Have you and your spouse decided to work from home, and now you need ideas to set up your new home office?
Did you guys land yourselves remote jobs, and now you both need office spaces at home? Or do you and your business partner need a space to work together in?
Whatever the case is, working at home can be quite exciting. You have total control over your workspace, which allows you to make the space your own.
With a home office, you do not have to commute anywhere and can sleep in a little later. To work from home, you need to set up a dedicated, functional home office. You need a private, quiet workspace for work purposes only.
So, if you are looking for the best home office ideas for two, you have come to the right place. This article will cover some ideas on how to create an office space for you and someone else.
Benefits of Setting up a Home Office
Every space, be it an office, a bedroom, a kitchen, or a library has a purpose and must be set up to serve it.
This is beneficial so that each time we find ourselves in these spaces, we remember their purpose.
The office infrastructure serves to remove distractions and help people focus on their tasks.
A home office serves the same purpose. It is there to help you focus and stay on task even when you are in the comfort of your home.
Here are some other benefits of having a home office:
Factors to Consider Before Creating a Home Office for Two
Creating your home office can be exciting due to its many benefits. But, there are some things you need to think about first, and here they are.
Finding the Right Location
Finding the right spot for the office is the first thing to figure out. Corners are often the best location for a home workspace for two. Each person can work on either side of the corner, and the space is without waste.
Look out for unused corners in larger rooms, closets, corridors, or under stairs. With a little bit of creativity, there are plenty of areas you can turn into office spaces.
Plan Ahead
You need to plan and decide what you both need to ensure comfort and efficiency as you work. Also, as you plan, ensure to consider your budget and stay within that range.
Some things to consider are proper temperature control and access to a telephone. You need to consider having a telephone installed, or if you do not need one, at least have a portable phone.
Think about the fact that you might need to move your desk chair often. So ensure you have hard flooring around your desk. Having a rug around might hinder your movement and affect your workflow.
If you are going to set up the office close to a window, think about getting a window cover to help control the light.
Understanding What Each Person Needs
Chances are your workspace needs will differ from the other person’s, and that is fine. Having different work tasks and goals is not a hindrance to a workspace design.
This is why setting up a work area for two people can be pretty challenging. One person might want a bit more desk space, while the other might need more storage space.
Also, one person might want more privacy, while the other might want more lighting. So, whatever design you decide on, should meet the needs of both parties.
Creating a space that suits both of you might seem hard, but it is not impossible. As long as both individuals express their opinions.
Getting the Right Desk and Chairs
Working at home means you will spend a lot of time sitting on a chair at a desk and working on your laptop or computer.
A desk that is not the proper height or a poor chair can cause aches and even long-term health issues. This is why you must get the right desks and chairs for the home office.
You must get ergonomic desks and chairs. This will contribute to your productivity by helping you stay comfortable all day.
Consider getting standing desks instead of a traditional desk. As its name implies, a standing desk is a tall desk where you work standing up.
Most standing desks can adjust so that you can lower or raise the height as you need. This enables you to work sitting and standing as per your comfort and need.
Ergonomic chairs provide support when you are sitting for a long period. It can be tempting to grab a random chair and sit when you work at home, most likely a chair from the dining area. Doing this can lead to more harm than good.
Feel free to use dining chairs with the perfect height for an ergonomic work setup. That way, you do not have to buy new office chairs. But, if they are not ergonomic, investing in supportive chairs is the right way to go.
Here are some features that your ergonomic chair should have:
Also, be sure to find desks and chairs that meet each of your needs and styles. But with that said, this furniture should have similar patterns or finishes. This will provide a sense of cohesiveness.
Supporting Your Neck and Eyes
You need to ensure that your eyes and neck have protection. You can do this by putting your monitor or laptop in the right position.
Everyone has different levels of comfort, so you need to find what works for you. It might be hard to do so before setting up your office, but you can use placements to check the positions.
Here are some tips to help you get to the right spot.
Stick with a Flexible Design
In setting up your home office workspace, you should be flexible. This way, you can rearrange your office to accommodate new objectives. And you can scale up or down according to your needs.
