After working from compact bedrooms all my life - where resting, entertainment and being productive were always rolled into one - I finally had the opportunity to turn an entire room into a dedicated home office space in 2020.
I still pinch myself everyday for this blessing and so grateful for this space that is my most treasured room in my house.
I understand a lot of you may be short on space and looking to convert some part of your home into an office that is inspiring, aesthetic, organised and most importantly functional for your needs as a creative.
So here are some of my most important learnings after turning a room into an effective home office as a Professional Food Photographer, Food Stylist and Food Content Creator -
Choose a room/corner with good natural lighting - The first thing I did when we were finalising this apartment is to check which room gets the most amount of natural light and turned it into my office and it made a huge difference in my overall productivity and mood, especially since I work from home extensively and churn out content from home on a regular basis.
Organise and label - As a photographer and stylist, my gear and prop inventory is always growing and sometimes the amount of things that add up over time can be very overwhelming. To tackle this, I organised my entire office into various sections, sorted items of similar use in smaller, easier to access boxes and labelled everything. This has been a complete life saver on shoot days when we need to find things quickly and have deadlines to meet.
Colour coordinate your props - Colour coordinating all my props and sorting them based on material (For ex: brass and gold in one place, wooden props in another) has enabled me to quicken the process of packing for shoots because every project demands a specific colour palette and comes with a specific visual direction.
Designate areas based on workflow - In terms of organising and upkeep of your home office, there is no one size fits all approach. As a creative professional, our needs are ever evolving and are very specific to the nature of projects we do, so it is important to carefully assess what your workflow is and then organise your space.
I made the mistake of organising for looks first and function later, only to realise that function is KEY. The most question to ask yourself is - how long does it take you to find something when you're looking for it?
Decorate with what you own - Decorating your home office does not need to be expensive. I understand it is tempting to see Youtube videos of people unboxing their latest decor hauls and showing endless visits to stores, but that is not the only way to approach decor.
You can often find that restyling items you already have can be so refreshing.
I brought one of my father's old point and shoot camera to style one of my prop shelves, used a ring light as a floor lamp and a lot of hamper and e-commerce boxes are used to store and organise lighting gear, cables and other knick-knacks. I even decorate with my cookbooks, cake stands and they always manage to make me feel like I am living my Pinterest-y office dream. If you still want to buy some smaller decor items, shelves or organisers, IKEA has some excellent options that are budget friendly and aesthetic. Featured above is the Billy Bookcase that has been an amazing and cheap storage option for my props.
Invest in a high back chair and a sturdy desk - A high back chair is a must have for those long hours of editing, pre-production and research. I also use a cushion to support my back further (hello mid 30s).
Also consider investing in a desk that gives you enough room for all your devices and keeping your most used stationery at an arm's reach. Standing desks are excellent too if you are open to spend more.
Declutter, donate, reorganise, reuse - Whenever I feel stuck professionally or creatively, I undertake a decluttering project at my home office or even reorganise it for a cool makeover and some fresh perspective.
I regularly evaluate the things that are not used often and find ways to either donate, sell or reuse it. For example, some plates and bowls from my prop collection don't align with my current style of shooting anymore so I decided to use it to serve snacks and food to friends and family because why not.
Minimalism is key (as much as you can) - Just like negative space is important in a photograph, it is important in our home too. Resist the urge to fill every empty space in your office with stuff and instead make as much space as you can for your mind to breathe, look around and come up with ideas. Clutter is the arch nemesis of productivity so make a mess while you create and wrap up everything once you close for the day because nothing feels better than stepping into a sparkling clean office everyday to create your best work and showcase your gifts to the world.
BONUS TIPS FOR FOOD STYLISTS -
Please ensure to regularly clean and sanitise your brushes, pans, napkins, apron and other cooking tools after every shoot.
Food colours, pizza cutters and sharp knives are best stored in plastic covers/paper wraps/tissues to avoid spillage and any serious injuries.
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