Staying In | Working from Home Now and in the Future

Styling and photography by Michelle Halford / TDC

As people adjust to working from home, many are discovering that not only is it doable, there are also added benefits to working remotely. Not only is it better for the environment, we're saving time and money on commutes and avoiding the many distractions that come with working in a busy office environment. Perhaps this will even lead to a new way of working in the future. I for one can highly recommend it, especially once the kids are back at school! I touched on the workspace in my first Staying In blog post, but today I wanted to hone in on the different elements required to make a functional office space at home. Blown away by the response to the image of my little workspace (above) that I recently posted on Instagram, which included loads of shares and people asking me questions (mostly about my desk!) this is clearly still a hot topic right now. 

Kidney Desk by Fred Rigby / Francis Gallery

— Desks —

While I dream of my next desk being a sculptural, curved piece like the one above, I know that my back will appreciate an adjustable standing desk. Two that I've been eyeing up are the Montana HiLow desk and the BoConcept Phoenix Electric office desk. BoConcept also have a great range of minimalist desk designs to suit a home office space. My current desk has evolved over the years but has served me well since I first set up my office. It's now a simple plywood top which was custom made to suit the space, paired with some steel trestle legs that used to belong to our previous dining table. In terms of positioning, I would recommend placing your desk by a window if possible, to let in some natural light and fresh air. 

Cube Office N-VL by Arjaan De Feyter Interior Architects / Photography by Piet-Albert Goethals

For a simple, minimalist solution, built-in desks are a great option. To help keep the desk clutter at bay, go a step further and install some simple floating shelves above. 

For compact spaces, the Menu Rail Desk by Japanese designer Keiji Ashizawa is ideal. The neat, precision-made piece in natural or stained oak offers multiple functions – as a desk, counter or shelf to store books, hung at any height you choose. That way it can be used beyond a temporary workspace and lends itself to almost any setting, fitting neatly into both living areas and bedrooms where space is tight.

If you need to go compact with the desk, and let's face it, many of us do when it comes to our home, look for desks that have built-in storage elements. The Scrivette Desk by Plyroom has a lid that allows for access to the storage space within the desk, rather than losing bits and pieces at the back of a drawer. Beautifully crafted from Baltic birch and Tasmanian oak, the materials exemplify a Japanese aesthetic concept of wabi: simplicity and quietude incorporating rustic beauty.

— Desk Accessories —

A few simple accessories to store papers, pens and other everyday items will help keep your space tidy. The 2x2 Organiser above is by Jamie Wolfond for ferm Living, and the Dania Letter Tray below is by Skagerak. 

I also love the Nomad Pen Holder and Tray by Skagerak, and the Città Oku series of storage boxes and trays, both shown below.

Tool boxes are another great desk accessory for storing pens and stationery and are particularly useful if you don't have a permanent office spot at home. I've rounded up some favourites below.

Koppa Tool Box by Verso Design 

Clockwise from left: Yamazaki Tosca Organiser and  Tower Tool Box both from Father Rabbit, Vitra Toolbox from Città and Hay Tool Box

— Task Lighting —

Good lighting is so important, especially when working in the evenings. You may remember the office above from my last blog post. I can't get enough of this space featuring Dinesen flooring, custom desk, stool, shelving and peg rail. The iconic PH Table Lamp by Louis Poulsen looks right at home here. The Arum table lamp by ferm Living, shown below, is another favourite. 

— Seating —  

When it comes to choosing an office chair, I believe that you can't go past classic Danish design for the right combination of comfort, aesthetics and functionality. Here are two of my top picks. 

Striking the perfect balance between geometric and organic shapes, the contoured curves of the Menu Harbour Chair  offers maximum support, while enveloping the body in its slender shell. Offered in a range of shapes, materials and finishes, allowing for total customisation, it also comes with the option of a swivel base and/or castors making it ideal for the home office.

The Fiber Armchair by Muuto is designed with embracing curves to provide extensive comfort, while taking up little space in the room. The option of swivel base with castors allows for ease of movement.

To see more from the Staying In Series, take a look here. 

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Staying In | Rearranging Areas of Home to Create a Fresh Feel

I’m trying not to count the days we are in lockdown, as I know it’s likely it will extend beyond the four weeks. It did however dawn on me today that it’s been a whole week since I’ve driven anywhere or been outside of my local area. I feel so lucky that we can still get outside and walk or bike down to our beautiful basin reserve - more often than not the sun has been shining and I find the water so cathartic - but feelings of cabin fever are starting to creep in. In my first Staying In post I touched on the subject of decluttering to help with your mental state of mind and keep feelings of anxiety at bay. Of course it’s not always easy with kids at home, and the chaos they create, but what we've found is that we can now invest more time in getting them involved in household chores. With our help, our youngest tidied and rearranged his room yesterday and it’s lovely to see how excited he is by the change. It's true what they say - change is good for the soul - and now is a great time to rearrange furniture to create a fresh feeling. We recently reconfigured our upstairs living room by moving one of the sofas and coffee tables, and it has made such a difference to the feel of the room.

