5 Outdoor Office Ideas for Your Garden

Looking for outdoor office inspiration? Want to enjoy the nice weather whilst it lasts? No problem. We’ve got you sorted. More and more of us are now WFH due to circumstances we are all aware of. No longer do we need to stick to the conformities of the work’s office environment. Gone are the days of sitting at an uncomfortable desk under cheap LED lighting. No longer are you distracted by your colleagues’ personal lives or office pranks. Now you’ve sussed out how to work indoors at home comfortably, but when the sunshine starts shining all day long, you can’t help but feel drawn to the outdoors. So it’s time to create the perfect garden office!

From must-have outdoor Wi-Fi to making your garden home office reflect your sense of style, find out how to create the perfect outdoor office right here!

1. Create comfort in your outdoor office

Image source: Ikea via Pinterest

When you're sat down all day answering emails, having video calls and bossing every task that comes your way, comfort is key. After all, nobody loves a numb derriere! And a LOT of garden furniture is made from very hard, durable, cold materials which doesn't help. Basically, garden furniture is made to survive different extremities in the wild outdoors. But the solution to uncomfortable seating? Padded seat cushions. From patterned or plain, washable and waterproof, choose cushions that are big enough to cover the seat and suit your exterior design style.

If you live in colder climates, opt for warm and cozy blankets to wrap around you when the wind turns chilly. Blankets also act as great padding for the back of a chair if you tend to get backache. For those who are lucky enough to live in a hot corner of the world, always have a handy mini fan at hand to keep you cool on those ultra-humid days.

Image source: Audenza

If you are concerned about cold toes on cold flags (or want to create more of a cozy look in your outdoor office) opt for a plastic or rattan outdoor rug.

A parasol is another must-have to keep your garden home office comfortable. This will protect you from the sun, stop the glare on your laptop screen and help to keep your machine cool too. As well as a parasol, have you thought about a laptop sunshade as well? Both are great for making the screen easy to read.

If you live where there are lots of insects, opt for bug deterrents such as an insect shield lantern, anti-insect candles, or make your own peppermint spray. Drink covers are also a great idea to keep insects out. You don’t want to be in mid-meeting and nearly drink a wasp that has been enjoying a swim in your glass of water!

To sum it up, you need:

• Comfy chair cushions
• Blankets and a mini fan
• An outdoor rug
• A parasol Bug deterrents

2. Make your outdoor office easy and functional

Image source: Amazon via Pinterest

In any office space, it’s important to stay organized, but sometimes this can prove difficult in a garden office. Different from an indoor home office, you always need to set up and tidy away your office equipment every day. And if you make this a long and tedious task, you will soon give up working outside because it takes too long. That’s why you need to make working outside easy and functional with an outdoor office trolley.

Fill your garden office trolley with all the equipment you need: writing pads, stationery, drinks, work journal, laptop charger, etc. Easily roll it outside when the working day begins and roll it back inside at the end of the day – no fuss! The sooner you can enjoy your outdoor area without any reminders of work, the better! Nobody wants to enjoy an evening glass of wine with your meeting notes in your line of vision…

To sum it up, you need:

• An office trolley to easily roll out and in your equipment

3. Inject your style into your outdoor office

Image source: Lights4Fun

Comfort – check! Functionality – check! But what about how your outdoor office space looks? Of course, you don’t NEED a lovely garden to get tasks done, but how your work environment looks will affect your productivity and motivation. Plus, if your garden isn’t aesthetically pleasing, why would you want to sit in it anyway?

The most obvious answer to decorating your garden office is plants and lots of them! If you have a lovely garden with room for flower beds, plant meadow flowers to attract bees or your favorite colorful blooms to bring your garden to life. If your outdoor home office is on a balcony or in a courtyard, pots are your friend. Gathered in a cluster, placed on shelves or hanging from a veranda, plant pots that are abundant with pretty flowers and greenery will give you something to enjoy when you rest your eyes from the screen.

For ambiance on those dark yet warm days, choose beautiful lighting. Drape fairy lights around your garden office or place/hang lamps to create a calm atmosphere in your beautiful outside office space.

To sum it up, you need:

• Beautiful plants - whether in beds or pots
• Fairy lights or lanterns
• Custom-made outdoor metal wall art

4. Make sure your tech and Wi-Fi works in your outdoor office

You’ve created an office outside that is comfortable, organized and looks utterly fabulous. But what about the all-important Wi-Fi connection and technical gadgets that you NEED to get through the working day? Here’s what not to forget.

Make sure the wireless router or access point is in the back of your home nearest to your garden or backyard to ensure a good connection. A mesh Wi-Fi router will connect to your modem to bring your existing internet connection to your outdoor space.

Remember to include an outdoor extension cord in your outdoor office to keep your laptop fully charged at all times. Nothing is worse than your laptop dying out on you before you saved that all-important document! Choose one that can be planted into the ground with protective covers so that it is sheltered from any rainfall.

Nobody wants to annoy the neighbors (after all, who will put your trash bins out when you’re on holiday)! That’s why you need ear phones to keep the noise level to a minimum. These are crucial for when you are in meetings or listening to music whilst working.

A lot of people have found that their mouse doesn’t work on the surface of their outdoor table. That’s where a good mouse mat will prove useful! Also, avoid wires outside and choose a wireless mouse to make working easier.

To sum it up, you need:

• A good Wi-Fi connection
• An outdoor extension chord
• Ear phones
• A wireless mouse and mouse mat

5. Keep work info confidential in your outdoor office

Another reason why earphones are a must-have gadget is because of work confidentiality. But this only works if what YOU are saying isn’t breaching confidentiality but only the person on the other line. When it comes to meetings or phone calls that are really private to your work, go inside. You never know who can hear you when you are in your garden office so it is always safe to make sure you are indoors. Once the call is over, return to your serene office in the outdoors and carry on with the task at hand.

If you are concerned about anyone hacking into your work laptop, use a VPN. Often, a lot of workplaces arrange this for their employees but if not, it is good to have. For added protection, make sure the machine you are working on has well-recommended security software. Whether it belongs to you or your work, if you are working on it, it needs to be secure.

To sum it up, you need:

• To go indoors if you are speaking about confidential issues
• Sort out a VPN
• Set up security software

Do you have ideas on how to set up the perfect outdoor office? Let us in on your ideas and leave a comment