3 Things You Should Do When You Work from the Dining Room Table

January 13th, 2021 Blog

3 Things You Should Do When You Work from the Dining Room Table

The dining room table is usually a place where friends and family connect over a delicious meal, but for a growing number of people, it moonlights as a workstation. Stay-at-home workers are pulling up a chair and getting down to business at their dining room tables — not to mention kitchen nooks, coffee tables, and any other flat surface they can find!

Whether you’re punching in from the dining room, kitchen, or living room, your solid wood furniture is pulling double duty with no signs of stopping. It may be a while before you can return to the office as work-from-home orders continue in the new year.

To make sure it’s up for the job, take a look at this guide. Here are some ideas to help you get the most out of your makeshift workspace.

1. Think About Your Seat

While a durable wood dining table provides a surface for your files and computer, don’t overlook the chair your pull up to the table top. Working from home is hard enough without having to sit on a creaky chair with a spring that digs into your back. At best, it can be a distraction, but at worst, it can lead to back problems. Do your spine a favour and invest in an ergonomic chair and take a peek at these posture tips.

2. Use Protection

A hot cup of joe in the morning, a laptop with a secure Wi-Fi connection, and a notebook probably join you when you’re working at a solid wood table. While they may seem rather harmless tools of the trade, they can damage the solid wood table top. To make sure your 9–5 habits aren’t leaving behind marks on your beautiful table, invest in coasters and a desk pad. These accessories protect your table from scratches, heat, and condensation.

3. Avoid Sun Exposure

While the winter sun may be shy, what little we see of it is intense. Sun exposure can cause your solid wood furniture to age prematurely, just like your skin. Except when it comes to your table top, you can expect fading and discolouration rather than wrinkles.

Our choice of sealant extends the lifetime of your finish, but you can improve its longevity by positioning your table out of the sun’s direct path.

Is it Time for an Upgrade?

While a solid wood dining table may function as a workstation in a pinch, it isn’t a perfect substitute for a desk designed for professionals. It lacks the drawers, cabinets, and other organizational features that control your work-from-home environment — not to mention it’s smack-dab in the middle of a high-traffic area of your home.

When your dining table no longer meets your professional standards, it’s time to invest in solid wood office furniture. Take a look at our detached desks, credenzas, and workstations to get a feel for your options. With a large range of office furniture available in a variety of woods, stains, and finishes, there’s something to suit your work needs and design preferences.

If you’re ready to build a complete home office from the ground up, we also handcraft full office suites. Our collections contain everything you need to get started, including desks, cabinets, and bookcases.

Get in touch to learn more about how we can handcraft you a piece of furniture that will help you work from home like a pro.