Top Homestead Office Ideas You Can Use

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The current pandemic has forced companies, at least the ones still operating, to rethink how they do business. Most of them have opted to let their employees work from home. Even schools are holding classes online with both teachers and students learning and interacting through the internet. This is not a foreign concept, though. Some companies have adopted the work-from-home (WFH) setup even before the pandemic.

Then there are those who chose to give up the city life to settle in a more peaceful homestead. A lot of homesteaders grew tired of their 9 to 5 jobs and gave them all up for their dream of a more self-sufficient life away from the city. A number of them still hold jobs but choose to work from the homestead. If this is something you want, you need the right setup to stay productive. Read further for some homestead office ideas you can choose from.

 

 

What You Need for Your Homestead Office

Before giving you some homestead office ideas, let’s make sure first that you know what basic stuff you’ll need to do your work properly. We’re talking more about office work here though some of the items listed here will also apply to other kinds of jobs. If you’re operating your business from home, for example, you’ll need a home office to stay organized. A desk and chair are also necessary if you’re crafting jewelry and other accessories or crunching numbers and making reports for your business.

 

Computer and Internet Connection

First of all, we’re assuming here that your work involves writing emails, computing and tallying, creating graphics, attending Zoom meetings, and the like. In other words, you’re taking your usual tasks at the office back home.

You need a laptop for these types of work. A desktop will do but the flexibility and portability that a laptop offers are important. You might need to report to the office, attend a business meeting, or meet clients so having all your work saved on your laptop is ideal.

One factor you should consider before purchasing a laptop is the central processing unit or CPU. Get a laptop with at least an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processor. Either of these is more than enough for basic tasks like browsing, watching movies and videos, light creative work, and using Microsoft Office. You’ll need the higher versions of these CPUs if your job requires the best possible performance from your laptop.

Other features you need to decide on before getting a laptop include storage space, battery life, and price, of course. Since you’ll be doing the bulk of your work at home, it’s necessary to have a stable internet connection.

 

Office Desk and Computer Chair

With a laptop, you can take your work anywhere. But since you’ll be spending most of your time at home, you’ll need a proper desk and a comfortable chair.

There’s a technical side to choosing the right home office furniture. The standard measurement for work desks, particularly the height of the work surface from the floor is between 28 to 30 inches (71 to 76 cm). Before purchasing one, try sitting behind the desk and imagine typing on your keyboard. Your arms and hands should sit comfortably on the desk while doing so.

The seat of your chair should be 39 to 55 cm from the floor. This will depend on your size. The height increases the shorter you are. Your chair should also have a comfortable cushion and a proper backrest to keep your back from hurting.

When you sit straight, your computer monitor should be at eye level. You’ll be straining your back and neck if you have to look down. Use the Soundance Laptop Stand to raise it up to six inches, which should be at your eye level. This simple yet fancy-looking product is made of sturdy and thickened aluminum alloy. The ergonomically designed laptop stand also helps your laptop cool down.

 

Location

You need a separate space for your homestead office. A homestead is a busy place with everybody else feeding the animals, tending the farm, canning fruits, or drying meat. It’s pretty easy to get distracted.

One way to lessen the stress and be more productive is to choose a space for your home office that is separate from all the brouhaha. You can choose a separate room, a peaceful corner, or a spot outdoors.

 

Proper Lighting

You can’t work properly if you can’t see what you’re doing. It’s as simple as that. Make sure you have the proper lighting. That means the brightness is just enough. Not too dim and not too blinding. Avoid shadows and reflections, too.

 

Homestead Office Ideas and Tips

Comfortable and Cozy Home Office

You want to be as comfortable as possible while on the job and we’re not just talking about working in your boxers or PJs. Well, unless you’re the kind that thrives in chaos. In any case, you can be a lot more productive if you’re in the right environment.

Comfort at your home office starts with the location. As mentioned above, you must find a spot in your home that has little traffic. The more people (and pets) that pass by, the more difficult it is to concentrate.

Ideally, you should have a separate room for the homestead office. If you don’t have that luxury, choose a spot that you can have for yourself during your work hours. The bedroom is perhaps the next best thing as long as you have enough space. You can also convert the attic or even the basement. The important thing here is privacy.

