It is commonly accepted that colours affect our mood and behaviour. Even the different hues or intensity levels (saturation) of any one colour can have different affects. So when choosing the colours in your home office you may want to keep this in mind and choose colours that are going to be best for your productivity and positivity.

Blue
The colour blue helps to stimulate the mind and help people stay focused.

Red
Red stimulates energy levels and evokes a sense of urgency. Too much red could make you feel anxious so it might be best when balanced with a more calming colour.

Yellow
The colour yellow evokes emotion and creativity. It helps to lift spirits and stimulate happiness.

Green
Green brings balance, calm and reassurance.

Orange
Combines the happiness of yellow and the high energy of red.

Purple
Combination of red’s energy and blue’s productivity and has commonly been associated with royalty and power.

A balanced combination of a couple of these colours could help evoke several different moods at once. One thing to keep in mind is that different cultures can have different feelings about certain colours so it is really down to figuring out which colours make you feel the best.

A recent study using a productivity app called DeskTime analysed the activity data of its 5.5 million daily logs and narrowed down the 10% of most productive workers to ascertain what the best work/rest ratio is. They found that the most productive employees engaged in work related tasks for 52 minutes then took a 17-minute break.

That 17-minute break is long enough for your brain to disengage long enough to help you feel refreshed and ready to dive back into work for another 52 minutes of productivity. That refreshing disengage is also not so long that you lose focus and derail, but gives you enough of a break that you do not slow yourself down with sloppy mistakes.

This method only works if during that 52 minutes of work you really jump in with both feet and commit to being as productive as possible. The other key is that during your “down time” you mentally disengage from work and do something non-work related like taking a walk around the block or having a quick coffee break with a co-worker.

Fresh flowers or plants are a nice addition to any office but can be quite expensive to keep replacing if they die. They also require maintenance usually by office staff which is a task often forgotten. You can however place artificial flower displays in your office so you still get the aesthetic appeal in your office. We have listed the pros and cons of artificial flowers.

Pros

1. Artificial flowers will last considerably longer than a fresh cut flower display.

2. Artificial flowers require minimal maintenance apart from the odd dust now and then there is no further upkeep.

3. They look visually appealing and can brighten up and breathe some life into a dull room.

Cons

1. Cost – initially artificial flowers can be quite costly but this is a one-off cost.

2. Placement – it is not a wise idea to place artificial flowers in direct sunlight as they will fade over time.

3. Certain flowers and plants actually purify the air and can improve productivity in employees, artificial flowers will not have the same effect.

Office chairs come in all colours, shapes, and sizes now and many have nifty features also. You can pick up office chairs generally from around £50 up to £1500. A £1500 office chair seems very steep to a lot of people but are they worth investing in?

Investing in a brand-new expensive chair will come with a selection of benefits that you will struggle to find in cheaper options. One of the biggest benefits will be the comfort they provide, the more expensive options come with several customisation settings meaning you will be a lot more comfortable.

Another benefit that you will find in higher priced office chairs are they are designed with posture in mind. Certain office chairs can be a much better option for your health. They can provide you with proper support to your spine, alleviate shoulder and neck pains, and help with circulation.

So, in conclusion, an office chair that comes with all the extras that support good health and comfort are a great option but this doesn’t always mean it will be the most expensive option. There are several mid-priced chairs on the market that can match up to more expensive ones.

Most businesses have outsourced cleaning to the professionals and many homes are following suit. Getting help with cleaning has become a necessity for a lot of people and businesses who are far too busy to maintain all of the cleaning tasks needed.

There are several options out there if you are looking to hire a cleaner for your home or a cleaning company but what should you be looking for?

1. Do your research – letting someone into your home or business requires a great deal of trust so you will need to do some research first. Check out reviews and ask around for recommendations.

2. If you are hiring an individual cleaner rather than a company, please always check references. These are always performed when a company hires new staff and should be the same for individuals.

3. Arrange a meeting or pre-visit – if you are looking to hire, we always advise to meet face to face first.

In every commercial premises it is vital to regularly clean furniture in areas that are frequently visited by customers. Dirty or stained sofas or chairs are not a good look and can deter potential customers.

The same also applies for areas where your staff work, having clean upholstered office furniture, such as office chairs, will not only boost morale but it also makes for a healthier environment in which to work.

