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The correct lighting in a home office can increase productivity and decrease fatigue.
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Ceiling lights, desk lights, and accent lights combine to keep you focused on work while adding warmth and personality.
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Efficient home offices use the correct light bulb temperature, include a dimmer, and welcome natural light.
Lighting plays a functional and aesthetic role in a home office and has a significant impact on productivity. Both harsh overhead lighting and dim table lamps can lead to fatigue, so striking the right balance is key. To help you reduce fatigue and increase productivity, we spoke with lighting expert Bo Knoblauch, vice president of product development at Rejuvenation, who shared 5 helpful tips for home office lighting.
Bo Knoblauch is vice president of product development at Rejuvenation.
While natural light is a great mood and energy booster, it can cause a problem if it produces a glare on your computer screen. The right window treatments offer a practical solution for controlling natural light. Plus, they double as a vehicle for adding a pop of personality to your workspace.
As Knoblauch points out, “The best lighting solutions seamlessly blend aesthetic appeal with everyday usability.” He recommends 5 tips to improve lighting in your home office and make it a place you actually want to spend time.
“Layered lighting plays a crucial role not only in boosting productivity but also in shaping the mood of your workspace,” Knoblauch says. Instead of a single harsh overhead light or a dim table lamp, Knoblauch recommends using a combination of ceiling lights, desk lights, and accent lights. “Ambient lighting creates the overall atmosphere, task lighting keeps you focused on detailed work, and accent lighting adds warmth and personality,” he explains.
With this layered approach to lighting, you can adjust the room’s brightness and create the right ambience for different times of day and a variety of tasks. “Together, these layers make your home office both highly functional and inviting,” the expert says.
“One often overlooked detail is choosing the right light bulb temperature,” Knoblauch says. It’s not just about how bright or dim your home office is; the temperature plays a significant role in improving focus and productivity. “In a home office, we recommend warm to neutral tones rather than cool light, which can feel harsh or clinical,” Knoblauch says.
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Related: The 6 Best Light Bulbs To Create Your Home’s Ideal Mood
Dimmable lighting is key in a home office, and Knoblauch says it’s a simple way to adjust the room’s ambience throughout the year. “In the darker winter months, brighter settings can help boost focus, while in summer, a softer glow balances natural light,” Knoblauch explains. If you currently don’t have any dimmable lighting in your home office, you can install a dimmer switch and purchase a plug-in dimmer that can be attached to both table and floor lamps.
Natural light is known to boost mood and energy, so having windows that allow plenty of sunshine into your home office is a definite benefit. However, controlling how much light streams in is equally as important as utilizing the light to increase productivity. The first thing to consider is the placement of your desk. Ideally, you want to position it so that windows are to your right or left side instead of directly in front or behind you. This way, the natural light that pours in brightens your desk, but you don’t see the glare that occurs when light shines directly on a computer screen.
Window treatments also play an important role, as they enable you to control the amount of natural light throughout the day. Depending on which direction your home office faces, you may receive intense sunlight during the morning or afternoon hours. To ensure it doesn’t have a negative impact on your productivity, install window shades or curtain panels that you can shut fully or partially as needed.
Another bonus of adding window treatments to your home office is that they provide an excellent opportunity to have fun with color and pattern, adding a little personality to your workspace.
Creating a work environment that you actually want to spend time in is one of the most basic ways to increase productivity. When it comes to lighting, Knoblauch shares that while functionality is essential in a home office, style shouldn’t be sacrificed. “Lighting fixtures can serve as design statements that reflect your personal taste while meeting the practical needs of your workspace.”
Related: Small Office Ideas for Every Kind of Work-from-Home Setup
Read the original article on Better Homes & Gardens
