In today’s world, more and more couples are finding themselves working from home together. Maybe even roommates. While this can be a great way to spend more time together, it can also be a challenge to create a functional and stylish shared home office for two people.
However, with a little planning and some creative thinking, you can design a space that meets both your needs and your aesthetic preferences. And, most importantly, helps both of you enjoy working from home together rather than hating it.
Here are some tips on how to succeed with a shared home office for two.
Why a shared office might be the best option for some couples at home
A shared home office for two might be the best option for some couples because it gives them the chance to spend more time together while working. Or when one has to work and the other just wants to hang out by her or his computer.
There are plenty of benefits to sharing a home office, logistically speaking. For one thing, it can be a great way to save on space. If you have a small home or live in a crowded city, every square foot counts. And two people can definitely make better use of a home office than one person can.
Depending on where you are in life this may or may not be that relevant, but especially for younger people and students, sharing a home office will do wonders for your monthly budget.
Sharing a home office can also be great for your wallet in other situations. You can split the cost of things like furniture, printer ink, internet, and paper.
You can also help each other out with logistics during the day. Depending on your individual work schedules, you can take turns watching your kids or taking your pets for a walk, or feeding them while the other person works. Working from home with small children or animals like dogs and cats can be challenging, but if you share the responsibility while working from home it will get easier.
But perhaps the best benefit of all is that a shared home office for two can help keep you accountable and motivated. It’s easy to get distracted and bored when you work from home alone, it can be quite isolating, and some people really hate working from home. But sharing it with someone can make it much more fun.
These benefits amongst others are reasons why a shared home office for two might be a great solution for you and the person you are living with.
How to set up your shared home office for two
When two people decide to share a home office, there are certain things they should avoid doing in order to make the space work for both of them. The most important thing is to listen to each other and realize what is important for the other to be productive and enjoy working from home in the shared home office.
Firstly, find a nice space in your home where you can find two people working from a computer.
Don’t try to divide the space evenly. Just because you’re sharing the home office doesn’t mean you have to split it down the middle. You or the other person may need more desk space than the other, or one person may prefer to have a comfortable chair while the other is fine with standing at a desk. Find what works for both of you and go with it. Be pragmatic and thoughtful.
Don’t forget about storage. It’s important to have enough storage for both people in the office so that things don’t get cluttered and chaotic. Make sure there are enough shelves, drawers, and bins for both of you to store your belongings.
Limit yourself. When two people share a home office, there may be twice the amount of clutter and mess. Keep in mind that you need to tidy up the office regularly but also limit yourself in terms of adding different stuff to the shared home office. Try and take a minimalist approach and keep unnecessary stuff away from the desks.
Make sure that your shared home office is comfortable with good lighting and has good safety and ergonomics. Also, see if you can find a space that is quiet.
Remember to set up two desks - it will make everything easier
In a shared home office, two desks are important for organization and efficiency. By keeping work areas separate, each person can have their own space to stay organized and focused. This setup also allows for more flexibility in terms of design and decor. Having two desks gives each person a sense of ownership and privacy in the shared home office space.
By working from home you probably also do a lot of online meetings. It is hard to not disturb the person sharing the office with you but having separate desks, at least gives some more discretion to the other.
How to deal with conflicts in your shared home office
In a shared home office, it’s inevitable that conflicts will arise. Whether it’s over who gets the bigger desk, what time the lights should be turned off, or how loud is too loud, conflict is bound to happen. But there are ways to deal with these conflicts so that they don’t take over your working space. Here are some tips on how to deal with conflicts in your shared home office:
Talk it out: The first step is to always communicate with your officemate about any issues you’re having. By talking through the problem, you can usually come to a resolution that works for both of you.
Compromise: If talking it out doesn’t work, then you may need to compromise on the issue. This means giving a little bit so that the other person can get what they want too.
Set up some ground rules and make sure to stick to them. In a shared home office for two it is really easy to disturb each other. If one does not like listening to the radio or to music, the other should respect it.
Also, if one of you is extremely talkative and the other is not, you need to respect that one of you needs more silence and time to focus. By talking these things through you will have a much better chance of succeeding with sharing a home office.
Conclusion: Why a shared home office can be great for many
A shared home office can be great for many reasons. It can help to save on costs, and it can help to create a more collaborative environment. When you have someone else to bounce ideas off of and collaborate with, you can be more productive and come up with better results than if you were working alone.
Finally, a shared office can provide some much-needed social interaction. If you work from home full-time, it can be easy to become isolated. Having someone else in the office with you can help to combat that feeling of isolation and loneliness.
In conclusion, a shared home office can be great for many reasons. If you are considering sharing an office with someone, consider all of the benefits that it could bring you while also keeping in mind the challenges that may follow.