Upholstered furniture tends to pick up a lot of dust and dirt from clothes and are subject to spillages from food and drink. Having your furniture professional cleaned will not only ensure they look clean and smell nice but will also extend the life of fabrics.

Most of the time it is more cost effective for a company to outsource upholstery cleaning to a specialist company rather than replace. Sometimes all an old worn out chair requires is a good deep clean to give it a new lease of life.

Many homes don’t have room for a home office, however a viable alternative for many people is to have a home office built elsewhere around the property. This could be in the garden, in the form of a log cabin or annexe, or a garage or outbuilding may be converted to turn it into the office space. When designing and building an office space, it’s important to make sure all style considerations are thought about before, and one of the key ones is going to be cladding.

Offices that are built in outbuildings will have quite a rustic appearance, in which case, more rustic wooden cladding is usually preferred. This could be shiplap cladding, waney edge cladding, or a similar idea where the quality of the wood and the knots in it are brought out through the way that it’s cut. Discuss cladding and external appearance with the building contractor from the start.

A home office can help you work more productively, get more done and produce a better quality of work as well. It gives you a space you can dedicate to your work, away from the rest of your home. A log cabin could produce the perfect environment for you to work in.

Log cabins are similar to normal buildings but they are also a more rustic construction, blending in with their surroundings and looking very attractive. This is perfect if you are going to build a log cabin in your garden and you don’t want it to detract from your green space. It’s also the type of structure that can be built quite quickly due to its log construction – the logs are laid on their sides and used to build walls. A good log cabin can be quiet, temperate and very peaceful, making it a perfect decision for an office environment.

One of the benefits of a home office is that you will have space to work somewhere that is convenient for you. No long commutes, no noisy household – it’s a place to shut yourself away and get some of your best work done. In order to do this, you need to create the right kind of environment to spur you on.

Design is important in choosing the look and feel of your home office. It should be a place you look forward to coming to, one where you love your surroundings and feel inspired. However, this does need to be underpinned by practicality as well. Consider your layout, your equipment needed, and then you can move on to thinking about how these might look aesthetically. The two elements will work together to ensure you have a highly usable, beautiful space that you can enjoy working in every day of the week.

Do you live in a south facing home? Maybe you live in a flat that is flooded with sun in the summer? Do you have a conservatory that you just need to keep cool? All of these options mean that you could benefit from vertical blinds, which will keep the sun out and the temperature down when you need to keep your space cool. The idea of having sun in your home all the time sounds wonderful, but in reality, it just isn’t an option. You need to be comfortable, and avoiding the glare of the sun is important. It will be much more enjoyable this way.

Vertical blinds offer a sophisticated option for shading your property, shop front or other type of building. You can draw them down over your window when you want to, so the shading option isn’t permanent. This allows you to choose when you want some shade, and when you want the sun to come flooding back in. It’s a highly versatile way of enjoying your property. Blinds give you the option of picking and choosing depending on your mood, the position of the sun and whether you want some privacy.

So what are vertical blinds, and how do they work?

1. Vertical blinds are fitted onto the outside of your property. They can cover the windows and doors on the outside as needed, giving you shade, privacy and a better living environment.
2. They are usually electrically operated. It is easy for you to operate your blinds with a remote control as they are electrically operated, making it simple to draw them across the whole of the window, door or balcony.
3. They will be made from a strong and robust material. Window blinds are made to last, withstanding harsh weather and very much lasting you into the future. They should be considered a good investment.
4. They can be used as, or in conjunction with, an awning. You can get different blind shapes and designs if you want some light to come in at the bottom, creating more of an awning-like shape. If you want to use the blinds with an awning or shelter of some description, you can – you just need to make sure you specify exactly what you need when ordering. This is a popular option for shops and other commercial premises as opposed to homes.
5. Blinds can also offer you protection from the weather. If you choose a zip design, this can offer you shelter from wind and rain. You might use this kind of design for a balcony.

Remember that no two blinds are the same; every home or business will require a slightly different, tailored solution. Think about what you need to get from a blind, like privacy, or shade at certain times of the day, and talk this over with a window or door blind specialist. They can ensure you find the perfect blinds for your house, shop, flat, holiday home, conservatory, or anywhere else that could benefit from a professional vertical blind fitting.