Home Office - Creating a Sanctuary for Productivity at Home

When I say that our homes usually need a refresh every 10-15 years or so, I mean that our lives change and the way we lived 10 years ago, may not be the way we live today. A great example of that is Home Office. Before Covid, working from home was a rare instance and usually not a norm, but today’s a different story. The Office Fédéral de la Statistique (OFS) states that in 2014 only 20% of the active Swiss population worked from home but since 2021, the numbers stay around 40%. So, our lives change, and we need our homes to change with it.

In order to be comfortable, inspired and over-all productive, the space you’re working in has many facets to make sure it helps you be at the top of your game. Let’s explore together the existing spaces you have in your Geneva home, how to implement the perfect working environment and what you need to look out for. I might even sprinkle some Feng Shui principles in there to make sure you’re covered. And if at any point you feel overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to reach out to talk about Stella Studio’s Geneva interior designer services.

Reach out

Whether you need home office design Geneva or interior design for workspaces Geneva, optimizing your environment is key. In this example we see a mirror reflecting the outside, so it can be seen sitting at the desk.

1. Assessing Your Space: Where Can You Work From Home?

Not everyone has a spare room to convert into a dedicated home office, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create an efficient workspace. The key is to identify an area that:

·       Minimizes distractions. Stay away from high-traffic zones and paths of travel (Even if you’re working from the kitchen or living room, find the calmer spot within it).

·       Has good natural light to reduce eye strain, boost your mood and look out the window for a brain reset once in a while.

·       Can be personalized to make it feel like your workspace, but also store your work things so they don’t come and overflow on the rest of your environment.

For Those Without a Dedicated Room

Clever way to transform the space to create a dedicated home-office space within a walk-in closet.

For tiny spaces, these are some options I can recommend depending on your layout:

• The Closet Office – If you have a walk-in or even a small closet, clearing it out and adding a desk can create a surprisingly effective workspace, and be closed off seamlessly when you’re done. I personally love this option if you have some natural light coming in while it’s open.

  
  

• The Corner Nook – A desk in the calm corner of your living room can work and you can pair it with room dividers or plants for a sense of privacy. It’s usually one of the easiest options.

  
  

• The Fold-Down Desk – This is really good for tiny apartments or if you rarely work from home, a wall-mounted desk can simply be folded away when you’re done

  
  

Now depending on the space you have available, or simply where you feel most comfortable, here’s a non-exhaustive list of my pros and cons of the room you choose:

• The office in the living room - Perfect if you work from home occasionally. And this is where I would use a fold-down desk, a secretaire or any kind of retractable piece of furniture, a sideboard that unfolds or a small sliding tray etc. The main idea is to be able to forget about work when you’re done, so make sure everything can be easily tucked away and out of sight.

  
  

  

  Great example of what not to do: The desk is directly in a path of travel, meaning people will be either zooming behind or right on front of the desk, there's no command position, the view will surely be distracting as this is a place where people meet and sit and chat and last, but not least, when you're done with work, your work stays in the center of your living room, where you're supposed to be relaxing.

  
  

• The office under the stairs - Often unused, I absolutely love using this space. It’s ideal to accommodate a long desk, you can also build shelves on the side to handle paperwork etc.

  
  

• The home office in the attic – Making the best out of low-ceilings

  That’s my current situation. Because of its limited ceiling height, this is a good spot to set up a desk. Since you work seated, the height is sufficient (make sure it is). And you can add low storage to keep essentials within reach and stored neatly.

  
  

• The office on a landing - Maximizing Unused Corners

  Similar to the point above: a wide landing or an unused corner of a circulation area can become a real office nook. As it is a path of travel, make sure it is somehow shielded off and the path of travel undisturbed.

  
  

• The office in the bedroom - As a last resort

  It's definitely not ideal, especially as we need to properly disconnect in the evening, and the idea of having all these electricals where you sleep is really not encouraged. But if it's the only solution, try to make it invisible once the day is over: a desk that closes, the closet office as seen above, a partition... so the space remains a place of rest. The Feng Shui Insight here is to never face your bed while working — it blurs the line between productivity and rest.

