good work happens consistently.
8. Think about flexibility and future buyers
From a real estate perspective, flexibility matters.
Not every future buyer will want a permanent executive office. They may need a study, homework station, creative room, guest bedroom or additional storage.
Where possible, avoid making changes that allow the space to perform only one function. Good lighting, power, storage, ventilation and internet access make a room more useful without locking it into a single purpose.
A well-designed home office can strengthen the way buyers experience a property. A poorly converted garage with no airflow and three extension leads usually tells a different story.
Build for how you work today while preserving options for how the home may be used tomorrow.
9. Shut the office down every evening
One piece of advice from 2015 remains non-negotiable:
Always finish the day by resetting your desk.
Remove cups and plates. File loose documents. Close unnecessary tabs. Write down tomorrow’s first priority and leave the workspace ready to begin again.
This takes five minutes, but it creates a clear finish line.
Without the drive home, you need another ritual that tells your brain the working day has ended. Close the door, take a walk, change clothes or move into another part of the house.
The best home office does two things well.
It helps you perform when you enter it.
And it allows you to switch off when you leave.