We also mentioned that proper lighting plays a major part in having a comfortable workspace. Poor lighting leaves you stressed, fatigued, and with strained eyes. One way to achieve proper lighting is to make use of natural light. Position your desk near a window. Install a light fixture directly above your workspace. If the light is behind you, it will cast a shadow. Another option is to use a desk lamp.

When you think of comfort, a La-Z-Boy recliner is perhaps one of the things that pops into your head. While it certainly is a nice addition to your homestead, it’s not really ideal for your home office. You’ll probably end up snoozing if you sit on one of those while working.

There are, however, office chair versions of the La-Z-Boy such as the Bellamy Bonded Leather Executive Office Chair with Memory Foam Cushions. As you can imagine, this office chair is pretty soft and comfy thanks to the ComfortCore Plus feature and flexible AIR technology. Its advanced memory foam layering system offers support for your back while also providing a comfortable seat. Durability is also not an issue. The ergonomic office chair is made of an alloy steel frame, premium solid wood arms, and base, and soft-bonded faux leather.

 

Well Organized Workspace

They say intelligent people tend to be messy. But we’re no Einstein and many of us don’t thrive in organized clutter. What we need in our life is Mari Kondo. Well, not the tidying master in the flesh but her KonMari teachings.

You need a shelf for your books and other work-related stuff. Let’s pause for a while and focus on the last part of that sentence. Your home office should only contain items you need for work. None of the unnecessary stuff like your G.I. Joe collection or framed photos of all your pets.

If you’re going for that rustic look, the Klad Shelf fits the bill. The three-layer shelf is made of fir wood and metal with the distressed look of salvaged oak wood and galvanized steel.

The Sunnydaze 5-Tier Bookshelf gives you that industrial vibe with its mix of metal and wood. The home office must-have is made of powder-coated steel frame while the shelves are MDF boards covered with veneer. The adjustable shelves can carry up to 65 pounds of weight.

The Louisiana Cabinet by Burke Décor is an elegant-looking cabinet made of plantation-grown hardwood, cane, and mild steel. Its charcoal finish gives the wood a classy touch. The cabinet has five inner layers where you can keep your documents, office supplies, and other important stuff.

 

Form and Function

In homesteading, you find purpose in everything. Those old tires? Use them as planters or turn them into a coffee table. As long as you have the skills and imagination, you can make something out of nothing. At the same time, you’d want your stuff to have many uses. That’s why multi-purpose tools are popular among homesteaders.

When it comes to your homestead office furniture, multi-purpose ones are perfect. Take the Pedestal Storage Cabinet from Sunnydaze Décor, for example. It’s both a cabinet and a chair, a mobile one at that. The 2-drawer cabinet comes with a cushioned top for comfortable sitting, a couple of keys for keeping the drawers locked, and four caster wheels to easily move around your home office.

 

 

Use the Open Space

Since you’re living on a homestead, I’ll go on and assume that you’re surrounded by nature. That in itself is one of the most perfect homestead office ideas anyone could dream of. Imagine having the luxury of looking at the lush greens and breathing in fresh air while working. I’m getting relaxed just thinking about it.

Take advantage of the beautiful scenery by setting up your homestead office outside. Simply find a nice place on the porch to place your desk. Putting it near an electrical outlet is a good idea in case you need to recharge your laptop or use a desk lamp.

 

Backyard Office Shed

You have a garden shed and a tool shed, might as well make a homestead office out of a shed, as well. A backyard office shed will help you get that much-needed privacy when you work. It’s separate from your house where the rest of the family are doing their own things. You can build your office shed or make one yourself.

The KETER Factor 8×8 Foot Large Resin Outdoor Shed is spacious enough to fit your home office. Just make sure you place it far from your animals, especially if you are raising chickens. Aside from the noise, you have to deal with the smell. This is not an ideal scenario while you’re working.

 

DIY Home Office Furniture

Since you’re a homesteader, you’re probably also into woodworking. If so, you can make your own home office furniture with your bare hands and some woodworking tools, of course.

