The rules: setting up a home office

If you're tired of spending hours on trains commuting to and from work, or you're finding it hard to juggle your career with picking the kids up from school, then it may be time to consider working from home.
It may not be the easiest transition, but it's sure to be one that will make reaching that work-life balance a lot easier.
Interior designer and stylist Juliet Love has these tips for setting up a home office.
Functionality
Storage is key to making a home office work for you, says Sydney-based Love.
She suggests using a small filing cabinet, bookshelf, boxes for storing discs and decorating the room with cherished items. Love, who is also a television presenter, is a big believer in surrounding yourself with things that you love and find inspirational.
"More and more people are working from home and so I think it's really important to dedicate a space that is really organised and functional and somewhere that you can be motivated to be productive throughout the day," she says.
"The first thing is to clear the space and make it as organised as possible because it's pretty hard to be organised in a space that's not organised, if that makes sense."

Find inspiration
Decorating your office with inspiration can be as simple as hanging a pin board on a wall and posting favourite phrases or pictures on it.
"You don't want to go overboard though because it is a work space," says Love, "but just a couple of things around you that you'll look at throughout the day that will keep you going."
She suggests photographs, inspirational quotes from books or websites, pages from favourite magazines and artwork.
Furniture
Having the right furniture means a lot when it comes to being productive. Love says it's a must to have an ergonomic chair and a proper desk.
She says using a proper desk instead of another piece of furniture, such as a dining table, is important. She says the right desk and chair will be easier for you to work at and help you to be motivated and productive.
If you're thinking of grabbing your laptop and plonking on the lounge with a blanket, think again.
Stay focused
There are a lot of distractions around the home, and some of us may find it hard not to duck into the laundry to throw on a load of washing, or stay out of the kitchen cooking up a dinner feast. But when you're working from home, staying focused is crucial.
Love says to avoid the temptation to tidy, have a dedicated space and make it as organised as possible.
"When you're there treat it like you're at an office outside of your home," she says.
"Another trick that works for a lot people is to actually make sure that in the mornings you get dressed as though you're going into an office where you're going to be seeing a lot of people.
"If you're all dressed for the day and you're going into whatever your space is that is your home office and you're not just in your pyjamas or your tracksuit, that also has a psychological effect on how you work at home."
So no pot roasts, afternoon tea guests or midday telemovies.
Plants
For an extra touch to your home office and to get rid of any stale or musty air, add a pot plant to your desk.
"I love having plants around," says Love. "I actually have a lot around my own home because they clean the air for you."
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Source: The Age