How to Turn Your Conservatory into a Home Office?
A home office requires certain specific furniture, but it is more than just a desk. That furniture may look out of place in a conservatory. what storage you can put in your conservatory, will a desk mess up the look and style of your conservatory, which when all said and done is the place you should be relaxing with your family, not working till the wee hours.
A conservatory home office needs to include an area dedicated to work if extended periods of time are spent here. However, it is important that conservatory is a primarily a place to relax, If space then a small desk, bookcase and blinds to block sunlight will create a great office space with access to the outdoors.
We have some tips on how to make your conservatory a dual purpose space, and get some work done while enjoying your garden. We will look at both furniture that may be suited to a conservatory home office, and some tips on how to make sure you don’t turn that place to relax into just a place to work.
A quick word about home offices
The modern home office has changed a lot over the years. The concept of a “home office” has shifted from a physical place to a virtual one, and most of us no longer work in a traditional office. In fact, many of us work at home, and don’t even have a dedicated room to work. In densely populated cities, there simply isn’t enough space for a dedicated home office.
Balconies and Conservatories offer the potential of a dual purpose space to work in but it is important to remember that these are dual spaces, and that you don’t turn your most relaxing place in your home into just a place of work!
Furniture for a Conservatory home office
We have a larger article on materials to consider for a conservatory in general here on the site as well.
What Desk is good for a Conservatory home office
What Desk is good for a Conservatory home office depends on the space you have and the type of tasks you plan on performing. For example, if you plan on using a computer, (more on that later) you will need to purchase a larger desk (if a desktop) to help you work at an optimal height. In addition, you’ll want to take the time to choose a desk that is lightweight but provides plenty of storage space.
When choosing a desk, it’s important to consider your preferences and budget. A decent computer desk should offer adequate workspace, as well as ample room for work materials. Other important considerations include comfort and design. Naturally, the higher the quality and design elements, the more expensive the desk will be. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t possible to find a good-quality desk that will meet your needs and fit your budget.
If you are using a laptop you have the option of “laptop desk” which mean you can work on the sofa, or an armchair and use the support that this smaller form desk provides, however also remember while doing this you won’t have the support for you back that traditional office chairs provide. Ok in short bursts but you will need to take regular breaks, not a problem in your conservatory!
How many power outlets for a Conservatory home office
A typical home office is usually a converted spare bedroom in a 10 to 30-year-old house. In order to keep your work area comfortable, it’s important to have enough power outlets. But how many power outlets does your Conservatory home office need.
A home office typically contains several electrical devices, including computers, printers, phones, fax machines, air conditioning systems, lamps, laptops, and more. However, a conservatory will not have enough to power all these.
If you are working doing general office tasks, rather than design or other space intensive jobs, then just one to power your laptop, phone and other essentials will be enough. If it isn’t you can get extension leads just remember not to overload them.
if you are doing more space intensive professions that require more power then it may be worth just using your conservatory as a place to take your breaks, and set up a full home office in a spare bedroom or more suitable location in your home.
What chair is good for a Conservatory home office
When choosing a new chair for your Conservatory home office, consider your budget and how much space it will take up. While a high-end office chair will likely cost you more than a hundred dollars, and take up a lot of space, it will last for years and provide the most support.
If you have a conservatory large enough, and i know we are not all that lucky, then an office chair can be placed in set area along with a smaller desk to one side. If a small conservatory, it maye be worth adapting your already existing seating arrangements rather than trying to fit in over large office chairs.
Your choice of materials should also reflect your conservatory, you have gone to all the effort to make it a beautiful relaxing place, putting in industrial style office furniture would be a mistake. Leather is the most common material, natural, and offers extreme comfort. They do come at a cost though.
Laptop or Desktop for a Conservatory home office
A laptop or desktop for a home office? These are two very different machines, but both offer advantages to the user. Whether you’re primarily using the computer to email and check emails, or you’re running heavy software, a desktop computer will provide more processing power and storage space.
Additionally, desktops can be customized to meet your specific needs, such as a gaming PC or media hub. They do of course take up more space with their requirement of a monitor and are noisier with more wires. They will not fit into the appearance of the vast majority of conservatories.
A laptop is probably a better choice. If you want portability, and something that can be put on the coffee table and not be a very obvious part of the room. It can also be moved outside into the garden and offers the opportunity to work outside, which a desktop certainly doesn’t.
Of course most laptops don’t have the power of a desktop computer, thought there are very powerful models out there. If you really are needed huge computing power then again it may be worth setting up inside the house rather than inside the conservatory.
Lighting for a Conservatory home office
When it comes to choosing lighting for your Conservatory home office, there are many different things you can do. However your main issue may be too much light rather than not enough. During the day that is of course.
Using swingarm lamps to read different parts of your desk can help you see more clearly and elevate smaller texts as necessary at night, they are also smaller and cheap to buy.
The main issue, especially when working on a screen is the light reflection ( we speak from experience as we write most of these on a balcony. This is more than an annoyance, which it is, it is also damaging for the eyes. So it is important to make sure wherever you set up your computer, desktop or laptop, you are not squinting at the screen and straining your eyes.
if you are lucky enough to live in a sunny climate it might be worth buying laptop shades if you are planning on working in your conservatory, you can make this very cheaply with cardboard but can also buy them very cheaply online. They are a must if you are working in a conservatory both for your eye and mental stress!
For optimal productivity, natural light is best (just not too much as we mentioned above) an in a conservatory this should be available in abundance. Windows will provide natural light, while shutters will provide privacy and reduce glare, so blinds while also helping cool a hot conservatory will also block some of the light to your work area. they are certainly worth considering.
What storage for a Conservatory home office
When you’re creating your Conservatory home office, you need to think about storage solutions. A tall shelf holds color-coordinated books and supplies, and a window-side countertop keeps clutter from cluttering your main workspace.
A few good storage solutions will give you a clutter-free, productive workspace. Before you begin looking for storage, sort through the items you plan to keep in your office. Recycle or relocate anything that you don’t use. Always remember what the primary purpose of your conservatory is!
If you have space for a coffee table with draws you could dedicate a draw for work materials, or failing that have a small three shelf bookcase next to the wall to keep all those work papers out of the way and organised.
How many breaks to take when working from home
Take a break when you need it, even if you’re just taking a break to sit down and breathe. If you’re a workaholic, you’ll have a difficult time taking a break. you are next to your garden, grabbing your drink and goign to sit in the actual outside is one of the perks of having a Conservatory home office. This will give you a mental break and allow you to come back to your work refreshed and focused.
Try to find ways to relax away from the screen. Most conservatories are next to the kitchen, or at least close, so make yourself a snack, healthy ones if you do this a lot! , and get away from your computer.
Contrary to most managers opinions working from home is often more productive for the company, and setting yourself up in an environment as lovely as your conservatory can be both productive and enjoyable, but only if you take time to enjoy your surroundings from time to time.
Conclusion
As we have mentioned repeatedly through this article a conservatory is a great place to work from with a little adjustments. However, we have also mentioned that a great place to work should not be turned into a workplace.
You built a conservatory to enjoy, not to enjoy work so make sure your work life is only part of the life of your conservatory and enjoy it for its main reason, enjoying the outdoors, indoors.