For Those with a Dedicated Room

If you have an entire room to spare, consider:

• An ergonomic layout – Place your desk in a way that feels comfortable, avoid having a door right behind you or right next to you and make sure you have a window in your line of sight. For a detailed optimal desk placement according to the size of your room, I love this video from Dear Modern: the best way to place a desk in a home offices of different sizes according to Feng shui

• Soundproofing – Adding rugs, curtains, or acoustic panels is ideal, especially in our world of video calls, but it also helps create a soothing atmosphere, and really make the place yours.

For Those who want to create a dedicated home office room

Absolutely gorgeous design of a majestic glass partition wall with french doors. Perfectly done.

Creating a new space

For those who do not yet have a dedicated room but would like to create one, or who do have a space, but not enough natural light, you can rethink the separation of the room by using a glass divider. It keeps the light coming in and out, you’re separated yet not isolated and it’s just gorgeous. My tip when creating such a space is usually to have only the upper part made with glass, so you feel less vulnerable to the other side of the room (think Feng Shui) and to keep the visual clutter of the cables, plugs and messy desk hidden.

Adding a layer for a multifunctional room

Do you have a guest room, a second smaller living room or library? Some rooms can accommodate multiple uses if well designed. A desk in a corner, a dual-function screen, a convertible sofa... and the room adapts depending on the time of day. I have a great example of multifunctional room in this project.

If you’re not sure on how to achieve this, you can set up a call with me and I can figure it out through my Space Optimization & Planning service.

Space Optimization & Planning

Book Now

2. Designing for Productivity: The Essentials

If you’re like me and have been using your couch as your home office for most of covid times, you probably know by now that this really isn’t ideal for our backs and necks. I still do it from time to time, I like to move around and not always be tied to my desk (something that was complicated for others to understand when I was still an employee in an office), but I try to often check on my posture and assess how my body is feeling. So, here’s what I consider:

Anything between you and the floor needs to be optimum.

• Type of Desk: They say you should allow your arms to rest at a 90-degree angle when typing, so that’s something to keep in mind whether you’re a walking pad, standing, or simply sitting type of person. But as we’re all different heights and builds, what works for your partner may not work for you, so always assess the height according to yours and your personal preferences. If you can afford it, a great way to switch between people and type of standing or sitting is to get an electrical rising desk and if you’re on a budget or you just dislike the looks of those desks, you can just buy the electrical rising feet and attach it to the table top that you like.

  
  

  I also really like to take into consideration the material used and wouldn’t want to work on anything but a wooden desk. The feeling of it underneath my hands and forearms is important to me and adding natural elements when surrounded by all this technology has a balancing effect. In Feng Shui, it is said that wood symbolizes being grounded and stability, which is what you need when working.

• Type of Chair: You can invest in an ergonomic chair with lumbar support and a high back, you can get a sitting ball and switch back and forth between the comfort of the chair and balance training with the ball. Personally, I mainly make sure my chair is soft and plump, has no arm rest (I like to sit cross-legged) and I add a stool to lift and stretch my legs in front of me when needed.

Lighting Matters

The way the light hits the spot on this adorable home office set up.

• Natural Light: As I said above, placing your desk near a window is important, but direct sunlight can cause glare on your screen. If it’s impossible to move the desk away from the glare, you can instal anti-UV and anti-heat roller blinds to pull up and down when needed without being in total darkness (it’s the same type of roller shades you see in trains). The frame is usually mounted outside, so you don’t even see the installation inside, and that’s what we like for a less visually cluttered space.  

  
  

• Task Lighting: And then when it gets dark, I like having both an ambient light with a warm tone up above in the middle of the room and a whiter toned task lamp closer to my desk. This layered lighting technique is also used in Feng Shui, as long as you avoid overhead fluorescent lights, as they create harsh energy (I don’t know ever decided these were good to use in office spaces…).

