Bournemouth workers are spending £900 creating a home office

New lifestyle research has revealed a growing trend among adults working from home in the town. 

Pre-pandemic most homes in the town did not have a home office and due to limited living space, 60 per cent of workers have redesigned their bedroom to become a multi-use 'Bedoffice' concept. 

More than a third of workers report that they find it more relaxing to work from their ‘Bedoffice’ as it helps them to mentally detach from their living space during the working day.

While more than a quarter of workers stated that working in a ‘Bedoffice’ makes them feel as if they are in a hotel room - which is a refreshing thought during the lockdown and makes them more creative and motivated.

The study conducted by Travelodge surveyed 2,000 British workers to seek how they are managing to work from home.

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One of the key findings revealed that 57 per cent of workers in Bournemouth have invested on average £900 during the pandemic revamping their bedroom into a ‘BedOffice’.

This expense covers redesigning, decorating and purchasing new furniture, equipment, accessories and decoration to create a chic hotel room look and practical working and living space. 

The study revealed that people are buying new chairs and office supplies since workng from home (image - unsplash). 

The top ten purchases workers in Bournemouth have made to transform their bedroom into a ‘BedOffice’ include:

1.     A comfy high back executive swing chair

2.     A spacious desk with lots of drawers

3.     Ambient room lighting including new lamps

4.     Posh stationery

5.     A printer

6.     Updated their laptop or computer

7.     A nice coffee machine / jar of biscuits

8.     A large flat screen TV / monitor  

9.     A desk plant / flowers 

10.  Scented candles and diffuser   

As part of the ‘BedOffice’ redesign, 25 per cent of workers have converted their existing dressing table into an office desk.

Interestingly, one in three adults have created an artistic feature wall so that they have an interesting backdrop for their zoom calls.  

In addition 55 per cent of workers in Bournemouth have installed soft lighting and extra lamps so that they have the correct lighting to work in and for back lighting when taking a Zoom call.  

The report also revealed that 25 per cent of people  like to work from their bed as they can spread their paperwork across the bed and make more use of their space.     

Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge spokeswoman said: “It’s not surprising that workers in Bournemouth are taking inspiration from hotels to convert their bedroom into a ‘BedOffice’ as it’s an ideal workable solution when space is limited at home."

The study also revealed that 85 per cent of workers are working longer hours being based at home and are using their normal commuter time as part of their working day.

Around a fifth reported that they don’t take an official lunch break due to being absorbed in their work.

Respondents in Bournemouth were asked what they miss the most about not going into the workplace and 39 per cent of workers in the town reported they missed work gossip the most. 

Over a third of adults stated that they miss their team and colleagues whilst 29 per cent said they miss travelling for business. 

If you have started working from home during the pandemic, let us know what you miss the most in the comments.