Finding that Perfect Place to Work from Home

Cat sleeping with paw placed on notebook

I’ve had my desk in the bedroom since home working became possible (and necessary) during COVID in 2020. We live in a two-bedroom tenement flat, so the chance of a separate study or home office was nonexistent. At a time when our son was at home during lockdown, this was also the only place I could find any peace.

I’ll be honest; I hated having the desk in the bedroom. I found it hard to disconnect from work in the evenings, and there wasn’t quite enough space to navigate between the bed and the desk.

On the other hand, I enjoyed looking at the beautiful tall trees in the shared garden every day (two cherries, one Scots pine, and one…). I could refocus and rest my eyes, reconnect with the outside world, and create space to think by watching the gentle sway of the top branches in the breeze, the falling cherry petals, or the more vigorous sways during a storm. The trees would calm my mind and nerves when I was pushing for a deadline.

When I set up my practice, I decided to work in different areas around the house to see what felt best and what I enjoyed most. I got a laptop rather than a desktop so I could be mobile and sit on the sofa to soak up the morning sun, in the garden to enjoy the nice days between spring and autumn, and in the kitchen for a change of scenery.

We also have a pull-out desk in our generous hall, where Iain would sometimes work from home. He liked it, but it felt dark and somehow uprooted for me in the middle of the flat. Although I could see outside if I left the bedroom door open, I wasn’t close enough to the view for it to make a difference.

I loved the flexibility, but I quickly realised I missed the trees and the calm they brought to my physical body and nervous system and the spaciousness they allowed my mind. I am now back to working in the bedroom, but I’ve changed the environment.

I returned my work desk and had one constructed by getting electrical standing desk legs and a double plywood top cut to size to fit into the recess. Despite being much larger, it takes up less space as it sits right into the window bay.

I have enough space to move in and out without annoyance. The warm timber surface fits better in the bedroom and is much more comfortable to sit on all day. It is now also large enough to accommodate plants on either side of the screen and a blanket for our tomcat, Shadow, to sleep on—when he isn’t walking across my keyboard, he is the loveliest company.

These changes create a friendlier domestic feel and compensate for the techy energy of all the electronic equipment. The adjustments were small but completely transformed how the desk feels in the room and how much I now love working there.

Sometimes, making spaces our own through small shifts is all that’s needed. What works for you? What is your favourite space to work and why?