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Home Office Lighting Essentials

As more and more of our workforce embrace working from home, it is important not to place too little an emphasis on home office lighting, as it plays a big part in creating a productive working environment at home.

Whether it be due to the quieter home environment, or the potential for more flexible working hours, companies too are embracing the benefits to productivity that working from home appears to bring.  So, while we are still describing working from home as a “new normal”, it is a concept likely to have brought permanent change to the landscape of our workforce.

And so, the home office space has had to be reinvented!  Whether you have a dedicated office space, or maybe you have had to carve out some real estate in the living room, it is important not to compromise on good lighting!

Why is good home office lighting important?

Sleeping, working, eating, relaxing … they are now all activities that many of us do at home.  How do we differentiate space and time for each of these, and still remain sane?  One of the ways you can help ensure your work/life balance when working from home is by having the right home office lighting!  Why is the right lighting so important? 

1. Like in any office space, poor lighting can cause a range of physical issues including, dry or watery eyes, eye strain, blurred vision, fatigue, headaches, and even poor posture.  Often, without realizing, we sit awkwardly in our chair to eliminate glare, or avoid shadows, all because of poor lighting.

Poor home office lighting can cause eye strain, headaches, and poor posture

2. Good lighting can boost productivity by increasing alertness, focus and efficiency.  One of the ways it can do this is by having selectable colour temperature to mimic natural daylight, which has been shown to contribute to increased productivity.  More about colour temperature to follow.

3. The right lighting can have a positive effect on mood, and help manage feelings of stress and fatigue, which, in turn, helps you feel more motivated and engaged in your work, thus helping boost productivity.  Moreover, it can help support your general well being and overall health by helping to establish a pleasant and comfortable working environment.

4. Having the right home office lighting can also help differentiate between work and relaxation.  Again, the selection of colour temperature can play a big part here and we discuss this further on, but other things like having a layered lighting scheme allows you to adjust your lighting for work time and then to help you wind down at the end of the day.

What should you consider within your space before deciding on your home office lighting essentials?

1. The natural light available to you.  If you have a space that has windows, take advantage of that office view!  Or, if not the view, definitely the daylight!  Natural daylight helps to regulate our circadian rhythm, the internal processes that tell us when to wake and sleep.  Natural daylight is also shown to improve mood and, in turn, productivity.

Take advantage of natural light in your home office lighting scheme

2. What are your surrounds?  Do you need to brighten a dark space?  Do you need to avoid glare?  These things will impact the style of lights you select for your home office lighting, as well as their placement.

3. Do you have a dedicated office space, or is your space multi use?  If it is the latter, then you will need to consider all uses of the space.  For example, what lights do you need to complete your works tasks, and how will these work in the space when it comes time to relax?  Things like selectable colour temperatures, options for dimming, and creating a layered lighting scheme will all help with this, but more on those to come!

4. Do you engage in video meetings as part of your work?  This becomes important with regard to things like glare, and there are things you can do with your lighting to help eliminate this.

Consider glare on video meetings in your home office lighting scheme

What are some of the common mistakes people make when lighting their home office?

  • Relying only on overhead, or ambient, lighting, which can create shadows and glare on computer screens.  
  • Positioning lights to create shadows and glare.  For instance, a light source behind your computer screen will create glare, and a desk lamp placed behind your writing arm will cast shadows when writing.
  • Having insufficient lighting which can lead to some of the issues discussed above, including eye strain, headaches, and ultimately, reduce productivity.
  • Not considering natural light.  As discussed already, natural daylight has numerous benefits that help create a productive working day.
  • Selecting the wrong colour temperature, which can affect mood, cause eye strain, and lead to reduced productivity.

Where do you start to cover the lighting essentials of a home office?

Layered Lighting Scheme

Like many other spaces within your home, we would always urge you to consider a layered lighting scheme for your home office.  What do we mean by this?  To layer your lighting means to introduce more than one light source, but to also consider the needs of the space by introducing a combination of different types of lighting.

In a home office, this would usually consist of ambient, or overall lighting, and task lighting, however, you could also add accent lighting, such as spotlights or strip lighting, which would aid in preventing glare; as well as decorative lighting, which would help create that positive mood by creating a dynamic space that reflects your personality.

Add pendant lights to inject personality into your home office lighting

Why a layered lighting scheme?  There are a few reasons:

  • You will have balanced illumination that spreads the light more evenly, thus reducing shadows and glare, and helping eliminate dark spots.
  • You will improve the functionality within the space, ensuring all functions of the space, from work to relaxation are covered.  For a home office, functionality might include for yourself, as well as others in the home.  A lamp for instance, can be moved to allow you to continue working, without disturbing those around you.
  • You will be able to adjust the light according to needs and personal preference. 

Colour Temperature

Select colour temperature that will induce productivity from your working day, as well as allow you to wind down later.   What do we mean by colour temperature?  It simply means the amount of “white” light emitted from a light source. 

Warm white light (2700k to 3000k) tends to create a warm, cosy and relaxing environment, while cool white light (4000k to 5000k) tends to brighten a space, and be much more conducive to productive tasks and work.

For home offices, where you are working and relaxing in the same space, or in close proximity, a selectable colour changing globe in your task lighting would be ideal.  This would allow you to work productively under cooler light in the earlier parts of the day, and switch over to a warmer light as the day winds down.  It is the ideal way to maintain that work/life balance, as well as your body’s natural sleep rhythms.

What are the most common lighting choices to cover off those home office lighting essentials?

1. Desk lamps provide task lighting, and can be customized to suit your space quickly and easily.  They are also DIY, so easy on the budget! Some of our most popular desk lamps include:

2. Downlights are perfect for overall ambient lighting, are space saving, and unobtrusive, so won’t detract from other styles and décor in the space.

3. Spotlights are popular as they can serve as both ambient and task lighting as they are usually adjustable and multi directional.

4. Pendant lights are always a popular choice for ambient lighting as they also have the added benefit of creating a focal point and adding personality to the space.  Great for improving mood and productivity!

5. Dimming options are great for spaces that serve multiple uses … home office by day, living room by night!

Whether you have a desk in the corner of your living room, or have a dedicated home office, getting the lighting right can make a big difference to the productivity of your working day, and your relaxation as you wind down into the night.  If you would like to discuss lighting essentials for your home office, speak to one of our lighting experts on 02 4952 5600, or contact us online.

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