Today’s blog features Ben’s workspace as part of my Home/Work project. I visited Ben at his home in March to photograph his office/design studio in his stylish country home.
What type of business do you run?
I run a small graphic and website design agency.
When did you start working from home full-time?
In June 2012.
What made you decide to work from home rather than in premises off site?
At the start it was a financial decision. I didn’t want to have a monthly outlay of hundreds of pounds on rent when I could do my job just as easily working from a spare bedroom.
What do you like best about working from home?
The flexibility of my time. Zero commute. Home comforts and seeing my family.
Are there any difficulties in working from home?
Yes, the distraction of family life. Today for example my dog ate a load of chocolate and I had to immediately drop everything to take him to the vet. I couldn’t do that if I worked for someone or was perhaps working in a studio – so I guess it’s also a benefit of home working in a way. It’s quite insular, sometimes I crave the idea of working with other designers to share creative input on projects and bounce ideas around. Working alone leaves you to sometimes second guess your decisions, and sometimes makes it harder to reach a final decision on something,
What is your favourite feature of your workspace?
It’s a nice layout and quite large. It’s my own space I can do what I want with. I can open the doors into my garden to let some sunshine in if need be!
To find out more about Ben’s work visit www.wearebrightlights.com or connect with him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bright_lights_creative/ or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrightLightsCreative
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!