For many of us, working from home is a change of pace. It can be challenging to have healthy work-life separation and a productive work environment if you live in a small space and your amenities are closed. Here are some tips on setting up your apartment to work from home.

Whether you have a studio apartment or just want to section off your living space, there are few quick and easy ways to create an additional room. You can use a tension rod to hang curtains on the exposed side of your bed to give yourself a designated bedroom area in your studio.

Bedroom created with curtains, Courtesy of IKEA

You can also use shelving to create a similar effect. Floating a couch in the middle of living space can give the illusion of separate rooms, as can area rugs.

A shelving unit used to separate rooms, Courtesy of IKEA

Another way to create work-home separation is to give your tables different designations. For instance, if you don’t have a desk, maybe you temporarily designate your dining table as your “office space” and eat at your island. If your island or peninsula has an outlet (as is the case in many new construction apartments) you can try designating the island as your “office” during your work from home period.

You can also create separation by having your furniture face different directions. For example, try putting your desk facing a window, so you’re not looking at the rest of your space while you’re in work mode. If you have a studio apartment, try facing your bed away from the rest of your apartment.

Having separation is important for keeping routine and healthy sleep behaviors. Regardless of whether you opt to break up your space, whatever you do, don’t bring your laptop or work materials into your bed. Keep work materials out of sight when it’s time to unwind by storing them in a designated spot.

Living space to bedroom convertible set, Courtesy of IKEA

In addition to setting up your space to be work from home conducive, it’s also crucial to optimize your living situation to be distraction free, which could mean communicating with roommates or other occupants about work from home agreements. For instance, put a “Work Mode” sign on the door to your bedroom, guest room, den, or wherever you’re working. Create expectations about what it means when that sign is up. Maybe it means they need to act as if you’re away at your office and should call, text, or email you to communicate rather than coming in or even knocking. Put away your pets during zoom calls. Resist the urge to do housework in the middle of the work day.

If you’re conducting your apartment search, DAC offers virtual tours which are, as always, a completely complimentary service. For more information about virtual tours and remote showings, contact us today! We’d be happy to keep you in the Loop!

Do you telecommute or like to work outside the office? We love Starbucks just as much as the next crew, but sometimes its great to switch up your environment. Check out some of our favorite “work from home” spots in the River North, West Loop, and West Town neighborhoods!

West Town Bakery- West Town (with locations in River North and Wrigleyville)

West Town Bakery serves up unique pastries, diner fare, and Dark Matter coffee, which is known for being extra strong and flavorful. Although there are many bakeries with awesome food selections, this one made our list because of the abundant seating space and wireless printer, from PrintWithMe. West Town Bakery also has great daily specials. Stop in from 7am-9am daily for a $5 coffee-and-pastry special.

3 Greens Market and Coffee- River North

3 Greens is so much more than the average coffee shop; Its a one stop-shop for many famous Chicago favorites including the Au Cheval burger, Dillman’s pastrami, and Green Street smoked meats, as well as hot and cold salad bars, coffee, and alcoholic beverages. Unlike the coffee shops that close in the early evening, this work from home spot is open until 8pm. 3 Greens Market has eclectic decor with a variety of seating from large sofas and recliner chairs,  2-person tables, and bar seating, to long 12-person tables and standard 4-person tables.

The quirky, charming vibe feels more akin to being at a ski lodge than in the middle of downtown Chicago.

Click here for more information on luxury apartments near River North!

Limitless Coffee- West Loop

It’s hard to find something that isn’t spectacular at Limitless Coffee. The all white and gold decor, large windows, and skylights make Limitless a bright space with plenty of natural light. The large conference table in the back has its own white board on the wall for larger meetings and additional 2-seater tables and booths for smaller meetings.

Limitless customers enjoy the famous, very instagrammable lattes, including: charcoal-glitter (it’s much better than it sounds), rose-beet, reishi mushroom, and matcha, as well as a large selection of avocado toasts.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters- West Loop

The functional space at this West Loop coffee shop includes abundant countertop seating and outlets at every chair. Stumptown Coffee Roasters is in the lobby of the Ace Hotel and offers standard beverages, like drip coffee and espresso drinks, as well as unique options like kombuchade.

Click here for more information on luxury apartments near West Loop!

By Sophie Morrison