Jody Lowe, Wauwatosa, WI
I’ve found it helpful to be in a room facing a window with natural light for the numerous zoom and other video calls. I strategically located my office in the TV room to prevent daytime gaming/TV for the middle schooler who is also attempting to work from home. With no commute, travel or in-person meeting time, we spend a lot of time at our desks now. So I’ve tried to take a little extra time to take walks and occasionally get out of the office!
Ben Bishop, Greendale, WI
Given the need for a little schedule hopscotch while my wife is working at the hospital, I’ve found it helpful to locate my desk in a relatively toddler-friendly part of the house. As you can see in the photo, the cat—”Office Kitty” is her formal title—approves of the arrangement, possibly because of the overhead radiant heaters. The baby-gate enclosure keeps small hands away from electrical cords. It does not, however, keep the cat away during the two times per business day when she is relentlessly playful.
Katie Hinkfuss, Querétaro, Mexico
I’ve always worked remotely, so selfishly I have to admit it’s been nice that now more people automatically turn on video on calls- I feel much more connected to colleagues and clients! With my partner WFH too, we have worked out a system to communicate when the other doesn’t want to be interrupted (door closed= I’m busy, advanced warning before calls= always appreciated, especially since he’s near the kitchen!). Having plants and natural light makes for a more comfortable working environment. Maintaining a workspace that’s separate from where I eat/sleep/relax has been very helpful for truly unplugging when I am not working.
Greg Joslyn, Shorewood, WI
I have settled into the guest bedroom upstairs, which our cats, Lolita and El Chapo, had been led to believe was theirs alone. The three of us have resolved our differences, however, by bonding over our mutual antipathy for a woodpecker who shows up every morning at 9:15 sharp and goes to work on the lovely specimen tree just outside the window. For me, sneaking back to our offices one evening to retrieve my comfortable chair and a second monitor was a game changer (I’m that guy who always has several dozen windows open on my screen).
Isabel Post, Pittsfield, MA
Working from home had me feeling cooped up at first, so I moved my workstation to the dining room for a better view. My new coworkers are hard at work on the model airplanes you can see on the other side of the table.
Elizabeth Terry, Wauwatosa, WI
I’ve been working in my family’s (very cluttered) office space in the attic. Since work and home are now technically the same place, I find it helpful to have a space dedicated just for working that is separate from the rest of the house. That way, when I leave the attic I can turn off “work mode” and unplug for the rest of the day. Also, working by the windows allows me to get some sunshine, even if I’m spending most of the day indoors!