10 Best Home Office Ideas for Two
Sharing offices is not easy, but having a productive coexistence is possible. You need the right workspace set up, of course.
Some people find it easy to choose the right location for their home office. They have an empty room that they can use to set up a dedicated office workspace. This way, they can have an “actual office” at home.
This kind of free space is not available to everyone. When there is no free room to convert into an office, you will need to create one out of an existing area.
A home office does not need a specific room. Even in the smallest of spaces, you can create a functional home office.
Here are the top ten best home office ideas that can accommodate two people:
1. Opposite Sides (Sitting back to back)
Set your desks and chairs in opposite directions and sit back to back. This gives each of you as much space as possible and still leaves ample room for movement.
This design can fit in a small room as well as in a large room. For a large room, the desk and chairs can be set back to back, in the center of the room, or close to a wall.
One of the perks of this setting is that you are less tempted to distract your partner—and thus yourself. Using this design also gives both of you the feel of your workspaces.
Sitting back to back poses the challenge of dropping in each other’s video calls. You can avoid this with a room divider or a portable webcam backdrop.
Pro Tip: Opt for swivel chairs which will allow you both to turn around when you need a break.
2. One Wall Work Zone (Side by Side)
If you are both fans of a straight and streamlined setup, then you might like the one-wall work zone setup.
This design needs a rectangular table for a desk and has cabinets for storage. With this design, you both get to work side by side.
This is a perfect setup to optimize space, as the whole two-person design only takes up one wall of the room.
To give the workspace a sense of cohesiveness, you can choose to use matching chairs for the desk. It can also be helpful to mark out the desk so that you can both enjoy an equal amount of space.
Dividing the workspace also gives both of you a sense of personal space. Each person knows their area and is not allowed to cross the boundary.
The design of such long desks allows for interaction. So it might not matter who has more space and why, as long as the work gets done.
The one-wall work zone can be in close proximity or otherwise. The downside to a close proximity to one wall work zone is you may have a view of each other’s screens.
With a far proximity to one wall work zone, you can each sit at the table and enjoy plenty of space.
Pro Tip: Swivel chairs are also recommended for this design. You can spin around for a chat with your partner if you need to take a break.
3. Shared Table
Rather than have two tables, you can use one large square or rectangular table and share the space.
You can sit on opposite sides, at opposite ends. This way, you both have your workspaces and some amount of privacy.
This setup is especially useful when your work is more of a collaboration. You are close together and can talk while seeing each other’s faces.
Pro Tip: You can set up this design close to a wall that has windows. This ensures that you both get ample lighting.
4. Fit Your Home Office into Another Room
If you do not have enough space, you can fit your home office for two in another room. You can consider fitting the office in places like your living room or guest bedroom. You should consider using a narrow desk instead of two desks.
Depending on the space of the room, you can use a larger table. This provides more surface area to work on. Both partners can share the table while sitting on opposite sides. With a long narrow table, side-by-side seating is ideal.
5. Dining Room Conversion
Do you not have a spare room to turn into a dedicated office? Consider using your dining room as a home office for two.
The long rectangular dining table will serve as a desk for both of you, saving you the cost of getting a new desk. You can each have your workspace by sitting on opposite sides of the table.
This setup allows you both to have some form of privacy while being within chatting distance all day.
Even though you are using a dining room table, you can set up your computer or bring in a cabinet. You can put them away and turn your home office back into a dining room.
Does your work need you both to collaborate? If so, you can opt for a round or oval dining table. With round dining room tables, you can move around the table to work with each other.
Oval tables offer better surface space for both of you. A tulip base also means you have lots of legroom.
Pro Tip: To make the dining room turned office feel more like an office, add shelves and personal objects. As a bonus, you can use shelves to store documents and office supplies.
6. Distinct Zones (Wide Apart)
Create two distinct working zones if you can. This setup is ideal if privacy is important. You can place each seat in your secluded corners and have as much personal space as possible.
This setup needs two desks and, of course, two chairs. The next thing is to place them at opposite ends of the room to keep you both apart.
The desks can be set towards or away from each other, depending on your preference. Also, you can add shelves for each zone, so each person can store their supplies.
