The 5 biggest home office trends of 2021

"2021 will see the home office firmly established as a staple in the modern home. This room will overtake the kitchen as a focal point." - Osin Oshinowo, Architect, Designer, Creative Entrepreneur.

With more and more people opting to work remotely, home offices have taken centre stage.

Let's unpack the 5 trends that we can expect to see in home offices as 2021 enters its second half.

1. An office that still feels like home. Your home isn't a corporate space, so why should your home office feel like one? Pair a comfy dining chair with your desk to give it that cosy feel, and as an added benefit, an extra chair for when guests come over. Make the space your own with desk decor like family pictures and a plant to increase productivity.

2. Make it cosy! As we head into winter, one thing we will miss about our office environments is the comfort of a warm aircon! The great thing about virtual meetings is that no one can see that fluffy blanket on your lap or that cosy area rug beneath your feet. Try to pick a room in your house that has a good amount of morning sun, so that you aren't tempted to work from your bed instead!

3. Light ‘em up! Who would have thought that setting up a home office meant needing extra light for those Zoom calls? It's still just as important to present yourself professionally in virtual meetings. If your room doesn't have good natural light, invest in warm, rich and bright lighting that compliments your features. Pair this with a white gloss desk for extra illumination.

4. Strike a balance. If possible, keep your WFH space separate to your sleeping space. This allows you to have a dedicated office that you can "leave" at the end of the day, not taking work with you into your family and personal time. If you can't have a separate room, have a space dedicated to work only, where no personal activities are allowed!

5. Design trends 2021 is seeing 2 major design trends in home offices. The first is a bright, white, clean, and modern look, and the second is the oh-so-trendy concrete and wood pairing in light grey and beige tones. Extra emphasis has been put on the importance of live plants too, as this has proved to increase focus and productivity in your workspace.

Craft your space to suit your lifestyle. If you can’t find exactly what you need, build it! If Carpentry was your hobby of choice to master in 2020, come in to any of the PBC stores nationwide and select form a variety of local and international boards for your next project. And if you’re only contemplating a bit of carpentry work now – not to worry we have a host of specialists instore to assist with your very first project, and the best part is – we cut and edge all your boards for you, so all you need to do is assemble! It’s never too late to start!

Are you up to date with some of these trends? How does your home office look? We'd love to hear from you on any of our socials below.