The coronavirus pandemic has most of us using our homes as one-stop shops for work and play — whether these spaces seem equipped to serve both purposes or not.
The Track checked in with Boston designer Taniya Nayak, whose aesthetic expertise can be seen on shows like the Food Network’s “Restaurant: Impossible” and ABC’s “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” and she shared her tips on how to make our quarantine quarters work while we’re WFH.
Detach yourself, if possible
“If you’re lucky enough to have a screened-in porch or garage, that’s the perfect place to set up shop because you can get away from everything. You can actually feel like you’re going to work and when you’re done, you walk back in and it’s out of sight. I think one of the toughest things for anyone who works from home is that it’s really hard to set boundaries.”
Find the nooks and crannies
“Some people may have a staircase where there’s empty space underneath. That’s a good little nook for working. It’s helpful to find those nooks that are off the beaten path and that we’ve never really thought of as usable space for anything else, like a corner that’s tucked away. If you have an extra mirror lying around the house, prop the mirror up on the wall so that if you’re facing the corner, you don’t feel like you’re just staring at a dead wall all day.”
Hide your supplies
“If you have a bar cart or anything that has casters on it, that can roll away and that’s not too heavy, this is the spot for all of your pencils, pens, cords, notepads. You can roll it in and start working. At the end of the day, put everything back on there and roll it away. If you don’t have a rolly cart, get a box or a crate. Otherwise work can take over your home.”
Stay out the bedroom
“I’m always hesitant to say put a desk in your bedroom. It could be your most ideal spot in terms of being able to close yourself off from the rest of your house. But we’re all riddled with anxiety right now and the last thing you want to do is make your bedroom a place that evokes more stress, so just make sure you’re still able to close it all down.”
Repurpose existing pieces
“If you have a console table or a sofa table, use it as your desk. Put it in front of a window with a barstool or a chair that’s the right height for that table so you can utilize it for function rather than decoration like you usually do. I guarantee that most people can find and reuse furniture that they already have.”
Make a DIY desk
“Take two bookshelves or two nightstands that are the same height and put a hollow core door on top of them to create a makeshift desk. Then, you can also utilize those drawers and other shelves to store your stuff. If it’s not a door, it can be some sort of flat piece of scrap wood, a sheet of plywood or one of those loose melamine shelves that you can buy online. If you’re working in the garage, saw horses and, again, a piece of scrap wood is another good way to create a desk.”
Pay attention to acoustics
“For conference calls, I would 100 percent say to go into a closet that’s padded with clothing. It’s the best place if you want quiet and privacy. Don’t go into the bathroom. The bathroom is all hard surfaces, it echoes and everyone will know you’re in the bathroom — but no one will know what exactly you’re doing in the bathroom.”
Keep it clean for video conferencing
“Make sure that your background is clean and organized because you’re literally letting your coworkers into your home and they will judge you. If you have a clean, less cluttered backdrop, it’s less distracting and people can focus on what you’re saying.”
