Setting up to work from home can be a nice change from the hustle and bustle of working in a company building. However, making sure your home office is fresh and conducive for optimum productivity is important, and great lighting is an integral consideration of any home office set up. After all, getting the lighting right while avoiding the sun’s uncomfortable heat and glare will help you work efficiently throughout the day.
Below are our top six lighting ideas to consider for your home office, from choosing the most efficient ready-made blinds for maximum light control to finding the best lamps and light bulbs. Learn all about the perfect workspace lighting solutions from the NZ Blinds team!
1. Maximise Natural Lighting
Maximising the natural light available is one of the best ways to make a home office feel bright and refreshing without adding to the electricity bills! Having sufficient natural light can make you feel more connected to the outside world while you work and, according to a recent survey, can boost your productivity by up to 40%. The survey also stated that natural lighting boosts creativity by 15% and helps promote a healthy sleep cycle so you have more energy to spend during the day.
2. Use Window Treatments
If you want to utilise natural lighting in your home to the fullest, it is important to have the right window treatments installed. Unfiltered light during the hottest hours of the day can be stifling, and sun glare off monitors and reflective surfaces can be irritating and distracting—the opposite of what you want to feel when working!
If your home office requires excellent light control solutions, venetian blinds or light filtering sunscreen roller blinds are two of our top recommendations. Venetian blinds are stylish and versatile, featuring adjustable slats with flexible rotatability. In comparison, sun filtering roller blinds are modern and trendy, made of sunscreen fabrics that reduce harsh UV light and heat by up to 97%.
Both options can be lowered or lifted to accommodate the sun’s position and allow for excellent light control throughout the day.
3. Have At Least 3 Light Sources
In general, a home office should include at least three sources of lighting. This is a good rule of thumb for most rooms in the house because it helps to prevent eye strain and removes harsh shadows from surfaces you need to use.
The three sources to use include general lighting, specific lighting, and ambient lighting.
General Lighting
Light solutions in this category include overhead or pendant lighting. This type of lighting can help fill out the whole room with light, but keep in mind that it shouldn’t be relied upon as the sole source of light, as it casts harsh shadows when the light is obstructed.
Task Lighting
Complement your general lighting with task lighting solutions that help you focus on the job at hand. Task lighting solutions are designed to get rid of unwanted shadows and brighten up your workspace (diffusing the brightness of the screen light).
Desk lamps (a.k.a. task lamps), are a tried-and-true solution to include in your home office set up, and lamps that feature a flexible adjustable arm are also beneficial to consider as they provide ultimate manoeuvrability.
Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting includes everything from wall lamps, sconces, and candles, to other decorative lighting solutions. For rooms where space is the biggest constraint, modern pendants, wall sconces, and swing arm wall lamps are an ideal alternative to declutter workstations and give the room a refreshing, spacious appeal.
4. Add LED Strips
For rooms that are very tight on space, LED strip lighting placed behind the monitor or mounted underneath overhanging shelving is an efficient space-saving solution to consider. This is an easy and affordable solution that requires minimum home modification to achieve.
5. Get Rid of Fluorescent Lighting
When choosing your lighting, ensure that your lighting fixtures of choice do not produce fluorescent lighting. Minimising fluorescent lighting in spaces where you have to spend a lot of time is important, as this type of light can be unpleasant, increasing eye strain and even causing migraines.
If your room lighting includes fluorescent lighting that can’t be switched out easily, then try to integrate your own LED lighting solutions to use throughout the day. LEDs are far more energy-efficient than fluorescent lighting and require much less wattage to operate.
6. Use Indirect Lighting
Lastly, if you’re looking for ways to avoid dark shadows and harsh lighting, using indirect lighting methods is a great choice to consider. Indirect lighting can be used to diffuse ambient light and illuminate your office space while providing minimum glare and contrast.
If this is something you’re interested in, consider investing in lampshades that provide soft light to scatter harsh light. An upward-shining floor lamp is also an excellent choice to help bounce light off the ceiling and floor without creating undue glare.
Looking for more ideas for your home design?
If you’re looking for more inspiration for your next home renovation project, we can help you! Explore the NZ Binds blog online for our latest tips and advice covering everything from window blind maintenance advice and home improvement tips to save money, to the best interior trends online.
For help choosing the best window treatments for your home, contact us today and we’ll happily help you out or start shopping our range today!