How to Work from Home in Style

As I write this post, we are living in very unusual times indeed because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The phrases “social distancing” and “flattening the curve,” previously known by very few outside of the field of epidemiology, are now commonly uttered by Americans of all stripes. To assist with social distancing and flattening the curve to stop this outbreak, many people have started working from home, some for the very first time (including yours truly).

Perhaps these new work from home areas need a little something to boost the comfort, usefulness and style. Perhaps they could use…some lighting! Here are ideas that you can use in any work from home area, whether you have a fully devoted home office or, like me, you’re using a table that would normally be used for something else.

Add a Lamp

Photo credit: Design by Corey Damen Jenkins and photo by Marco Ricca

This first tip is great for those of us who have just a table to use for our work from home life. A table lamp or desk lamp adds in a layer of bright, useful light that is especially helpful when you’re at the computer!

Make sure you get the right size lamp by measuring the width and height of the table where you want to put the lamp. Look for lamps that are no more than 1.5 times as high as that table.

Learn more about lamp sizing in our Complete Lamp Sizing Guide.

Check Out Chandeliers

Do you have a dedicated home office? If so, how does its lighting look? If you don’t like what you see when you sit down to work, let’s change that. A fashionable new chandelier adds great ambient light and looks so much better.

Making sure you get the right size chandelier for your home office is easy.

First, measure the length and width of the room in feet and add those two numbers together. What you’ll get is a number that is a good width for a chandelier.

Then, take the height of the room and multiply it by both 2.5 and 3. The two numbers you get will be a good range for chandelier heights.

Learn more about chandelier sizing in our Complete Chandelier Sizing Guide.

Pick Up a Pendant

Photo credit Tricia Shay

If your home office space is a little too small for a chandelier, you can try using a pendant light! It will also give you a great ambient glow with lots of style, but won’t take up as much space as a chandelier, so it’s ideal for smaller home offices.

Measuring for a pendant is actually done the same way as it is for a chandelier! Remember to hang your pendant 7 feet above the floor.

Learn more about pendant sizing in our Complete Pendant Sizing Guide.

Consider Ceiling Mounts

Photo credit Doreen Corrigan

If you just read that advice about hanging a light 7 feet above the floor and thought “oh, jeez, is my home office space even 7 feet tall to begin with,” then this section is for you. Ceiling mount lights are so named because they hang very close to the ceiling, making them a great ambient light solution for rooms that have low ceilings.

There are actually two types of ceiling mount light: flush mount and semi-flush mount. Flush mounts sit flush with the ceiling, whereas semi-flush mount lights hang down just a little bit.

Guess what? Measuring for a ceiling mount light is really similar to the way you’d measure for a chandelier or pendant! Just focus only on finding the right width for the light.

Here are some more chic work-from-home looks to inspire you:

Photo credit Charlotte Smith from At Charlotte’s House

Hey, the kids need somewhere to do their schoolwork, right?

This cute little work from home table has it all: the computer, a plant to add a little touch of vibrancy, an inspiration board and a peppy pendant!

Photo credit Megan Pittman of She is Meg Marie

This home office includes some fun details, like the chic chair, the art gallery, the mirror (which makes the room look bigger!), the rug and the gorgeous Sputnik style chandelier.

Photo credit Christina Goldsmith

Love the repeated use of brass and black throughout this home office, including in the chandelier.

Remember to wash your hands and stay home whenever you can! We deliver with free shipping on all orders over $49, so you can pep up your home office easily during these uneasy times. Ready to shop? Start here.