How to Incorporate a Study Nook in Your Custom Joinery
With working from home becoming more common, having a good set up is more of a consideration than ever. If your home’s floor plan doesn’t have an existing study with custom joinery, or there are a few people in your household fighting over the one available space to work from home, it can be a challenge to come up with a solution.
Even if you do have the space to set up a desk, it can also be hard to find one that ticks all your boxes. Whether it’s too long for your space, doesn’t have the storage you need or looks awkward against the wall, finding the right desk is easier said than done!
With a flexible working set to stay, it’s time to reevaluate that makeshift workspace at the kitchen table and plan for a long-term solution that meets your needs. Creating a dedicated study nook with custom joinery means you can create a workspace to suit you, relieving pressure on other areas of the home (and potentially solving those arguments over who gets to use the study once and for all).
Here’s how you can incorporate a study nook into your own home.
Choose the right location
The first decision to make when planning your study nook is where to put it.
As you’ll potentially spend a lot of time there, choose an area with natural light and ventilation. This will help to regulate the temperature and ensure you aren’t engulfed by shadows during any virtual meetings.
Speaking of meetings, if you take a lot of calls then situating your nook away from common areas may help to reduce noise and interruptions.
If you have young kids on the other hand, a study nook close to the kitchen and living area means you can easily multitask when required. This can also double as a homework station.
Keep it all in proportion
Once you’ve decided on a spot for your study nook, it’s time to take measurements for your custom joinery. If you’re currently working from an existing desk, you can use this as a reference as you go.
We generally recommend placing your desk at around 750mm up the wall, and wouldn’t recommend going any shallower than 500mm for width.
A general rule of thumb is that the bigger your computer screen is, the deeper your work surface should be – make sure you have ample room to set up your monitor/s, a keyboard, mouse and any other accessories or notepads you’ll use during the workday. Don’t forget to factor in room for your seat to pull out as well, without impacting the room around it.
In terms of length, leave at least 800mm for each seat, ideally wider if you have the space. You can always run the work surface along the length of your wall, and fill the space underneath with additional storage.
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Optimise your storage
Speaking of storage, an added benefit of installing a study nook with custom joinery is that you can create extra cupboards, shelves or drawers in the same material.
The addition of storage can help to tie a space together – in small spaces, opt for open shelving which draws the eye upwards (and doubles as a style statement) to avoid the space feeling cramped.
Power your workstation
Lastly, think about the devices you use or need access to while working and make sure you include the electrical infrastructure in your custom joinery to accommodate them.
Powerpoints can be easily concealed either on the wall or on the benchtop, with the option of adding USB ports for smaller devices. You may also want to include powerpoints in your cupboards for printers or laminators, so you can preserve space on the desktop (and keep these out of sight).
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If your study nook doesn’t get enough natural light, you can also add a downlight or pendant to brighten the workspace. Strip lighting underneath overhead cupboards can also help to illuminate your desk in a way that isn’t so harsh, a key consideration if your nook neighbours a communal living space.
And there you have it! A customised workstation that will make working from home all the more enjoyable for you and your family.
If you’d like to create a study nook in your home, let us help – we specialise in custom joinery for all rooms of the home. Get in touch with us for a no-obligation quote.
