During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people transitioned from working in an office to working from home. And, as a result, many people’s homes started to resemble an office with work taking over spaces that were previously used for living purposes, like the dining room or living room. (Some people even worked in their closets!)
But many companies are now transitioning out of remote work and requiring employees to come back to the office, either full or part-time, which is an opportunity for workers to reclaim their living spaces as their own.
So how, exactly, do you do that?
A recent article from realtor.com outlined tips for reclaiming different areas of your home after transitioning out of working from home full time, and transforming those spaces from work spaces back into living spaces, including the:
- Closet. During COVID, many people cleared out their closets, added a desk, and created a “work nook.” If you’re headed back to in-person work, move the desk to another area of your home and take any supplies that you can to your new office, and clear out that closet space for clothing and other storage.
- Dining room. If you don’t have a desk or office space at home, chances are, you transformed one of the tables in your home (like your dining room table) into a makeshift desk. If you want to reclaim your dining space — but also want the flexibility to use it as a workspace when you’re working from home — consider using a rolling bar cart to store your work supplies. That way, everything you need to work is organized and easily accessible, but it’s not cluttering the surface area of your table, which allows you to reclaim it for dining purposes.
- Living room. Forget tables. Many people took advantage of working from the comfort of home by cuddling up on the couch and working in their pajamas. But not only does working from the couch transform the room from a living space to a workspace, it can also cause back pain. As you head back to the office, declare the couch a no-work zone. If you want to work from your living room on your at-home work days, consider a more spine-friendly option, like a small stand-up desk in the corner of the room.