Poteet Villaseñor-Gimenez is mom to two boys who are currently undergoing online schooling. She and her husband also work from home — so it was important to create efficient and airy work and study spaces for all four family members. Let’s visit her family’s Personal Space to see how they set up their home for working and studying.
Connected and comfortable
The spaces for work and study must be conducive for deep work, which means it must be uncluttered, quiet enough, and comfortable. For Poteet, the areas have to be interesting as well so it can inspire the occupant and not bore him or her while going through the many hours of online work.
“Each of the spaces allows us to concentrate and get our tasks done, but not in isolation,” she says. “It still gives us access to one another… we can quickly check up on one another because the home (has an) open plan. Isolation could lead to distraction or could actually lull one to sleep,” she adds.
Tips for creating better WFH spaces
Poteet shares the following ideas for readers who may want to create or re-create their own WFH spaces at home.
Make it interesting.
Online schooling and working from home are tedious activities. One spends so much time sitting in one place, so keep things interesting and the surroundings vibrant so it inspires! Poteet believes that “in the age of lockdown, boredom is the enemy — we must avoid this at all cost.”
Customize your furniture pieces based on how your family lives and how it naturally adapts to your home.
Buy items only if you need it and if there is proper storage for it. While there may be ready-made furniture that can meet your needs, sometimes customization works better especially if you’re the type who needs the pieces to work together to create a seamless look for the home.
Upcycle if you can.
Poteet loves it whenever she finds pieces with good frames or bones in secondhand shops. She enjoys the process of stripping them down, shopping for fabric, and working closely with the upholsterer on how to “re-do” the piece. Plus factor: it is also good for the environment.
What does your WFH setup look like? Share photos here.