Whether you’re hunting for remote jobs for couples or you and your partner are both in grad school, sometimes sharing a workspace just makes sense. But how do you design a home office for couples? Very carefully! These tips will help you create a productive shared workspace while respecting each other’s privacy and distinctive work styles.
Make a Plan to Work and Study Together – Respectfully
When you and your partner decide to work or study from home in a shared space, it’s important to consider your remote work and mental health quality. These steps will help you plan and work together happily.
1. Limit noise.
Before you even think about buying shared office furniture, invest in a pair of high-quality noise-cancelling headphones. Whether you’re jamming to the song that your partner despises or they’re eating a crunchy snack that makes your skin crawl, noise-canceling headphones will allow you to block out the natural sounds of sharing space.
2. Address security and privacy concerns.
Some employers may require you to have a private place to take calls, especially if you work with proprietary products or must have a security clearance, such as for government work.
Additionally, if you and your partner work for competing companies in the same industry, they may take issue with you working next to each other. Check with your employer to ensure there won’t be any issues with you working in a shared space with your significant other.
3. Set clear boundaries.
Is the first hour of the day your quiet working time? Does your partner work best when they can focus without interruption? Set clear expectations for heads-down focus time – when it is and how and when to interrupt. For example, your dedicated focus time may be from 2 pm to 4 pm, and you might ask your partner to send a text before they interrupt so you can stay on task.
4. Communicate when things aren’t working.
We’ve all had that officemate with annoying habits. Maybe they chew gum loudly, tap their pen, or adjust the thermostat too much. While these minor annoyances might be easy to let go of when you’re in a professional setting (or complain about them to your spouse when you get home), it’s more challenging to deal with when your significant other is the one annoying you. Stick to your plan about addressing grievances as they come up to avoid suffering in silence or letting resentment creep in.
How to Design a Shared Home Office
Have you and your partner decided that a shared home office or study space is a good fit? These shared home office ideas will help you design the perfect space.
5. Get functional desks.
A practical, sturdy desk is the basis of a great work-from-home setup. Individual desks are ideal for allowing you and your partner to have comfortable workspaces. Depending on your space and each of your needs, some configurations could include:
- Desks on opposite walls with backs to each other
- Desks in the center of the room, facing each other
- A single long desk facing each other on opposite sides
- Corner desks in opposite corners
6. Find comfortable, ergonomic chairs.
Office chairs are another critical element of a productive work-from-home setup. Invest in high-quality, comfortable chairs for each of you. After all, you don’t want to steal your partner’s chair because theirs is much nicer.
7. Stay organized.
If you share a space with your significant other, organization can become important. Invest in a filing cabinet (or two, if you have room) for essential documents and a bookcase if you have a lot of reference material or notebooks. You can even use a bookcase to store office supplies.
8. Respect each other’s privacy.
If your space allows it, you may need to purchase a room divider to give each other privacy or even a blank Zoom background. Consider a room divider or a dressing screen-style piece to separate your workspace.
9. Customize your lighting.
You like using the overhead light. Your partner prefers more indirect lighting. Add a few lamps to the room so that you can each focus the room’s lighting in the way you’d like over your workspaces. Be sure to “claim” the lights and be considerate of each other’s preferences.
10. Add some personal touches.
Even though you share the same space, don’t forget to personalize it. Wall art, plants, and even rugs can help add unique touches to your desks and individual spaces. Consider picking a color scheme or overall style for the room, and then decorate your “sides” within that style.
CORT Furniture Rental Has the Home Office Furniture You Need!
Working from home together can present a unique set of challenges and benefits. When you’re ready to furnish your space, turn to CORT Furniture Rental.
CORT offers a wide selection of home office furniture and decor, as well as packages for your entire home. To get started, visit your local CORT showroom in person or customize your package online. Set a delivery date, and we’ll handle the delivery and setup of your new furniture. Then, when you’re ready, we’ll pick it up, too! Get started today.
