With more of us working remotely, home offices have become a design focus over the past year. Gone are the days when a simple workstation and old chair cut the mustard: savvy home workers are now looking to design a space that instils maximum productivity and creativity. The home office has taken on a new lease of life in terms of furniture decisions, space planning, light consideration, and prospect. #WFH (Work From Home) is more often than not accompanied by beautiful and innovative interior ideas posted to inspire followers to improve their workspaces.
Garden Home Office - a Growing Trend
A growing trend is an outdoor office. As Tamara Kelly writes in her Ideal Home Magazine article: “Who wouldn’t want a garden office? A dedicated space away from the house to work, surrounded by the calming influence of nature. From new on-trend office pods to repurposed garden buildings such as sheds and summerhouses we’re looking for innovative ways to extend our living space…providing a quiet pocket away from the main hubbub of your main home.”
Photo Colin Poole, Ideal Home Magazine
There is a lot to be said for physically separating your office from your house. Creating the most healthy ‘territory’ for an office is the first consideration in Esquire’s 2020 ‘How to Create the Perfect Home Work Space, According to Science’. Dr Lindsay McCunn, professor of psychology at Vancouver Island University, says: “Some people are very tolerant with their territory moving around so they can work one day in the kitchen, the next day they’re in the living room and they don’t really care”. On the other hand, some need their designated working space: “If you need territory where is it? (…) Ask the people you’re with, ‘What do you need and what type of work are you doing?’ Then you can optimise the environment for productivity and comfort.”
Photo Douglas Friedman
An outdoor working space is an ideal solution for what can quickly turn into a tricky, stressful problem: remove yourself from the house entirely and work peacefully.
So, the outdoor office is here to stay, but how do you start creating your perfect workspace? If you don’t have a ready-made outhouse, then consider investing in a garden home office pod. Here are some ways that Hypedome can make going to work the best part of your day.
Let There Be Light
It’s official: natural light brings many health benefits, which means it should be at the top of your agenda when designing your outdoor office. Luckily, a Hypedome S garden pod is the one-stop solution for maximising all light available. The transparent dome gives a 360° perspective, stretching from ground to sky. HMC Architects list reduced eye strain, fewer headaches, improved mood, less drowsiness, and fewer mistakes amongst the many benefits of increasing your natural light exposure whilst working.
They also point out the environmental benefits: “Moreover, because natural light reduces the need for artificial lighting during daytime hours, energy costs are lowered. This has a positive impact on environmentally-conscious workers…”
Think About Power Source
On the topic of energy, you want to make sure that your laptop, printer, or any other office essentials can be charged when you need them. Most outdoor working solutions (unless you have an external power source) pose a problem in this respect.
Electricity is easily installed in all Hypedome pods, meaning that you can have a fully functional garden home office without the expense and trouble of building a permanent structure. Heating is also an option for winter months, especially when you install the bespoke insulated wall panels and insulated base – a garden pod is an all-year-round solution.
Go Green With Your Garden Home Office
Have a browse of the best and most beautiful home offices out there and you will find they all have one thing in common: they embrace the Power of Plants. From air filtration to the obviously improved aesthetics, plants are your best work buddy. Just because you are working in your garden home office with unlimited green views, doesn’t mean you can’t decorate your dome with some interior foliage.
Interior Plant Designer Cecilia, the creator of My Tasteful Space, has some great suggestions for which plants will thrive in the bright light of a garden pod. The Fiddle Leaf and Birds of Paradise Plants both require a lot of light, as do the Rubber Plant and The Ponytail Palm. In fact, The Ponytail Palm is perfect if you require your greenery to be self-sufficient while you work.
“This plant is virtually impossible to kill,” says Cecilia. “Provided it is placed in a bright spot and not over-watered. It thrives by being neglected…if you remember to water it every once in a while.”
The view a garden dome affords you is also all-important. The British Academy of Interior Design explains, “Viewing countryside scenes can reduce stress, anger and exhaustion while increasing levels of happiness. Plants have a calming effect…these will keep you focused while providing health benefits as natural air purifiers.”
Think Style
You’ve got your pod, you’ve sorted your power source and you’re marvelling at the abundance of natural light…but what about your furniture? The circular floor plan of garden pods means that layout opportunities are endless.
Some homeworkers opt for placing their desk in the centre of the space – making the workstation the hub of the garden pod. Others like to break the space up a little, even introducing a small bean-bag chillout area.
So there you have it! We hope you enjoy making your outdoor office a place of tranquil work and productivity. As always, the Hypedome Team is happy to discuss specifications and ideas – just get in touch. And for real-life tips on garden office, read how we use Hypedomes for work.