How to efficiently illuminate your Home Office

In today's fast-paced world, the need for a comfortable and well-lit home office space is more crucial than ever. Whether you have a dedicated room for your office or are making the most of a small living room corner.

Working remotely at home may seem very simple, all that is needed is a good internet connection and a computer to work on, but in reality, Smart Working to be efficient must be organized with appropriate space and technology.

The main element that can improve the effectiveness of working is the workstation. Creating a suitable, comfortable, and ergonomic working environment is of utmost importance. Lighting management for a space dedicated to work is imperative, as lighting also determines our productivity and contributes to creating a pleasant and comfortable environment.

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The balance between artificial and natural light is one of the main aspects contemplated when choosing the correct lighting for a space in the house dedicated to working. Sometimes it is not enough to count on the level of natural lighting to guarantee visual comfort. In these cases, it is necessary to use artificial lighting solutions that compensate for the missing brightness by balancing direct and indirect light to achieve ideal visual comfort.

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There are various ways to illuminate workstations, from wall lights to pendant lamps to LED spotlights. The ideal lighting for a work area is a combination of general and accent lighting. General lighting requires a beam angle of more than 90°, while accent lighting of less than 90°.

The workstation should provide uniform light with a color temperature of no less than 4000 Kelvin to aid concentration without straining the eyes. Indeed, it has been proven that productivity and concentration, can be enhanced by cool white light with a high percentage of blue. If there is little natural light, a good solution is to use a color temperature of around 6500 Kelvin for brighter light. As far as brightness is concerned, a value of 500 lx (a bulb of approx. 1000 lumens) is ideal for work, according to the European DIN EN 12464-1 standard for interior lighting in workplaces.

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Another important aspect is the glare index that arises from the types of lamps used in the workspaces. The UGR (Unified Glare Ratio) is a value that measures the glare produced by a luminaire to the human eye. According to the recommendations of the European standard EN 12464-1, UGR values ≤19 are recommended for office spaces to ensure a comfortable visual environment while environments with UGR>28 are considered visually disturbing. 

Lights above the workstation must not produce glare or flicker, particularly on the computer monitor. In addition to being distracting, other unfavorable effects come into play, such as headaches and fatigue. LED light is an ideal solution because it is more energy efficient and longer lasting than any other lighting technology, has a better light output, and reduces the risk of flicker.

For those with limited space, transforming a corner of your living room into a mini office is a practical solution. The key to success here is to merge functionality and aesthetics. Use a combination of ambient, task and accent lighting. Start with an adjustable floor lamp as ambient light, complemented by a task lamp on your desk. Add accent lighting with wall sconces or decorative pendant lights for a cozy atmosphere.

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A cozy kitchen nook can double as a functional workspace with the right lighting strategy. Utilize under-cabinet LED lights to brighten your workspace. Overhead pendant lights or a chandelier can provide ambient lighting. Make sure to add a dimmer switch for adjustable brightness, allowing you to adapt the lighting to different tasks throughout the day.

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If you have a separate room for your home office, you have more flexibility in your lighting choices. Consider a combination of overhead lighting (such as recessed lights or a ceiling fixture) for ambient illumination. Task lighting with a desk lamp or adjustable LED track lighting is essential for focused work.  

Thanks to good workplace lighting, it is possible to maintain the same level of productivity and comfort in smart working as in a classic office.