Pro Tip: With this design, there is usually much space left after the offices have been set up. If you wish, you can include an area where you can both meet up to take a break, chat, or have lunch or coffee.
7. Library Conversion
Yes, you convert your library into a home office for two the same way you can convert your dining room. Converting your library into an office for two might be easier and more convenient.
The bookshelves in the room can serve as storage that you might need to create space for working.
Depending on how the desks, chairs, and other items are set up in the library, you might need to rearrange them.
Pro Tip: Library-turned-home offices provide extra functionality. This is because they already have similar features to an office. Also, ensure that the library desk and chairs are comfortable and supportive.
8. L Shaped
This design is ideal for small vertical spaces. With an efficient setup, small and narrow home offices for two can still be roomy.
You can set up floating shelves and desks against two walls, taking an L shape. To make this setup work, you can set a desk on one part of the wall and put the other desk on the other part of the wall.
This setup might be small, but you both can have your workstations. This design also leaves enough room for movement.
Pro Tip: You can design a narrow room with white interiors. Also, make sure there is ample lighting. White interiors, adequate lighting, and floating shelves will help the room appear bigger.
9. Corridor Conversion
Some dining rooms are in the kitchen, which makes it difficult to turn into a designated home office.
Also, you might find it difficult to fit a home office for two in places like your living room or bedroom. In cases like this, you can always use your corridor. Most apartments have large passages, and you can turn yours into a home office. Here is how:
Measure the width of your corridor to see if it can double as a dual home office.
If it is wide enough, ask a carpenter to fit in a narrow work desk along the length of one wall. Then slide two chairs underneath. You can request that the work desk be long enough to ensure enough workspace for both of you.
You can hang pictures, frames, and others to enhance the look of your corridor-turned-home office.
Decorations like these give life to your workspace without taking up any significant space. Take advantage of rods, hooks, dedicated wall systems, and hanging file folders.
Tip: For natural light, ensure you position the work desk close to a window if there is one. If there are no windows, you will have to make do with lighting installations. The bottom line is to ensure that the workspace is well-lit.
10. Dual Sit and Stand Workstation
When setting up your home office for two, you should consider the option of standing from time to time. Studies point out that there are many advantages to switching positions throughout the day. These include reduced neck and back pain, posture problems, and blood pressure.
We have the right sit-to-stand workstation for you. Several furniture makers have these sit-to-stand workstations with flexible power options.
Using this workstation, you can adjust the desk height from your phone. There is also a feature that reminds users to change positions. These workstations offer versatility, comfort, and functionality.
Tips for Having a Home Office
Now that you have some ideas on how to create an optimal home office for two, here are some tips you might find helpful.
Decorating Your Home Office
Do not be afraid to let your creative juices flow when decorating your home office. You should try to make the space as cozy as possible but do not overdo it.
You can treat this office as an art project and experiment with styles you do not want for the rest of the house.
Consider using cover boxes with colorful fabrics. Or you could even use artsy baskets to store your supplies.
You can also decorate your home office with artwork. Besides adding aesthetic beauty to your home office, paintings can boost your creativity.
Decorating your home office with plants is another great idea. They can help you connect to the outside world. This is quite helpful, considering you will be spending most of your day indoors.
There are also therapeutic benefits of decorating your home office with plants. Roses, succulents, snake plants, Chinese evergreens, corn plants, hanging plants, and plant stands are great options.
By planning your home office space, organizing it, and decorating it, you will enjoy it more. Your work will be better, you will appreciate being at home, and you will have the perfect place to work: your home.
Learn to Share
If you have an empty room available, you can set up two home offices with two desks.
Most times, due to the problem of space, dual offices have single tables. In cases like this, you need to learn to share
When working in a dual workstation, sharing the workspace is easier said than done. This is especially true when you do not plan adequately.
To avoid some problems, it is best to lay some ground rules with your partner. The issue of storage is usually a reason for friction when sharing the same workstation.
To avoid any hassle, it is better to have individual or marked-out shelves. Storage shelves between the two workspaces make for a great neutral territory.
It is also essential that you always strive to keep your side of the workspace tidy. This can be part of the laid down ground rules.
