A home office has become more important to home-owners since the onset of Covid-19, shows new research from the Real Estate Buyers Agents Association.

The study reveals the top five priorities are now: (1) kitchen; (2) outdoor entertaining area; (3) home office; (4) multiple living areas; and (5) bedrooms.

This marks quite a sharp change in behaviour, as two years ago the home office did not even make the top 10, says REBAA president Cate Bakos.

“Buyers are looking for a quiet space to work from home, specifically a space away from the family living area, whether this be a separate office or an extra bedroom that can accommodate this,” she says.

“No longer is a study nook, or a small allocated space for a desk, a suitable alternative for a professional and/or creative worker.

“We are now seeing a heightened demand for second study spaces, more generously proportioned co-working spaces in the home and a sharp focus on internet connectivity.”

Think Chic
Your space should inspire you—and reflect your unique personality. So don’t be afraid to go all out. “We wanted to design a space that was fashionable, functional and reflected the homeowner personality. The black accent wall added some drama and depth to the space and we added a chandelier above the desk to add a little glitz and glamour. The wood tiled sideboard keeps the space organized, serving as a storage unit for beauty products and countertop for office supplies. The functionality of the space makes it possible for you to stay on top of the business side.

Get The Look: One way to glam up a home office is by refreshing your lighting. This eye-catching pendant lamp with gold detailing from Target will give your space a luxurious, yet professional feel.

Add Green
Breathe some life into your space, so you’ll want to stay longer. “I try to ensure a balanced home office which is practical, ergonomic, comfortable, and clean—if these elements aren’t in place, I know I’ll end up working at the kitchen table! A lovely plant is said to help keep you feeling calm and clean the air—plus it looks pretty too. I like either a Snake Plant or a ZZ plant. Both look lovely, are good for cleaning the air, and are low maintenance!”

Get The Look: We adore this elevated cute little clay planter—perfect home for a snake plant—to add some dimension to your work space.

Find the Rug
Ground your space with a colourful area rug—for visual interest and soothing sound-absorption. “The multi-coloured rug brings in other colours that accent the peach and green nicely, too. But you could also do a neutral grey rug with this colour’s combo. Keep the furniture simple and clean to make it sleeker, and then add in some green foliage to give the room some texture!”.

Get The Look: World Market is great for beautiful, affordable textiles, and we’re loving this multi-shaded patterned rug, which works with light blue, plum, apricot, or creamy white walls.

Let Light in
Stay connected to the great outdoors. “Natural light makes a space feel bigger—which is always a plus in a small space. For my home office I actually used fogged window film on all the windows so I could always have the blinds up. This allows enough light to feed the plants in the room and keep them, as well as myself, lively! And when you feel alive, you’re always more efficient.”

Get The Look: If you, like Jane, have an office that also functions as a dressing room/walk-in closet, affix a non-adhesive frosted film to windows, to allow sunlight into your space while maintaining privacy.