7 Genius WFH Solutions From the 2021 IKEA Catalog
With winter fast approaching, now is the time to redesign anything at home that’ll set you up for remote work success. Days will soon be getting shorter, and for some, the weather will be getting chillier, so tips that’ll help you stay focused, productive, and uplifted indoors are worth incorporating into your space. If you need a place to start, let the 2021 IKEA catalog be your guide—here are seven WFH solutions that we came across.
Instead of throwing everything into giant bins, opt for smaller, more organized solutions that can be tucked under a desk or placed on a shelf. In the photo above, there is tiny yet mighty storage everywhere, like the ALEX drawers on wheels underneath and alongside the folding desk. When items are contained and in order, you’ll know where to reach for what—without getting overwhelmed by clutter (we’ve all been there).
Make a room divider out of the IVAR storage combination. Place it in an open space where you want to create more designated zones, including your working area. The beauty of it is, if returning to an office is in your future, you can move the unit and make into something else. Plus, additional storage never goes out of style.
If you have multiple remote workers at home, each person can have a NISSAFORS cart to fill with supplies they need for the workday. Carts make up little real estate, and it allows for everyone to feel like they can create a designated work station wherever. Then, at the end of the day, you can push the cart to the back of the wall and use the space for something else.
A power nap can do wonders when the afternoon slump hits, so use a curtain to create a relaxation zone in close proximity to your work area. While the room above isn’t necessarily where you would take a quick rest (it would turn into a much longer nap), it serves as a good example for how it can create a calm corner in an otherwise functional room.
“From lively living room cozy, closed-in sleep space with just the tug of this curtain,” the catalog says. “There are so many good reasons to take one, but really, you don’t need an excuse. A nap is nothing to feel guilty about—it’s something to be proud of!”
Hang your laptop bag, headphones, cozy slippers that you like to put on for Zoom calls on this KARTOTEK coat hanger. It’s a great way to keep things in place for when you need them to get in the zone, and it also doubles as an attractive organizing option. “Shelves, hooks, boxes, and memo boards create a solid defense against day-to-day clutter, with touches of natural materials that make this hallway truly feel like home,” the catalog reads.
A pegboard like SKÅDIS can be a good way to store everyday work items while not always having them right next to you. The catalog describes the pegboard as “a place to store them and maybe also a reason to get a well-deserved break from them.”
Supportive seating is also extremely important when working from home, for both physical and mental reasons. The NILSERIK above, for example, can keep your posture in check while taking up little to no space.
Even seven months into working from home, maintaining a routine is still so important. Install something like these BJÄRNUM hooks that allow you to hang what you’re wearing the night before and add some normalcy back in. Or, if spontaneous selection is your style, it can at least clear off a few things from your desk that would otherwise distract you.