Today’s blog features Jennette’s workspace as part of my Home/Work project. I visited Jennette at her home in January to photograph her wonderfully relaxing treatment room in her home.
What type of business do you run?
I run a complementary therapy business from home called The Relaxology Room. I use Neal’s Yard Remedy products and I am a Senior Consultant for NYR Organic which gives me a commission of 25% off the products.
When did you start working from home full-time?
I finished college in June 2015 and knew that I did not want to work as a junior member of staff on minimum wage in a local salon so we set up The Relaxology Room in the spare bedroom.
What made you decide to work from home rather than in premises off site?
I wanted a part-time job that fitted around the family with low overheads so I could keep the cost of my treatments down, therefore making it more accessible to people who needed it but did not have a lot of disposable income. By working from home it has allowed me to achieve my aims and also create a restful and therapeutic environment without the clinic type effect.
What do you like best about working from home?
I love the flexibility of being at home, I can help out with the grandchildren at short notice, I can arrange my work around over commitments and Alf & Eva (our dogs) are rarely left alone for longer than a couple of hours.
Are there any difficulties in working from home?
I find switching between work and home life difficult as I am always at work. I do have a separate mobile so I can turn it off. I also find that my work space i.e paperwork extends into most rooms and washing towels can dominant my evenings.
What is your favourite feature of your workspace?
It’s restfulness created by candles, buddhas, my diffuser and oils and gentle music.
To find out more about Jennette’s work visit http://therelaxologyroom.com or connect with her on Twitter: @Relaxology_Room or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therelaxologyroom
Home/Work is my current project documenting people who work from home. ‘Home’ is a recurring theme in my work – I am fascinated by our interactions with objects and spaces, particularly our homes, and with the number of home workers on the increase I thought this would be fascinating to investigate.
According to the Office for National Statistics, “There were 4.2 million home workers in January-March 2014, or 13.9% of those in work. This was the highest rate of home working since comparable records began in 1998.” Visit www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lmac/characteristics-of-home-workers/2014/sty-home-workers.html for further information on these statistics.
I am hoping to photograph the workspaces of lots of different people, working in a wide range of industries, but all of whom work from their home or within the grounds of their home. I am interested in how people create these workspaces and how the lines between home and work are defined or blurred. If you work from home and are interested in participating in the project please get in touch!