How to design your study room

The study room is a space that should reflect a person’s character and individuality. It should be organised, furnished, and decorated in a way that allows the user to feel comfortable and productive and should not include distractions. However, this does not mean it has to be austere and boring. The two basic elements of a practical home office or study nook is that the space should be professional and comfortable. Professional doesn’t mean it has to be standard office décor, it should be neat, clean, and super-organised.

But there are certain elements you need to keep in mind while designing your own study corner.

Furniture

Always go for a well-designed desk and chair. Since you are going to spend maximum time on your desk, it must feel comfortable. Plan for proper storages and open shelves to keep your stuff behind your back. Scale down to the size of your children. Possibly the most comfortable item in your study room should be the chair. Ergonomically designed, well-fitted to the need and design scheme of the space overall. The height of the chair should allow your knees to be bent also at 90 degrees and your feet should rest flat on the floor.

Lighting

The study corner will require soft ambient lighting and a task light next to the desk like a reading lamp with a throw that can be adjusted. It’s also good to have plenty of natural light in this room. The reading chair should be comfortable and ergonomically designed. If space permits, do add a lounge chair where you can put up your feet and relax. If there is shortage of natural light, then add table lamps or floor lamps, it provides easy access and control to the direction and intensity of the light.

Functionality

Here comes the trick for neat and super clean look for the study area. The functional areas of the study corner should be planned well. Your storage drawers should have organisers for stationery and files. Make sure there are enough electrical points for your digital gadgets. And it would be aesthetically pleasing if all the electrical points are concealed. Ample storage racks alongside the simple white or grey desk will also be a functional solution if you have less space. The utilitarian wooden chair is as simple as the rest of the design. Keep the study corner separated from rest of the house by using partitions or screens. Other items that can border off your corner include strategically placing a tall bookshelf, a cabinet or even a row of plants.

Make it a motivated space

Motivation is important to all of us, but it also differs greatly. A simple board with the right message can go a long way. Your message board can be creative, bright, or just a random splash of colourful post-its organised well. Just make sure you pick a right message to display. Other motivated senses you can stimulate with the addition of music or smell by adding a fragrant candle.

Stylish solutions matter

Be true to your personal taste and that substance can be stylish. There are no rules that desks need to be drab or office chairs to be ugly. The homework hub should be ideal for multiple users. The niche station encourages concentration and gives plenty of wall space for the shelves. Warm wood tones of the shelves can be incorporated with the overall theme.

wknd@khaleejtimes.com

Sharma is an architect at Designsmith

• Dubai