Remote and hybrid workers are more prevalent than ever before. And, since they don’t always have a dedicated external office, they need to ensure their home-working space is the right environment for productivity.
Many might utilise a spare room and create an office out of the space – or maybe just work from their dining table. Whatever they decide, it’s important their workspace is a focused one.
If you have a garden room, glass room or other outdoor living structure, you could even make this your home office. Not only is it a more scenic option, but it can provide you with a separate area for concentration that helps your working life thrive.
If you’re looking for inspiration, we’ve outlined our top four garden office ideas below. Read on to discover how you can create an optimal work environment, as well as the benefits of outdoor working in our blog.
4 Garden Office Ideas to Help Remote Workers Increase Productivity
Before the pandemic, commuting to work was the norm – but now many spend most working days in the comfort of their own home. In fact, the UK parliament website reveals that approximately 22% of Britons work from home at least one day a week as of September 2022.
If this is you, and you’re eyeing up your garden room as a potential workspace, take a look at our top 4 garden office ideas below to help you get started.
- Connect your garden and office with plants
One idea that will help you cultivate the perfect garden office space is to create a connection between your garden and your office. Bringing nature into your workspace can promote a sense of calmness, which in turn can create a focused space perfect for working.
Opt for a Golden Pothos plant if your garden office doesn’t have a lot of direct sunlight – as they are very forgiving when it comes to occasional neglect. For added concentration, choose a Snake Plant. Its natural air-purifying properties will help remove toxins from the air, maintaining fresh air in your garden office – which will help keep you alert for longer.
- Work hard and play hard with multifunctionality
Another idea you can utilise when creating a garden office is to ensure the area has multifunctionality. Whilst it is your dedicated work area, it doesn’t mean you can’t create a space to rest when you need a break or when lunch time rolls around.
Use most of your garden room or other outdoor space for your office, but add a comfort corner so you can rest after stressful meetings or during your break time. Choose a plush armchair and add a few pillows for an extra feeling of cosiness.
If you’re looking for inspiration on how to design your garden room office, check out our photo gallery of completed outdoor projects.
- Let the light in
There are several reasons why it’s important to let light flow into your office. Not only has it been suggested that harsh artificial light can boost the likelihood of eye strain and headaches, but natural light has also been shown to increase concentration and focus.
When implementing a garden office, choose an outdoor living structure that has large windows to allow light to falter in, such as a bespoke glass room. Ensure you hang curtains as well to retain heat in the winter or to avoid direct sunlight constantly on summer days.
- Keep calm and concentrate with a cool colour scheme
A cool colour scheme is also important when it comes to creating a garden office. Colour theory suggests warmer tones are energetic, subconsciously provoking your mind into an overstimulated state.
Whereas, a cooler colour scheme evokes feelings of calmness and tranquility. So, when designing your garden office scheme, choose a theme that involves colours such as blue and lavender.
How does a garden office increase productivity?
There are several ways a garden office can increase productivity – and even provide you with benefits outside of work, too. These ways include:
Promotes focus away from distractions
Having an office outside of your home can make getting distracted less of a possibility. Inside the house, you might have to deal with kids playing, washing machines and dishwashers beeping, as well as noise from the TV.
Meanwhile, having a garden office provides a separated room away from the chaos, so you can concentrate on work tasks.
Offers a better work-life balance
It might seem small, but having a separate garden office can help boost your work-life balance. Having a clear division between your work and home life – such as implementing boundaries at home – is one of the best ways to promote this balance.
At the end of a busy day, you can step out of your garden office, signaling that it’s time to switch off from work.
Provides the best mindset for working
Working to the best of your ability means being in the right mindset. But with the stresses of both work and home life, it can be difficult to maintain a calm demeanor.
However, working from a garden or shed office can help you obtain this mindset. Thanks to the increase in natural light, as well as the scenic views of nature, your stress will likely be reduced. This will ultimately help you to instill a better sense of focus.
Make the perfect garden office with help from Open Space Concepts
Implementing a garden office can be great for productivity, but also helps you create a better work-life balance – especially if you’re a remote or hybrid worker.
Whatever your situation, at Open Space Concepts, our 30 years of experience in garden structures means we’re well-equipped to help you implement one in your home.
To make an enquiry, simply get in touch via our online contact form or give us a call directly at 0808 168 0043.