Whether you have an open-plan space or separate living room, there is no set way of configuring furniture. While you will no doubt have fixed pieces, such as a wall-mounted television already wired in, or a shelving unit secured to the wall (like our String System above), work around these and try switching or moving pieces of furniture. For example if you have a sofa and two armchairs, you could switch these around. Move other pieces such as coffee and side side tables and rugs accordingly, and see how much even a simple change can invigorate the space. Other pieces I move quite regularly are our mirror (a change of reflection can be fun), our plinth and floor lamps.

In addition to reconfiguring pieces around home, it's also a good time to be resourceful. As a stylist in NZ (where we are so far from the rest of the world),  this comes with the territory and there has been many times where I've had to think outside the box because I haven't been able to source what I want for home or a shoot. After finally choosing a side table for our downstairs living room and waiting patiently through the long lead time (that has been especially long due to the pandemic), I was excited to hear today that it has arrived in NZ but must be held in the warehouse until couriers are safe to transport non-essential items. In the meantime I've improvised by stacking a couple of my extra-large cushions and I have to say, it's working pretty well. 

On a smaller scale, shelves are a great place to while away the time with some rearranging. Perfect for displaying books, flowers, ceramics and favourite objects, I find the best way to approach restyling of shelves is to take everything off, give them a good clean and then start from scratch. Get creative and display pieces in different ways, such as books facing out to showcase beautiful covers, or arranged according to colour. Change out your dried flowers or forage some simple branches from outside and play around with different groupings to create a nice balance of differing heights, tones and textures. It's also a good way to declutter, and more often than not I end up culling a few things to give to hospice, family or friends. Otherwise they are put in the 'props cupboard' in our garage to bring out when I'm doing another round of rearranging. Collecting pieces slowly, over time, means that you'll want to hold on to them for as long as possible. 

Styling and photography by Michelle Halford/TDC

For more Staying In posts, take a look here and here. 

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Staying In | Creating a Bathroom Sanctuary for Self-Care

Referring back to last week's blog post Staying In: Simple Ways to Enhance your Home Room by Room, you may have noticed that I left out the bathroom. The reason for this was that I wanted to do a separate post, with a focus on self-care. If you're feeling overwhelmed, stressed or anxious - all perfectly normal responses to what is happening with the pandemic right now - it's important to go easy on yourself and take time for self-care. For me, I know this will include keeping active and getting outdoors, staying connected to friends (through text, phone and video calls), reading uplifting books (and taking a break from the news and social media). I also believe that the bathroom can provide a sanctuary within your home to escape and unwind. 

Bathroom Design by Michelle Halford- TDC / Photography by Helen Bankers 

With NZ now transitioning into lockdown, we are adjusting to being at home, all together, all the time. I know that it will be more important than ever to carve out a little 'me-time', even if it's just ten minutes everyday. Whether your bathroom is spacious or compact, needing a full makeover or just looking a little tired, there are ways of improving the overall vibe so that it becomes a special place to retreat to.

Bathroom Design by Constanze Ladner / Photography by Renée Kemps

Declutter and organise. If you're a hoarder of beauty products, be ruthless and keep only what you know you'll use. If storage is limited, organise your products. Woven baskets work really well (Corcovado have a wonderful selection), or use a little toolbox such as this Yamazaki one.

Bring some nature inside. You may not be able to shop for plants right now, but you can always forage outside! I love the look of simple branches like in the image above.

Run a Bath. The bathroom is the one room in the house in which you can find solitude. If you're feeling strung out or need time to simply breathe and gather your thoughts, book in time for soak in a warm bath. Light a candle and add some bath oils to nourish the skin. 

Skin and Hair Care Rituals. I love taking the time to care for my skin and hair, trying a new serum, applying a face mask or conditioning treatment to my hair. I'm looking forward to going make-up free for a while and letting my skin breathe. I try to make face masks a regular ritual but often, when life gets busy, it goes by the wayside. Now is a great time to get back on track. Hand cream is another must right now with so much hand washing. Remember to support local businesses at this time. NZ brands that I love are Sans Ceuticals (I swear by their Activator 7 Body + Hair + Face Oil and Hair Care products) and Ashley & Co (for beautiful Botanical Hand Wash and Intensive Hand Hydration). 

