Workstations at home are becoming more and more important, especially as work-from-home and hybrid models emerge. But urban homes are also more compact, so one may not always be able to assign a designated area for their workstations, let alone an entire home office room or study room.
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However, in compact urban homes, every corner can offer multiple purposes, creating functional workspace corners without clutter.
All you need are a few smart changes to create a setup that feels more organised, comfortable and suited to your daily routine.
To understand how urban homes can accommodate smarter work-from-home setups, HT Lifestyle reached out to Shailly Mandiwal, Country Home Furnishing Direction Leader at IKEA India. She described that a workstation should be flexible enough to adapt to everyday routine. “The idea is to make homes a little more flexible, a little more playful, and easier to work from- without losing their warmth.”
In smaller homes, a work set-up has to fit into spaces that, in a way, already serve several purposes throughout the day. According to Mandiwal, a few small changes can help create a space that feels organised and suitable for everyday work. The challenge is to create a corner that supports focus and comfort without making the room feel crowded or overly office-like. What you need is an adaptable set of solutions that help to blend the workspace in your home.
“WFH is very common these days. The idea is simple: make homes a little more flexible, a little more playful, and easier to work from- without losing their warmth. A few thoughtful additions can help every corner do more, in its own easy way.”
Here are some of the tips from Shailly Mandiwal of IKEA India on how to create a smarter, more flexible and organised work-from-home setup in compact urban homes.
1. Double-duty furniture
- Use the dining table as a workstation when there is no space for a separate desk.
- Turn a comfortable sofa into a spot for quick calls and catch-ups between meetings.
- Add foldable tables, a bed tray, cushions, or laptop stands to improve comfort.
- Choose pieces that can be moved or stored easily when the workday ends.
- Make the furniture you own serve more than one purpose.
2. A workstation that can move with you
- Keep frequently used work essentials like chargers, notebooks, headphones and stationery in a trolley basket or portable organiser.
- Store everything together so you do not have to pack and unpack these work items.
- A portable workstation helps prevent documents and accessories from spreading across different parts of the home.
