INSPIRE: Home, work and the space in between

Barbara Gralewska, is working with professionals living and working in Meath on redesigning their workspace to make it a more sustainable and comfortable environment to work from

Recent surveys have found that most office workers want to work from home post-pandemic. This means that it is even more important to create a clear division of space between home and work life. Local businesswomen, Barbara Gralewska, is working with professionals living and working in Meath on redesigning their workspace to make it a more sustainable and comfortable environment to work from in the long term.

“There are simple things that people can do to improve their work environment and help them become more productive and happier in the space they work from in their homes.

“We have been helping people rethink how they set up their home offices to make them a more pleasant place to work in the longer term” says Barbara of ABProjectInteriors.ie.

Barbara recommends 5 simple ways you can improve your workspace:

1. Remove your furniture and give yourself a chance to rethink the design of your space. Think about how you can optimize how you work with the placement of your furniture, printers and other resources.

2. Choose colours that suit your work e.g., Blue, Orange colours are good for creating a refreshing and calming energy.

3. Place your desk near the window so you can offset the blue light from your computer, keeping you feel less tired during the day.

4. Strategically put plants around the room. Multiple studies have found that plants in your workspace increase both productivity and creativity.

5. Invest in design as well as function when choosing office organizers such as pen holders, folders, cork boards etc. This can add to the look and feel of your space.

“Some people love the design and find it easy but there are a lot of people who struggle to create a space that creates the optimal work environment in their home. That is where we have been helping professionals in Meath create beautiful home offices” says Barbara.

“These are simple actions but they can improve how we feel and work at home.

“One piece of research showed that people with more plants in their workspace took fewer sick days and were more productive on the job. One frequently cited study found that students in a campus computer lab worked 12 percent faster and were less stressed when plants were placed nearby. There are lots of opportunities to help improve your working from home experience!”