Like many creative professionals, leading Australian interior stylist and designer Jono Fleming is no stranger to working from home. In the first of the new series, Jono shares his expert advice and an inspired moodboard to help you create a space that works for both working and living.

When it comes to working from home, I consider myself somewhat of a professional. Prior to the events that resulted in everyone making the switch, I ran my interior design and styling business out of my spare room. Working from home wasn’t anything new for me, but what did change was that home became the only place I was allowed to be. It’s a brave new world we all faced together but I quickly learnt that having an adaptable and flexible space was the answer to breaking up the monotony of work from home life, and there are so many ways to help make your space pull double or even triple duty when the occasion calls for it.

Change of Scenery

I was very lucky to have my spare room double as an office, but when my partner started to work from home as well, I realised I wasn’t used to a co-worker next to me tapping loudly on a keyboard. To keep my mind active and maintain sanity in the home, I started doing what so many people have done over the last year or so, working from the dining table. KING has a beautiful range of dining tables, a personal favourite being the Issho Collection. With their simple timber tops and sculptural bases, it elevates the form of a dining table to something really special.

Issho Dining Table in Onyx.

When it comes to making that dining table an office, there are a few key ways I approach it. I like to give my ‘home office’ a different mood when I start the day. I sit down and I light a candle or put on some essential oils, and I have a different playlist of music I put on during ‘work hours’. These little actions, the rituals we undertake can help demarcate the work zone. Things like bringing a house plant to the table, setting the space up like it is your office in a small way can make all the difference. And, make sure at the end of the day you pack away everything you can. You want to remove any signs of work and business which will clear your mind and clear the visual clutter that can tend to overwhelm your desk.

In his moodboard, Jono combines texture and a neutral palette with flexible designs perfect for both working and living.

Double Duty

If you have a smaller space and don’t need to spread out across an entire table (as I tend to do with samples and drawings) consider pieces of furniture that can act as ‘double duty’ items. Console tables like the Quay or Canyon are perfect for turning into that compact desk space, the Canyon even has drawers where you can put things away at the end of the day. Console tables are ideal for small spaces, with their slim depth it’s easy to tuck away against a wall or in a corner of the home without taking up too much space. Grab a dining chair, a great lamp, and you’ve got an instant work zone.

Quay Console Table in Onyx and Pallino Table Lamp in Enamel White.

When it comes to seating, we don’t always want a big office chair on wheels to be in the middle of our living room. Pieces like the Amara soft dining chair with the hard timber back will keep you sitting up straight whilst keeping you padded with the cushioned seat. The best part is the seat, customisable with the wide range of fabrics in the KING collection, whether you want to stay on trend with a textured boucle like the Bowen in Natural White or more natural like the Olsen in Tuscany, there’s a fabric to suit any home and style.

Amara Soft Dining Chair in Whiteley Riverstone.

Make it Personal

This leads to the most important point of all, making your home and home office reflect your personal style. The best part of working from home is that you’re no longer bound to the designs of the corporate office! No more ceiling tiles, static-y carpet, and plain walls. This is your home and you get to call the shots. Bring in texture and comfort to your space through decor, lighting, and rugs. These are really easy pieces to add to your home to reinvigorate a space. The Oceania Rug is a standout piece, bringing pattern and texture into the home but still falling in a neutral palette. It’s a statement piece without taking the spotlight.

Oceania Rug in Night Sky.

Change the mood in your office and home with some layered lighting, turning off your work from home space is just as important as creating it. Dimming the lights and turning on a lamp at the end of the day not only helps again with the ritual of the day but helps make your home space feel warm, personal, and not like an office.

We’ve all gone through tremendous change in the last year and some of these changes are looking to be more permanent. Working from home is now a new normal, and not just a temporary measure, so make sure you’ve considered how you work and live in your space simultaneously. Once you figure out your routine and your setup, your workspace can turn out even better than it was before, and that’s always a good thing.