Gareth Hoyle

When you work from home, you should have a home study that looks as professional as possible. That way, you will be able to concentrate on your work without having any of the distractions of the home that can negatively impact on the amount of work and, therefore, the money that your business can earn.

There are several ways to make your home office look more professional. First of all, you should give your home study a room of its own. It does not look in any way professional, after all, to be working on the sofa in front of the television or on the kitchen table. You should instead have a permanent desk in a spare room, with all of the equipment that you need immediately to hand. The tools that you have in your office should include, at the very least, a computer, a phone and a connection to the internet for email.

One of the most obvious ways of keeping your home study looking professional is to ensure that it is kept clean and tidy. You should set up your PC, chair and desk at the correct height so that you can work without slouching and also position any equipment, such as a phone and some stationery, in a place that is accessible so that you do not have to stretch to reach them.

Your home study should be free of too many of the distractions that would undermine its work-like appearance. This means that you should not have a television unless it directly relates to your business. Ideally you would have a window near your desk to provide inspiration and calm, although if you find it too distracting you may want to cover it with a blind. Overall, the home study should be simple, with no overly distracting gadgets and only the items that are necessary for you to be able to do your work.

Another factor that has a great influence on the professionalism of your office is the home study furniture that you choose. This includes computer desks, filing cabinets, desks and chairs. You will want to find a desk, for example, that is durable and that is at the right height, in addition to a computer chair that allows you to stay comfortable for many hours of work at a time.

Auriella Borino writes on a range of interior design topics including home study furniture.

AuAll of use face this problem at some time, how can we ensure that we adequately use what space is available to us in our homes. Taking away the clutter and maximising the space available to use can give a more ordered and relaxed feel to the home. Here are 10 of our design ideas to ensure you maximise the space in your home.

Maximise storage on walls
You can use open and closed shelving to remove bookshelves and storage furniture units off the floor and on to the walls.

Mount mirrors on the wall
You can also try mounting mirrors on the walls rather than having them freestanding. Not only will this decrease the clutter on the floor it will also make the room look bigger.

Buy furniture that has more than one function
This is especially important when trying to maximise space in a bedroom. For example a bed with draws below and a bookshelf at the headboard combines three pieces of furniture in one.

Remove large storage furniture from bedrooms
Clothes dressers and armoires can take up a lot of floor space in a bedroom, whereas the option of fitted furniture will use the space efficiently giving you more space and a feeling of order and conformity.

Contain loose items in baskets or boxes
Items such as bills, magazines and photos can often cause a home to look messy and cluttered when lying around. Why not place these items in small baskets or boxes before putting on the shelves to create a more ordered feel to your home?

Use over-the-door racks
Items such as towels and shoes can often minimise space in certain rooms of the house. A good idea to combat this is to use racks which hang over the back of doors to store these items.

Make use of vacant corners
As corners are often difficult areas to furnish they are often left vacant. A great way to maximise space in your home is to build a shelf or a small cabinet to fit in the corner enabling it to be used for storage and to make the best use of the limited space you may have.

Use space under a stairway appropriately
It is quite simple to build a container which can fit into the deepest darkest area under the stairway and a great idea to create a little more space in the home.

Use a small wooden ladder in the kitchen
The kitchen is one area of the home which often becomes too cluttered with minimal space. If you don’t have enough storage room for pots and pans then why not place a small wooden ladder – painted to match the kitchen – in a corner, placing the pots and pans on the steps?

Use a decorative folding screen
If you have to store unsightly items like bikes then why not use a decorative folding screen to shield them making the room look more ordered and spacious?riella Borino writes on a range of interior design topics including fitted furniture.