The Best Tips On How To Share A Home Office
Bringing your work home with you is nothing new. However setting up a home office for yourself is something else but in this day and age, very much needed! But if you have limited space and there is just more than yourself working from home? How do you share a home office?
Sharing a home office might be the most practical way of getting the space needed and getting a work balance right. It might mean shared space with your kids if they’re on holidays or worse (another lockdown)! Or sharing an office space with your spouse.
Of course, anyone you’re having to share with comes with it’s own issues. After all, if sharing a workspace is what the work office is for right?!
Anyway for most of us who haven’t got an extra spare room available, then sharing a home office is the best way for a dedicated work space for all! Even if that means carving out a nook in another room like the living room or kitchen.
How To Share A Home Office
1. Create Zones
A shared layout is going to look completely different depending on who it is you’re sharing with so zoning is important.
Having physical lines or boundaries isn’t necessary but it will have to be clear who’s space is whose. Which areas or storage are to be shared and what is for individual use only? That’s something that is going to have to be agreed upon together. No assumptions!
Harmony is going to be key in creating an office space for two people plus. So everyone needs to be happy with their designated area and have enough space needed to do what they’re required.
This might mean that one person has a larger area than another. One person might only need a space for a laptop and a top drawer for storage. But if you end up with the smaller office share it will be fine if that is all the space needed, as long as you can be productive!
2. Organization
As with creating zones, storage areas are going to have a huge impact on sharing a work space. Different people have different views as to what count as organized. Just as long as the shared storage stays shared it will be down to each individual as to how to organize and personalize their desk or work space.
Getting the work essentials and the right storage for everyone’s needs and for the space is equally important.
3. Noise
Noise is going to be something to navigate when sharing a space with someone. Especially when it comes to work and concentrating.
Everyone works differently and there might be a few Zoom meetings and calls to schedule. Noise-cancelling headphones might be an idea for one or more of the people sharing.
A good idea is to share any meetings you have planned so one person can make themselves scarce or just low key as possible. It might even be ideal to take an early or late lunch that way you both get some alone office time.
Remember that even when only one person is using the office, sound travels a long way disturbing others in the home. So using items to help soundproof the office will really help. These can be simple things such as layering rugs in the office space.
Grouping plants together will help reduce the noise bouncing and echoing around the room. As long as you haven’t got bare walls and empty space every
4. Communication
When it comes to sharing most things, good communication is going to be a big factor on sharing a workspace at home. There are going to have to be compromises and understanding from all involved!
If you’re sharing a home workspace now or in the past. Let me know what your top tips on how you share a home office in the comments below!
Chloe
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