Turn Your Ideal Home into an Ideal Workspace
There are plenty of great benefits to living in a log cabin, ranging from health improvements to a change of scenery. While it may sound great to live in a log cabin somewhere that’s removed from urban or suburban life, there are other concerns you may have before you make that investment. One of the most obvious concerns is a long commute to work. However, if you are able to work remotely, then it’s highly likely you could convert a part of your ideal home into an ideal workplace. A log cabin home office isn’t too hard to set up, and in many ways, they are better workspaces than you may find in an office setting.
Advantages to a Log Cabin Office
There are several advantages to having a home office in a log cabin. To be brief, I’ll outline a few here: a log cabin allows for a healthier workspace. These spaces are better for mental and physical health. We’ve written before about the specific benefits to living in a log cabin, but to recap some of them, the look of a log cabin has a calming effect for most people. There is also ample opportunity for better and more natural lighting than an office space would allow for. This is better for inducing productivity and maintaining eye health.
A log cabin office is also environmentally friendly. Timber is a naturally renewable resource; it can last for a long period of time, especially if there is a good-quality stain on the timber. You can also use sustainably grown wood to reduce your carbon footprint.
A final advantage to working in a log cabin is that log cabins are easy to construct. With the ease of construction, it’s possible to even have a small home office in the form of a log cabin. This will add a picturesque feature in your yard and give you the perfect escape to work. No permit is required in the US for this, so long as the cabin falls under certain guidelines. Since timber is a great insulator, this cabin is energy efficient and capable of maintaining consistent temperatures. They are also easy to maintain, especially if you use good-quality timber and metal roofing equipment.
Getting Started: Finding a Space
There are a few things to keep in mind when you start designing your office. The first is a pretty obvious one, but it is very important; you need to find a good space that you’re not using for your office. This sounds simple, but you really need to keep in mind what sort of needs you have for this space. Do you need room to move? Is the space big enough to fit your desk, your office furniture, your shelves? To decide this, think about some of the spaces you may have in your cabin. Common places for a home office tend to be a spare bedroom, a basement, a walk-in closet, or an attic. Regardless of the specific room you choose, all that really matters is that the room can accommodate your work life needs.
Consider What Style Best Suits You
There are many different types of design you may use when you start setting up your home office. A good design style for productivity is often a minimalist design. This often constitutes just a desk, a chair, your work equipment, and maybe some shelves for files. This is good for a few reasons; less furniture means more of a focus on work. Less decoration can also make for less distraction.
However, if you’re going to be working long hours consistently, you probably want to be comfortable. If so, you can design your office to have a more comfortable feel. Designs like this often include a desk with lots of room, a lot of comfortable, back-supporting furniture, and using cool, soft colors on your walls and floors to help set your mind to the task at hand while also making the work less strenuous on your body.
If you have a family, you may want to have some space for your children to join you with their work. Maybe your office can be a place for them to do homework or other kinds of projects. If that’s something that appeals to you, then have fun by mixing colors that appeal to you and your children. Make sure to include furniture that is practical for both your work and theirs. It is also a good idea to have storage space for their school supplies available in the office.
The Final Concern: Strong Internet Connection
If you live in a log cabin, there is a chance that you are far removed from a wired internet connection. If you do happen to have your cabin somewhere remote, be sure there is a way to get a strong internet connection. Installing mobile broadband can create a secure, private Wi-Fi network that’s powered by mobile data. This sort of broadband can have download speeds up to 40 mbps and an upload speed of up to 8.5 mbps, allowing for video streaming and even online gaming support.
To do this, simply find the nearest cell tower to your cabin and connect to it. You should be able to connect to any tower that’s less than 45 miles away. After this is done, select the best data plan from the nearest carrier. Next, install the wireless router in your cabin. Depending on who you purchase your plan through, you may need to buy a router and insert the SIM card into it. Once the router is set up, you should be able to get a good internet connection for both work and leisure.
Do What Makes You Comfortable
However you set up your office, what’s most important is that it fits your cabin goals. We hope these suggestions prove helpful and help to make your cabin your ideal home!