BA - The Club - Top ten home office trends for 2022

The Tiny Office

The cliché is definitely true: size doesn’t matter. The same goes for another cliché: less is more. And when you require only the space to answer a few emails after dinner, it makes no sense to create an office fit for a CEO. The Tiny Office can be a form of self-defence: the smaller the desk, the less clutter you can spread on (and around) it. Tiny Offices also don’t want (or need) a large ergonomic office chair, but an elegant alternative, one that often matches the dining room or kitchen chairs. The secret of a Tiny Office is blending in.
Top tip: Don’t forget to consider the corners of your space when integrating a Tiny Office. A corner offers double the wall space, so it doubles the chances of hanging shelving or cabinets.

The Library Office

Even with Google at your fingertips, the Library Office has a lot of benefits. It doesn’t require a clean desk policy, so nonchalance is key. Add in some cool souvenirs, some great artwork, plants and the occasional sketch. Even when you are not creative in your day-to-day job, here you can pretend to be an artist, a writer or a highly acclaimed professor. Never underestimate the power of real books. They bring character to a room, history and life. In the Library Office, you never feel lonely: books can function as colleagues – and they always shut up when you are trying to get some work done.
Top tip: Create some visual tranquillity by colour coding your book collection.

The Duo Office

Working from home can become very lonely, especially for those who crave a little feedback or just enjoy the occasional chitchat. That’s why the Duo Office is an interesting alternative. It doesn’t have to be your partner in life who works with you every day. Why not invite a colleague over once a week? Like any good relationship, the Duo Office can offer different levels of intimacy. The most intimate Duo Office is the shared desk, which means sitting next to each other. At the other end of the spectrum, you could have two separate desks, organised independently but still in the same room.
Top tip: Create a logical flow in the Duo Office. Make sure you can move around in the office without bumping into cabinets or each other.

The In The Box Office

You don’t really have a spare room to decorate as a home office? The answer is quite simple: just build one. This so-called ‘studiolo’ concept is not really new. In the Italian Renaissance it originated in palazzos as a small room dedicated to studying and writing. The In The Box Office is really a room within a room (or garage, etc) that sets the boundaries of your working space, since it is so much easier to separate work from leisure when there are actual walls defining that separation. It doesn’t have to match anything. So please go crazy with this one.
Top tip: Be sure to insulate your new home office as well as to include some acoustic materials. An actual empty box can be both very cold and noisy.

The Panoramic Office

There is nothing more inspiring than an amazing view of the mountains, the beach or the city skyline while working from home. Especially in small spaces, a nice view isn’t just inspirational, but also very healthy. It allows daylight to flow over your desk and gives you the chance to follow nature’s rhythm: to open your laptop no earlier than dawn and to close it again no later than dusk. Finally, seeing the outdoor world is a good motivator to go out there once in a while to take a walk, grab a coffee or have a swim, if you are really lucky.
Top tip: Take into account that a window works both ways and that sometimes passers-by can easily look into your house. Time to perfect your ‘I am working so hard right now’ face.

The Zen Office

Some get inspired by books or an impressive view, but true aesthetes draw inspiration from absolutely nothing. Do not confuse the Zen Office with the ‘clean desk policy’ applied in many big companies – this is about a state of mind. To achieve it, every little object should be considered a potential impediment to your peace, colours should be soft, materials natural. You don’t want to feel as if you are writing on a desk that was just put in yesterday, nor that you are calling colleagues from a nuclear bunker. Stay on the right side of the thin line between relaxing and peaceful and sterile and cold.
Top tip: White isn’t always the best Zen colour in the world. Go for more comforting off-white or beige instead.

The Hidden Office

Seeing your home office all day long can be quite stressful. That is why a lot of home workers choose to hide their office space. You can either blend in your desk so discreetly that it becomes an elegant extension of your interior design, or literally hide your office away in a place hardly anyone visits. The wardrobe desk remains the most successful layout for a hidden workstation. Tucked away as it is, no visitor can spot where a fully equipped home office will magically appear. Just make sure you don’t forget where you put the small home office – you don’t want to search for your desk when there are deadlines to be met.
Top tip: As easy as this desk may seem, make sure to provide enough power points and cable storage.

The Natural Office

As unnatural as working at home may feel for a lot of us, the Natural Office might just turn things around. A connection with nature, whether through the integration of plants or working with recycled materials, will enhance a feeling of ease. Not only do plants purify the air in your office, but they can also purify the air inside your head. Moreover, working with natural materials will reduce the toxic particles drifting around to begin with. The Natural Office takes work, but is definitely one of the most futureproof. Especially in urban settings, the more we connect with nature, the more ecological our way of life will become.
Top tip: Choose (many) air-cleaning, mood-boosting plants that are nearly impossible to kill, such as Philodendron, Sansevieria and Dracaena.

The Vintage Office

Do the names of Charles and Ray Eames ring a bell? Are you a sucker for Arne Jacobsen? Then your way to go is definitely vintage. Nothing adds warmth and style as easily as beautiful vintage pieces. And nothing is as pleasing as strolling round flea markets hoping to discover treasures. Moreover, vintage design isn’t just an aesthetic choice but is also the most sustainable option there is in the field of interior design. A lot of famous brands are currently re-editing their classic pieces into modern, more comfortable versions, which is good news for the Vintage Office. Because choosing older pieces should not mean compromising on working comfort.
Top tip: Combining vintage with new design creates an interesting tension. It also prevents your office from looking old, rather than vintage.

The Healthy Office

Sitting is the new smoking. It’s a fact: our sitting life is contributing to the development of all kinds of diseases. Anyone thinking about installing a private desk at home immediately decides there should be a chair and a table. Why? Studies show that working at a standing desk boosts creativity and productivity – and will improve blood circulation, lower blood sugar levels and reduce the chance of developing back pain. While nobody’s stating we should all stand for eight hours a day, the Healthy Office knows that the best habit to implement in your daily life is regularly changing position while working.
Top tip: Working healthily starts with choosing a really good office chair. Whether it is a low chair or a stool, do not economise on ergonomics.

An Bogaerts

Top ten home office trends for 2022

The Tiny Office

The Library Office

The Duo Office

The In The Box Office

The Panoramic Office

The Zen Office

The Hidden Office

The Natural Office

The Vintage Office

The Healthy Office

The Tiny Office

The Library Office

The Duo Office

The In The Box Office

The Panoramic Office

The Zen Office

The Hidden Office

The Natural Office

The Vintage Office

The Healthy Office

More from previous issues

New York vs Los Angeles: which is better?

The British Airways super travellers

Top tips for family travel

Furniture that’s fit to fly