In The Poetics of Space by Gaston Bachelard, he writes that the primary benefit of the house is that it "shelters daydreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace." But what about when your home is your workplace and your workplace your home? Everything is topsy turvy and you can no longer stare absentmindedly out of the window without fear of recrimination. Instead, you feel the need to clamp down your imaginative capacities, because you think "I really should be working." Well, here at Because we have sought to rebalance our lives and protect our daydreaming by investing in a few key objects to help draw those essential spatio-temporal demarcations between home-and work-life.
Caroline Issa, Editor-In-Chief
I'll use candles usually only in the evenings, when I want to unwind after a productive day, and this Sana Jardin is a favourite brand of mine due to all their incredible, socially-responsible giving back, and working with women cooperatives in Morroco, with the women who pick the flowers to make the scent essences. A beautiful brand making wonderfully scented fragrances and candles.
I'd love some fancy plates to eat my salads on, and why not one with a bird on it to show a bit of decadence! This Villeroy & Boch one is no business meeting salad plate, this is a dinner party plate!
I've been meaning to get rid of some hideous wallpaper my flat came with... seven years later I think I've finally found what I want to replace it with. Cue heron-printed Gucci wallpaper, perfect for reimaging my terribly orange room into somewhere I might be able to be productive in.
Carmen Bellot, Junior Fashion Editor
Now that my living space is also my working space, there needs to be some clear dividers that divide the two. My bedroom is now my sanctuary for 'me' time; as I go to bed I make sure to leave my laptop on my dining table, and I use this space to catch up on reading and yoga exercises. So as any sacred space, you should dress it accordingly. I'm trying to take extra care into my plants – I'm notoriously known for killing them off in record timing – and this Arket plant hanger is a decorative gift from me to them.
I want to make my bed to be as inviting in the evening as it is when I need to get out of it in the mornings, meaning I'll be sure to make my bed and place these Kilometre Paris cushions on it, to make it the most enticing bed it can be.
On another note, what better way to stop yourself from working into the late hours than with a cocktail?! Why not use that extra time that would've gone into your commute home, into perfecting an Espresso Martini with this Georg Jenson cocktail shaker? Consummate the end of a working day with your favourite drink, and fastrack your way to a relaxed evening.
Delia Wagner, Publishing Assistant
I have lived in the UK since the beginning of my studies, but it took entering the working world for me to fully understand the importance of a good cup of tea. What better way to keep yourself motivated and in the flow of things than with a delicious tea blend, poured from Wedgwood’s Vera Wang Grosgrain pot that in itself makes your working from home space feel like a classic tea room. Bonus: mix it up with some ginger for an extra immune boost.
Spending your entire day at home can be challenging but let's look on the bright side: we can finally justify getting ourselves (or our loved ones) these gorgeous flowers we always admire but feel guilty buying because we're never at home. And what better way to enjoy them even more than with a flower vase that seconds as an art piece like this one by Anissa Kermiche?
One of the top tips from psychologists and long-time working from home experts is to clearly distinguish your working hours from the hours you spend at home. Unwinding after a long day is just as important when working from home as it is after a day at the office. For those not fortunate enough to carve out a separate physical space for working only, there are easy ways to transform your living room from a place of productivity to a place of relaxation- enter the warm and soft embrace of a cashmere blanket by Denis Colomb.
Nasreen Osman, Project Co-Ordinator
I always need a good cup of tea to start my day, and for as long as I can remember, I've been strangely particular about the mug of my choosing. Maybe it's because they were a classic go-to birthday gift in my family and everyone had their mug. Working from home now, I've unknowingly chosen two different mugs to draw the line between work and home. From 9 to 5, I go for something streamlined, minimal and almost serious like this one from Royal Crown Derby. But after hours, I opt for something silly, fun and ridiculously oversized. Crazy, I know.
When you're in the office, it's easy to scribble down notes on post-its, slap it onto the computer and leave it all there for the next day. But at home, once it's time to switch off, I try not to have many work-related reminders in sight, and that's where a really good planner, such as this one by The Completist, comes in handy. I imagine my whole work day as living in those to-do lists and notes section, and leave it closed till the next day – out of sight, out of mind.
With many of my items and furniture now serving a dual purpose, I try to save a few as an indulgence. Case in point: a velvety-soft cushion from DAY Birger et Mikkelsen Home. As tempting as it is, I keep it away from my work chair and strictly to my bedroom so that when my head hits the bed in time for a movie, it feels a little bit like relaxation heaven.
