The home office tends to be one of three things – chaotic HQ, little-used back-up, or finely honed sanctum of productivity. If you’re home office isn’t quite up to scratch (still using one of your contemporary dining chairs as a desk chair?) in terms of the best layout and design for the job, consider these expert interior design tips from our studio teams.

•    Think about layout and decor as you would in any other room. Wall colour, curtains, carpet, lighting; everything needs to be considered in order to create a stylish space conducive to productive work.

•    De-clutter. Brutally. Home offices can often be considered the best spots to leave superfluous bits and bobs that have no dedicated other spot in the home; some of the kids’ toys, a pile of catalogues, the suitcases from Prague that still haven’t been put back into the loft – a tidy office encourages a tidy mind, so banish all non-work junk from the room.

•    Storage is an essential home office component. As when choosing bedroom cabinets, cast a style eye over storage choices rather than simply opting for something dull and worksafe.

•    Invest in the proper products for the job. We stock top quality contemporary furniture for the home office. Each product has impressed us in terms of versatility, comfort, style, value and portability. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), many of the aches and pains associated with working long hours at a desk are primarily to do with poor furniture design that encourages bad posture.

Using modern furniture in your home is a great way to create a uniquely stylish yet functional space. But modern furnishing will only look great if they are placed correctly in your rooms. Taking some time to consider the placement of modern furniture will make your rooms a lot more usable, as well as creating rooms that you can be proud of.

Start by creating a floor plan for all the rooms that you wish to furnish. This will help you to assess how much furniture you can have in your room, as well as assessing whether your chosen furniture will fit. This will help you to choose furniture that will enhance your living space instead of swamping it, as well as helping you avoid overspending on furniture that’s too large for your room.

You should always start by choosing which piece of furniture will be the focal point of the room, and fit all the other pieces around that. For example, if you are considering modern bedroom furniture, always decide where your bed will go first. This will make the rooms more functional. You can then choose accessories that will enhance your focal point piece.

If you have any particularly large rooms, you can divide them, so the room can have various different functions. For example, for one end of a living room, you can create a living area with a sofa and coffee table, and choose some contemporary dining chairs and a table to create a dining area.