How to design your kitchen office space

What are the essentials for your kitchen office space?

Start designing your kitchen office space by listing the essential items you will need. After working in an office for years, it can be surprising how many things you might initially overlook.

• A computer (ideally a laptop as you can move around, or go back and forth between home and office).
• Desk — it helps to have a desk which fits with your kitchen design scheme so it doesn’t look awkward, unless you have space in a pantry room or utility room. If you don’t have room for a desk, you can use a kitchen island or breakfast bar.
• A comfortable chair — if you do have to sit at a breakfast bar, make sure that you consider ergonomics and comfort and use a bar stool with a seat back.
• A high-quality home WiFi modem and router.
• Noise-cancelling headphones with a microphone. You want to be able to concentrate on a conference call despite kitchen interruptions such as washing machine noise or others using the space.
• Good lighting.
• Wireless speakers — or bluetooth speakers if you need to move around — for background music to help you focus on your work.

Once you have listed the essential items, you can brainstorm any additional items you may need. This could include things like a wipe board, electric fan, scented candle to cover food smells, a decent coffee machine — anything to help you to work more efficiently.
 

How should I organise my kitchen desk?

Depending on where your kitchen desk is located, think about how to organise it so that you can work effectively. The danger of working in a kitchen is that because it is not a formal space, things can go missing if the desk area is messy and work merges with piles of kitchen countertop paperwork.
 

Don’t forget about refreshments!

Refreshments to keep your energy levels up are easy to come by when working in a kitchen (in fact, staying away from the fridge might be an issue!). But there are some clever gadgets that will save you time and add to your comfort that are worth their weight in gold:

• Instant hot water tap  — ever stood by the kettle wishing it would boil faster between back-to-back meetings? A steaming hot water tap provides instant hot water for your teas and coffees — no more frustration.
• An Ember temperature control smart mug not only looks sleek and stylish as you take sips on Zoom calls, but it will keep your drink warm for one hour while you speak in meetings or focus on work. No more cold coffee!
• Drinking enough water is something that we often fail to do when we are working hard, focusing on caffeine to keep us alert, but claiming we are too busy to remember the water. A smart water bottle will help to keep you hydrated so that you can work to your best ability — water will increase your energy and brain function and prevent screen headaches. The smart bottle will track your water intake for you, syncing with a mobile phone app to remind you to drink and hit your hydration goals!

Take advantage of your wall space

The kitchen walls provide plenty of useful space in a kitchen workspace. Take a look at these suggestions which won’t look out of place in a kitchen — some useful and some to make your workspace more appealing:

• Stylish memo boards — pegboard, pinboard, whiteboard, chalkboard…the choice is yours!
• A trendy wall clock.
• Plants — multiple studies have found that plants in an office increase productivity and reduce stress.
• Floating shelves for extra space for office supplies (use stylish containers to keep things organised).
• Wall art or neon signs — makes for a more stylish background on Zoom calls.
• Projection clock with weather station to project info onto the kitchen wall.
• Wall stickers — artwork, a dry erase calendar, whiteboard, tiles or a map.

Repurpose kitchen cabinets for your office storage

Years can go by without organising your kitchen cupboards, so if you are now working in the kitchen, now is the time to reorganise and repurpose kitchen cabinets for extra office storage space.

To make space for your office supplies, you can:

• Relocate pans to a hanging pan holder or a tiered pan stand and then utilise the empty kitchen cabinet for office supplies. 
• Relocate bulky dry food such as pasta and rice to glass jars on the countertop or underseat storage. 
• Relocate plates to a wall rack.

You can then add racks, shelves, pots, mesh baskets and hooks to the inside of the cupboard doors for pens and stationery supplies — and trays to the cupboard shelves for paperwork.
 

FAQ:

How do I fit a workstation into my kitchen?

If you have a kitchen island or breakfast bar, you can set up a workstation by using your laptop and storage solutions such as sliding trays, slide-out racks or metal shelving units on wheels.

If you want to separate your workspace from your kitchen space, then the easiest idea is to look for a nook or recessed area in your kitchen for a desk — perhaps a walk-in pantry, a large cupboard that you can knock out or a utility room. If you are short of space, you can install a desk which is mounted on the wall and is pulled up and down when needed.

How can I make my kitchen workstation look good?

Does the kitchen background in your work Zoom calls make you feel unprofessional? Style your kitchen workstation with some of the following items:

• A stylish lamp — Habitat design some sophisticated desk lamps
• Artwork
• Plants — faux or real
• Photo frames
• A bookshelf
• Storage baskets or boxes to hide clutter

How can I work from home with no space?

You have to work from home, but you don’t have the room? Check out these space-saving ideas:

• Use a hallway with a stylish slimline desk
• Add a desk to your living room
• Utilise the space under the stairs with a small desk and shelves
• Create a kitchen workstation  
• Set up an office on a stair landing 
• Remove a wardrobe or large cupboard you don’t need and insert a floating desk