The home office is a place where people are all of the sudden finding themselves spending a lot of time. If you’re one of the many people that are working full time or even partially from home, you know how quickly a home office can become dull, cluttered, or even chaotic. Don’t let your office be a place where the laundry piles up, and unwanted items are stored. Transform your space into a place of joy and productivity!
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Light it Up
One of the key elements to productivity and happiness is natural light. A home office with no natural light at all is not ideal, so if you can, choose a room with at least one small window. The more natural light, the better! If you don’t have a ton of natural light in your office space, you can lighten up the room by using a mirror to reflect any amount of light you do have. You can use minimal, naturally shaded window treatments, and choose colors for any design elements like area rugs or shelving that are light and airy.
Speaking of light, even if you have a window in your office you’ll need to have at least one task lamp. Most rooms have overhead lighting of some sort, which is nice to have, but don’t count on that to provide the light you need at your desk to properly see and avoid eye strain. A lamp at your desk is ideal, and another task lamp to properly light your background for any online meetings is a good idea. Light is key in any room, and your home office is no exception! You’ll be surprised at how much more productive and positive you will feel with proper lighting.
A Place for Everything
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Another mistake many people make when setting up their home office is that they do not have proper storage. If you plan to be working from home, and using your office to store family documents, it is key to make sure that you have proper storage solutions to keep everything in its place. The last thing you need while you’re trying to work from home is to see items laying around that cause you to lose your focus.
Drawers are a stylish, sleek way to avoid clutter in your office. You can easily separate documents inside of drawers, and when closed, they are out of sight. This makes it easier to compartmentalize your work/home life. Ideally, find a bookshelf that has both open shelving and drawers so that you can let your personality shine through on the shelves, and tidy up your important documents inside the closed drawers.
Don’t forget about organizers for pens and pencils, post-it notes, paper clips, or anything else you find yourself using frequently. It’s nice to have these things easily accessible, but if they’re just laying out on your desk they become clutter.
Create a Background with Personality
Gone are the days of an office that is poorly designed, cluttered, and chaotic. Oftentimes your coworkers and friends have a front row view of what sits behind your desk while in an online meeting, so don’t forget to make this space stand out as a reflection of you. A tall bookshelf behind your desk with a place to display a few plants, books, or other decorative items is a clutter free way to add a creative backdrop to your Zoom meetings. This is also a great place to add a piece of artwork that speaks to your personality.
Seating is Essential
If you spend any significant amount of time in an office chair, you know that it definitely matters where you’re sitting. Creating a seating area separate from your desk can be a nice way to avoid sitting in the same place all day long. If you have the space, try a set of swivel chairs for meeting with coworkers in person, or a small sofa for cozying up to do any studying or reading. Keep the design clean cut and cozy, avoiding busy patterns that can be distracting. You can even add a comfy throw and some decorative pillows that can be changed out seasonally so that you have some change in scenery every once in a while.
Finishing Touches
When creating places in your home that speak to you and make you feel joy and happiness, a home office often is forgotten. Don’t leave out the office as a place to keep favorite photographs, mood inspiring candles or diffusers, and fresh flowers. Look for items that have both the functionality that you need to stay organized and the design that makes you feel joyful and at ease in a space where you'll be spending a lot of your time.