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Staying In | Simple Ways to Enhance your Home Room by Room

It's been a strange week adjusting to a new normal and navigating our way through this time of uncertainty. I know that many of you will be practising social distancing and working from home if possible, and others will be in full scale lockdown, juggling work with home-schooling of kids. I've been taking it one day at a time, and thinking a lot about my platform and ways I can help, even in some small way. I hope that, despite everything that is happening, TDC can be a place for you to visit, to lighten your load, and feel a sense of calm. If there is something in particular you would like to see more of right now, please do let me know.

In light of the current situation, where many have no choice but to stay home, I wanted to round up some simple ways to make your home as appealing and as comfortable as possible. I've broken it down room by room, with a focus on making the most of your current space. If you are able to treat yourself to some online shopping, be sure to support local businesses, as they need all the help they can get right now. 

— Kitchen —

As the hub of the home, the kitchen is a place we we often congregate as a family. Since I've been staying at home more, I find myself gravitating towards the kitchen, thinking more about meal times, and enjoying my Nespresso coffee making ritual more than ever. Why not try out a new recipe or some baking? Making an extra effort to keep the bench clutter free, I'm planning on using this time to clean out the pantry, cupboards and drawers. Now is a great time to declutter and get organised (in any area of the home). You could start a herb garden or pick some flowers from the garden to bring inside. Nothing brightens up a kitchen more than fresh flowers. If you don't have a garden, think about treating yourself to a bunch from a local delivery company. The flowers on our kitchen benchtop are from Bloom Social, who offer the convenience of bloom delivery subscriptions.

  

— Living Room —

Whether you're working from home with your laptop, watching Netflix or have your nose in a book, it's inevitable that you'll be spending more time on the sofa, so it makes sense to make it as comfy as possible. While you may not be able to invest in a brand new sofa, cushions and throws are an easy way of adding comfort, texture and cosiness. The photo below was from a recent collaboration with Book Depository where I got to choose a couple of beautiful design books that had been on my wish list. Now is a great time to pick up that book you've been meaning to read, or why not treat yourself to a beautiful new coffee table book? You'll find some great ideas here and here. 

You may remember this Home Styling Post on Creating Sensory Spaces - a great one to revisit right now. Scented candles are one of my favourite sensory elements, as are flowers. Instead of throwing away dead flowers, let them dry out. It's fun experimenting with different varieties and you'll be surprised how beautiful they can turn out. My red roses, shown below, transformed into a beautiful deep hue. 

— Dining Room —

Being open plan, our dining room is a casual affair where we sit down for dinner every evening as a family. But it can quickly become a gathering ground for kids activities, work paraphernalia and styling props. From what I hear, this is a common theme for those who work from home. Whether your dining area is similar to ours, or a more formal space, try to keep your space clutter-free and spruce it up with some table top pieces such as a beautiful centre piece, candle holders or flowers. If you have a space that opens to the outside (it could be your kitchen, living room or even bedroom), open the doors - weather permitting - and let the light in as much as possible.

— Bedroom —

A place where we retreat at the end of the day, I recommend creating a tranquil bedroom space. For me, that means pared back simplicity with a neutral palette. Fresh bedlinen can transform the room and as I've said many times before, linen bedding is my go-to. Making the bed everyday is another good habit to get into while being at home so much! Add some personal touches to your bedside such as flowers in a textural ceramic vase, or a scented candle.

— Workspace —

I'm lucky in that I already work from home, so have my own office. However that wasn't always the case, and I remember the days of moving from the sofa to the dining table to the bedroom with my laptop in tow! If you don't have your own dedicated space, you may need to get creative. Is there an unused nook where you can set up a makeshift desk? Or what about something more permanent? Now is a great time to try out a DIY project, and even after you return to work, a home office nook is so handy to have long-term. If that's not possible and you find yourself at the dining table, carve out your own space and make it as functional as possible. My office is compact, but I love keeping the area tidy and surrounding myself with favourite objects and personal touches.

A fantastic local concept that came across my desk today is SheShed, a range of specialised wooden cabins that suit a wide range of uses, including a home office. A great option for those working from home in the coming months, they can be converted into other uses (such as a teenage space) at a later date if the need to work from home changes. Quick to build, without a huge outlay of funds, SheShed offers free freight in NZ and doesn’t require a council permit. Find out more here. 

— Laundry —

I'm not embarrassed to admit that for me, one perk of working from home is being able to keep on top of the washing! While it's not my favourite past time, I do find that having a tidy and functional laundry space makes it feel like much less of a chore. Another great DIY project to tackle right now, you can read more about our laundry makeover here. 

Styling and photography by Michelle Halford/TDC

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