State and Season’s Lucy Small, licensed home designer, MBA, and alternative living expert, who shares tips for WFH in the country. Many city-dwellers are flocking to the country and many wonders: Is the Internet a thing out there? Some have underground fiber pulled directly to homes and some may get satellite on sunny days only. She says, “Don’t be discouraged if there’s no Internet where you want to work – utility companies are usually very willing to work with you on expanding their service area. Once you have the basics figured out, you’re free to optimize your space with factors proven to improve concentration and productivity.”
For home design tips for 2022, Small believes whitewashes are out, neutrals are in. The last few years have seen the extreme popularity of modern farmhouse and coastal designs that have leaned heavily on “shabby chic” white-washed woods and slightly beat-up decor. In 2022 the new “clean, light, and airy” is a trend of color through a skin tone palette – favoring shades like peach, taupe, and caramel. Minimalism is in, but not sparse; make it functional. Not just painting walls and furniture white to make it look like a clean house, but investing in hutches and consoles to keep clutter to a minimum.
Small shares some insightful advice to help you get through the WFH experience in the country and increase productivity:
- Daylighting: ensure your work location has plenty of daylight and no harsh lighting hung directly above or behind you that may cast shadows over your work area. Adding an accent table lamp is necessary. Add shades or blinds if you face east or west and work in the morning or dusk. WFH
- Quality views: having something nice to look at through the window has been literally proven to increase work quality. WFH
- Thermal comfort: Whatever your temperature preference is, make sure you have it in your work area to keep your concentration on the work.
- Test your air quality in all spaces where you spend the most time, such as your office or bedroom, and adjust as needed. Make sure your CO2 levels are good and any other potential hazards are addressed. Add a humidifier if your air is too dry or a dehumidifier. WFH
- Ergonomics: The right desk is the right height and depth for your stature and equipment (type of computer). Good desk chairs have armrests and lumbar support. A foot rest helps to not cross your legs and keeps blood flow going. WFH
Small continues, “Temperature and climate are really important when designing interiors and exteriors, especially if you’re trying to build sustainable, fitting environments into your landscape. Which direction we position our home can mean the difference between feeling like a roast turkey at 5 pm or comfortably watching the sunset as you finish up a day of work at your desk without straining your eyes. The climate of an area *should* affect your home design and building materials.” WFH
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More about Small
Before her life in Blue Ridge, the Canadian-native had a years-long tech career as a digital specialty executive at large advertising agencies and left to pursue an MBA in Behavioral Economics with a dissertation on Staving Off Hedonic Adaptation in Position Goods, which is to say How To Keep People Happy With The Large Purchases They’ve Made. After spending so long building in the digital space, she wanted to understand how to create physical spaces that promote happiness and well-being in the long term. Now with a licensed GC business partner, she runs State and Season to build the kinds of places that people love to be in. WFH
More about State and Season
State and Season Home Design & Supply is North Georgia’s first top luxury design showroom and retail one-stop shop for all things home design, construction, materials, furnishing, and more. This one-of-a-kind home design company offers comprehensive exterior and interior design services for residential and commercial projects. Emphasizing their mastery in renovations, remodeling, architectural, engineering, and custom builder services, State and Season Home Design & Supply also provides complete home or portion of home custom interior design services. From building materials, furniture, and accents to home goods each item in the showroom is thoughtfully sourced and curated all ensuring quality and sustainability that fit with your custom look and style. WFH
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