With increasing numbers of us now working from home, or just spending much more of our leisure time around the house, the idea of having a dedicated home office or gaming room is soaring in popularity. So, if you want to create the ultimate home office or gaming room in your home, what do you need to do?

Read this complete guide from Hey! to find out…

How to create the ideal home office setup

If you’ve decided to take the leap and create your very own home office or gaming room, what do you need to do to make it happen?

Well, we’ve set out what we think are the key considerations you should take into account when creating a home office or gaming room in your home.

Find a dedicated space

Want to really concentrate when you’re working? Do you want to play your games undisturbed? Then you should set up your home office or gaming room in a dedicated space.

Ideally this will be a spare room with a door, so you can shut yourself off from distractions and truly dedicate yourself to your work or gaming. For home offices a door is particularly important - as the door not only separates you from everything else going on in your home - but also symbolises a clear divide between work life and home life.

Should you not have a spare room that you can use solely as a dedicated home office or gaming room, then there is an alternative option; converting a guest room into a dual-use space.

Failing that, then utility rooms, enclosed porches, conservatories and even garden sheds can do ‘double duty’ as home offices or gaming rooms.

Ensure the space is comfortable

This may seem like a rather obvious point, but you’d be surprised at the number of times we’ve seen people set up home offices or gaming rooms in spaces/rooms that are dark, cramped and chilly.

You’re potentially going to be spending many hours in your home office or gaming room, so make sure you set it up in a space that’s comfortable.

Ensure that the space you choose is well-ventilated, has enough room for you to sit comfortably at a desk, is neither too cold nor too warm, and has enough light (but also won’t be in direct sunlight for long periods of time).

Ensure you are working at the correct height

Following on from our point about comfort above, you also want to make sure that you’ll be working at the correct height.

What we mean by this is that you will be using a desk or table that is of the correct height and won’t cause you back or joint pain.

The industry standard height for desks is 29 inches from the floor. Bear in mind though that this standard is based on writing on paper. If you’re going to be predominantly using a keyboard, then you’ll want a desk that is about 2 or 3 inches lower than that to compensate for the height of the keyboard.

However, if you’re feeling particularly active, you could always opt for a standing desk!

Get a good chair

That old kitchen chair won’t do. No, really. If you’re going to be working or gaming for long periods, then invest in a good-quality, ergonomically-shaped chair (your spine will thank you for it).

It’s possible to buy good quality office chairs from £80, and if you really want to splash the cash, then the sky's the limit. Either way, a good quality office chair really is a home office/gaming room essential.

And, if you’re truly a hardcore gamer, then you may want to invest in a dedicated gaming chair. Like quality office chairs, a decent gaming chair will offer ergonomic support as well as a high-level of adjustability.

Invest in some blackout curtains

Blackout curtains are an especially important addition to a home gaming room.

After all, you don’t want to have your gaming sessions interrupted by pesky screen glare. A good set of blackout curtains will also help you truly get in the ‘zone’ and minimise distractions from outside.

Make sure there are enough power sockets

The last thing you want to do is set up your home office or gaming room only to find there’s only a single measly power socket in there…

Today, home offices and gaming rooms require more than a single power outlet. Think about it - you may require plugs for a desktop PC/laptop, a monitor, several peripherals, a lamp, a fan, heater and any number of other office accessories.

But don’t worry if you do only have a small number of power sockets - there is a solution - the Hey! Smart Power Bar. This nifty power bar will not only give you three extra power sockets, but it also features six USB ports so you can quickly and easily charge your devices directly.

Check your internet connection

It’s no good setting up a home office or gaming room if you can’t get the internet in it. If, like many people, your router is situated elsewhere in the house, then make sure you can receive a strong WiFi signal in your chosen room.

If not, then you’ll either have to run an Ethernet connection directly from your router to your computer, or invest in a WiFi booster.

This is arguably one of the most important things to think about when setting up a home office or gaming room. Remember, WiFi is usually sufficient for general office work, but if you’re going to be doing some serious gaming and/or streaming, then you’ll definitely want to set up a wired connection to your router.

You should also consider how many other people are likely to be going to be using the internet in your home simultaneously. If you think you’ll be gaming whilst other people are streaming videos/films, then you may want to consider upgrading your internet package.

Sort your storage

Sure, many programs and games are now cloud-based these days, but it’s still likely that you’ll have plenty of odds and ends that can easily clutter up your home office or gaming room.

Whether it’s old DVDs, books or items of stationery, you’ll want to make sure you have some proper storage space set up within your home office/gaming room.

It’s important that your home office or gaming room has a proper lighting set up.

Lighting can affect everything from your mood to your productivity. So, invest in a decent set of smart lights to light your home office or gaming room.

Here at Hey! we stock a wide range of smart lights that are ideal for creating the perfect ambience and atmosphere in your office/gaming room.

Our ‘go-to’ piece of lighting kit is our Smart Bulb. It’s been featured in The Telegraph, Trusted Reviews and many other top publications and picked up great reviews across the web.

At only £10 the Smart Bulb is an affordable way of introducing smart home tech into your home office or gaming room. It’ll work with Alexa and Google Home and is easily controlled and adjusted using the free Hey! smartphone app.

It’s also easy to set up. Just follow our simple installation video and you’ll have your Smart Bulb operating in as little as 10 minutes.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our guide to setting up the ultimate home office or gaming room.

As you can see, a home office really isn’t complete unless it’s got some smart devices in it.

So, whether you want some cool lighting, want to be able to see if you have a delivery remotely or you want to keep an eye on the rest of the house, you’ll find the devices you need to do just that at Hey!

Shop smart home devices at Hey! now.

For more smart home advice and buying guides, check out the Hey! blog…

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The Best Smart Home Devices for Beginners

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