Try as much as you can to respect the other person’s privacy. This can be especially challenging to do in close proximity to one wall workspace, but it is possible.
Respect Each Other’s Personal Space
To avoid disturbing the other person, avoid things like taking calls or playing music. You can take calls in another room and listen to music with headphones or headsets if you like to listen to music.
You might prefer absolute silence, but your partner might enjoy listening to music. In that case, they will need to use headphones. This way, you will both respect each other’s personal spaces.
Shared home offices are usually more lively compared to isolated home office design ideas. You have the company of another person. They can be more fun when you both find ways to enjoy your preferences.
Lighting
Having good lighting is essential to your workspace. You might think you do not need good lighting because your screen and keyboards light up, but that is not true.
Poor lighting might not blind you, but it can cause eye strain, which can lead to headaches.
Ensure to create a home office with enough lighting for two. If possible, set up your workspaces near natural light sources.
Even if you are setting up the workspace in a tiny corner, try to situate it close to natural light. Windows are the best way to make the shared workspace feel bright and airy.
You can install some lights if your office is set up without natural lighting. Depending on your preference, you can choose different lighting installations.
Ensure to install the lights over your workstation, on your computer, and behind you. You should install all these lights to avoid reflection off your screen.
Enough Writing Space
With two people sharing a desk or work surface, it might be hard to find enough space for all the items on the surface.
Ensure that you create a floor plan. This floor plan will help you move items around until you both find a way to make enough workable space.
You can help free up the desk by installing a shelf so you can store books and other supplies you do not use often. To use the little space you have, you can install shelving behind your desk. This will give you easy access to books and supplies.
Avoid Clutter
This relates to the previous point about creating space. You might think you need all your documents and supplies with you at all times.
If you take some time to evaluate your belongings, you and your partner will realize you do not need as many items as you thought.
By reducing clutter, you are giving yourself fewer distractions and increasing your productivity. Also, with a decluttered area, your space will feel and look more open.
So, you should go through all your supplies, figure out what you do not need, and get rid of them. With your routine, schedule, and workspace in order, you can work more efficiently.
If you have limited storage space in your home office, you can move unused items to a separate room.
Consider Visitors
As a professional working from home, you might not have clients come in to see you, but if you do, you need to plan for them.
Try as much as possible to keep your office space as professional as possible. This means ensuring that the path to your office is free of clutter. This includes things like dirty laundry, children’s toys, and more. You do not want a potential client to come to your office and not take you seriously.
Also, think about how confidential your work is and if you can provide privacy. This will allow your clients to feel more comfortable working with you in your home office.
If you have several clients come in, find ways to keep them comfortable and entertained as they wait. You should do all this without infringing on the space of the person working in the office with you.
Organize Your Wires
Your devices can connect to Wi-Fi, so you might not need an Ethernet cable. But those are not the only type of cords you will find in your office. You can always be sure to find cords in your office space.
For example, you or your partner might need to charge your phones or laptops from time to time.
So, what do you do? You need to find a way to manage them. A cord management system can be as simple or as complex as possible. Ensure the system helps to keep your cords in order and out of your way.
Also, you might set up your dual home office in an area without outlets. If this is the case, then you need to invest in power strips and extension cords. Use items like cord covers to run these appliances across the floor safely.
Lastly, as you set up your cords, consider the Wi-Fi as well.
You might not always want to work from your home office, and seeing as you are at home, you can sit on the couch or somewhere else. If such is the case, ensure the router‘s connection can reach these places and is quite strong.
If it does not reach or is not as strong, you should consider investing in a Wi-Fi mesh system or a Wi-Fi extender.
Conclusion
The idea of sharing a home office with someone sounds great. You get to create a space that offers both privacy and a sense of companionship. Sadly, thinking up home office ideas for him might be challenging.
This is why we created this article. To give you ideas on how to build this space for you and someone else.
With this article, you should have knowledge of the best home office ideas. You should have also learned tips on creating the best space possible. We hope you know ways to keep the peace between you and your office mate.
Setting the office up needs lots of planning and, more often than not, some compromise here and there. Creating the workspace should be a breeze with proper communication and understanding.
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