Top Woodworking Tools You Should Own

The pandemic may have affected your income so spending on brand new office furniture may not be in the plans. Fortunately, you can make your own using cheap or recycled materials. Pallets are popular among woodworkers and DIYers because of their affordability and availability.

When you gather your wooden pallets, make sure they’re the safe kinds. Some pallets have been treated with chemicals so choose the ones that are chemical-free. As for your tools, you’ll need a saw, hammer, drill, and sander, just to name a few. Check out these awesome DIY office desk ideas.

 

Shabby Chic Home Office

When we talk of shabby chic, the Rope And Metal Desk Lamp from Antique Farm House is a perfect example. The desk lamp sports an architectural aesthetic with a touch of industrial and rustic feel. The metal body comes with a distressed finish and is accented with coiled rope made of jute.

The round base measures only seven inches in diameter so it won’t take up too much space on your desk. The height can be adjusted from 20 to 23 inches. The bulb is not included in the purchase but you can fit a bulb of up to 40 watts in it. This will, of course, depend on the lighting effect and brightness that will work best for you.

If you want to go a bit overboard with your shabby chic theme, Antique Farm House’s Table Lamp With Adjustable Accordion Arm is something you could consider. Its unique design will certainly give your homestead office that literal and figurative glow.

The metal desk lamp’s accordion arm can be adjusted to provide you with light wherever you need it. Use it to light up your desk as you work on your reports. Place your favorite reading chair next to your desk so you can use the lamp. Aside from its flexibility, another claim to fame is its distressed look that perfectly embodies the shabby chic look.

 

Minimalist Home Office Ideas

Not everyone likes fancy. Sometimes too much of a good thing is, well, too much. Some people work better with organized clutter. Others can’t focus when something is out of place. If you belong to the latter, then a minimalist home office is for you.

Start with your desk. The Burke Decor Amici Desk is as minimalist as minimalist goes. It is made of a brushed stainless steel base topped with clear tempered glass. The linear visuals also give this piece a modern industrial look that makes you feel like you’re working in a sophisticated office albeit one on the homestead.

Since you’re going for minimalism, you need less visual clutter. The most basic things you need on your desk are your laptop, mouse, and a desk lamp. For laptops, the Dell XPS 13 7390 tops the list of best minimalist laptops of 2020 by the Minimal Daily thanks to its simple design yet amazing features.

Dell takes pride in its Infinity Edge feature. The 13.4-inch touch display is boxed by 5.2mm thin bezels giving it that minimalist look. The XPS 13 comes in silver and black. Get the silver one if you want your laptop to blend in with your Amici desk. The black version will provide a little contrast but still goes well with your industrial workstation. Aside from its slick design, the XPS 13 also boasts some of the best specs in the industry that are great for graphic design and other complicated tasks. It has the 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor, up to 32GB of memory, and a 1TB solid-state drive.

Also sitting at the top of the Minimal Daily list is the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3. This one takes the prize as the best minimalist design. It has a simple yet stylish design highlighted by its thin bezels. The aluminum casing comes in four colors; namely, Cobalt Blue, Matte Black Platinum, and Sandstone. Perhaps most importantly, the Surface Laptop 3 comes with an Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB solid-state drive. That basically means the laptop’s speed and performance are great for work.

 

Coffee and Other Work From Home Essentials 

Setting up your own homestead office is not particularly easy. That’s why there are people whose job is to help fix interiors and design spaces. Lucky for you, there are tons of homestead office ideas you can find on the internet. The few home office ideas and tips we featured here will hopefully inspire you and help you choose your aesthetic.  Just remember that the most important aspect of designing your homestead office is that it should make you as productive as possible. Learn more about homesteading life and even house design ideas by simply following Gentleman Pirate Club.

 


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Gentleman Pirate Club aims to share valuable knowledge and tips on how you can prepare and survive emergencies and other dire situations. We think of different scenarios and show you the many ways you can survive them. We also believe in self-sufficiency as a way to prepare for whatever lies ahead. As our ship sails in these waters, we look for valuable treasures. When we spot one, we tell you where it is.

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