Storage Solutions

• Vertical Shelving – So we need to store our things once the work day is over to let our personal life breathe and flow naturally. Vertical shelving is great to maximizes small spaces and give height to a room, and it’s also great to store different things. For example, I like to keep the bottom halves closed, to store cables, files and papers, various bits and pieces and perhaps a computer. And the upper part open for books, candles, and pretty things. Having the upper part open also makes the space look a little bigger as we see where the room actually ends.

• Drawer Organizers – Whatever is kept behind closed doors still needs to be organized. Forget the saying “out of sight, out of mind” and don’t shut your mess behind a door, you’ll still know it’s there! So also think of organizing your space within your cupboards and drawers. Think like Mari Kondo.

  
  

• Tech & Cable Management – If you can opt for wireless options (wifi, printer etc.) then do, it will help reduce the clutter in your line of sight. I also like to use cable organizers such as clips to clip all cords behind the desk, and pouches or little boxes for those external batteries, external hard drives and such. In Feng Shui, exposed wires create "chaotic energy"— so, keep them hidden for a calmer workspace.

Design & Style

Book Now

3. Personalizing Your Space: Inspiration & Comfort

A sterile work space feels like… well, stepping into The Office (I mean the TV show, the quintessential grey and beige line of cubicles no one wants to go to work to, the stinky grey carpet… you get me). We do not want that in our homes. Repeat after me. We do not want that in our homes. So, to make your home workspace inviting, and make you actually want to go to your desk and work, MAKE it so. Let me give you a few tips and tricks for a more inviting workspace.

Think Colors That Boost Productivity

So much personality in this space I love it! However the productivity vibe will highly depend on what is behind, if there's another door, then we could find a better position for the desk.

When decorating a space, remember that color is always intentional. Color gives you feelings whether you’re attuned to them or not. Here are great colors to have around you when creating an inspiring work station:

·       Blue: Enhances focus.

·       Green: Promotes calmness.

·       Yellow: Sparks creativity (you can simply use it as an accent).

In Feng Shui we’ll avoid using too much red as it can create stress, but it’s not a bad idea to use as a pop color here and there because it is linked to luck and fame.

Plants for Fresh Air & Focus

Some great low-maintenance options:

·       Snake Plant: Purifies the air.

·       Peace Lily: Adds tranquillity.

·       Succulents: Are hard to kill (perfect for the forgetful waterer).

Personal Touches

• Create a vision Board, or a giant bingo card, or like me, a Kanban Sprint board - to keep your goals and tasks visible at all times.

• Artwork, photos or small memorabilia - just to make you feel good, inspire and motivate you. It also marks the space as yours.

The type of desk set-up I froth over.

Final Thoughts: Balancing Function & Serenity

Creating a home office isn’t just about sticking a desk in a corner—it’s about crafting a space that fuels productivity, creativity, well-being, and well money. Whether you have a full room or just a tiny nook, thoughtful design choices and applying subtle Feng Shui principles can make all the difference.

So, take the time to assess, design, and personalize with intention. Your future (productive) self will thank you. And if you need help setting up that work space, reach out and let’s talk about it!

Let's chat

Stella Studio specializes in tailored interior solutions that adapt to your lifestyle. Whether you need a hidden workspace or a full home office redesign, I’m here to help.

Topics addressed in this blog post:

• Geneva interior designer • Home office design Geneva • Interior design for workspaces Geneva • Ergonomic home office Geneva • Feng Shui office design Geneva • Space optimization Geneva • Luxury home office Geneva • Minimalist workspace design Geneva • Best interior designer for small offices Geneva • Custom home office solutions Geneva • Multifunctional room design Geneva • Closet-to-office conversion Geneva • Attic home office design Geneva • Under-stairs workspace Geneva • Convertible desk designs Geneva • Feng Shui home office Geneva • Harmonious workspace design Geneva • Productivity-boosting office design • Zen home office Geneva • "Interior designer near me" + Geneva • "Home office renovation Geneva" • "Office space planner Geneva" • "Swiss workspace design" • "French-speaking interior designer Geneva" • "English-speaking interior designer Geneva"