Decorating a Home Office? Try These Stylish Tips To Get It Right
If you are fortunate enough to be able to start your own home office, then you need to think about how comfortable you’re going to be when you do it. Most of us sleep around seven to eight hours per night which means that we’re spending a lot of time in bed. If you’re spending the same amount of time in the day sitting at a desk then you need to make sure your comfort is put up there in importance. Not only do you need to maximise your productivity, but you need to be able to separate yourself.
From the pain you could feel from sitting in the wrong position to the desk that you choose to buy. Your home office should be inspiring and it should incorporate the overall look of the home’s interior. From the colour palette to the decor, you need to ensure that you have a chic, functional and sustainable workplace. So with that in mind, we’ve put together a list of our 15 stylish tips that you can get right in your home office.
1. Make a list. Unlike Santa Claus, you don’t need to check it twice, but you do need to make a list of all the components you want to include in your office. If you don’t have a particularly big office you then you need to get clever about how you are going to fit in all the furniture that you need to fit your office. Office desking options are going to depend on the space that you have in the office and you need to think about how far out your chair can go and whether you have enough room to swing a cat. When you make a list, you can put down everything that you feel like you need in your office and then you can grab a tape measure and start measuring up. This is so important before you go out and buy any furniture because you need to know that the things that you buy are actually going to fit into your space.
2. Work on storage. Every single office, even the most digital offices, need to have some storage. You don’t have to go with those industrial-looking filing cabinets though. Storage components are supposed to hide the day-to-day components of your work, so you need to make sure that you have something that’s cute. That doesn’t take up too much space but also holds everything you need it to hold. If you have a built-in closet in your office, that could be the perfect storage option with buckets and baskets to help you to organize everything. You could also repurpose that dresser you were looking to throw out by sanding it down, varnishing it, and repainting it. You can use sideboards or buffets, credenzas and you can even use stacked storage. Either way, you can give your working space A much more homelier feel.
3. Think about your lighting options. When you’re working in an office, you need to make sure that you can see what you’re doing. You could consider a showstopping chandelier, or you could think about spotlights being installed. You don’t want to have anything that looks stale or bland, and recessed neon lights are just not the one. Every single chic office features a light fixture that is just fabulous that you would never have in a million years in your actual house. You could also look at uplighters, desk lights and spotlights that hover over your hands while you type. As long as you have as much natural light as possible coming into your office, you’re really going to be able to maximise what you can do without getting a headache while you’re working.
4. Utilise your wall space. No matter how big your office is, you can really lean into maximizing the space that you have on the walls. From having cork boards and planners to using vertical storage like floating shelves, the walls are just as much real estate space in your office as everything else. You could have chalkboards painted onto the wall directly if you prefer to use chalk, or you can have a whiteboard hung up with whiteboard pens to allow you a space to jot notes or to keep track of any goals. Accent walls that have these options can be something that you use to keep track in your office, and that way you can only turn one wall into a usable space rather than all of them and feel crowded.
5. Make sure it feels personal. Your office space is supposed to be yours, which means you need to think about what it is that makes it you. You don’t need to have a grey, sterile space that reflects a grey, sterile personality unless that is your personality type, which we believe it is not. Adding some life into your office space is actually pretty simple. Personal decor pieces like mementoes or photos to tie the office into your home is a great idea, as is artwork, candles, and even pictures of the kids. You could have a blanket and pillow in there if you want to feel even cosier. Your office doesn’t have to be boring, so don’t make it so with your decor options.
6. Make sure that you give yourself some space. If the office is a tiny room, that’s fine, but you still need to have some room to work. You need to have a large surface to work on so you don’t feel too crowded. You need somewhere for your computer, your drinks, and anything else that you need to have to hand.
7. Think about ergonomics. You don’t just want your office looking good, but it has to make you feel good. The chair and the desk that you choose have to have the proper support, height and angles. This is to ensure that you can type with your arms straight, you can view your screen without straining and you don’t end up with a long-term impact on your well-being as a result. You don’t want to deal with carpal tunnel and back and neck pain if you can avoid it. So think about shopping around for furniture to make sure that ergonomics are at the forefront of your mind.
8. Make sure that you add some colour. Your office doesn’t have to stay neutral, and it doesn’t have to be beige in order to look good. Having a nice bright office can help with lighting, but you can add as much colour as you want to in terms of accessories. Your cushions, your blanket, your technology, these can all be colorful rather than the walls having to be splashed with paint.
9. Pay attention to the office floors. A stylish home office needs to be warm, and that means paying attention to your flooring. If you have tiled flooring throughout your house, or throw down a rug and warm it up a little. If you have carpet, put something plastic so that your chair doesn’t roll across and pull up the carpet as you go. The key is comfort, so make sure that you are looking at your flaws as much as everything else.
10. Where you can, go wireless. One of the worst things that you can see when you walk into a Home Office are cords and wires everywhere. Nothing can really diminish the appearance of your office more than electronics that you can see. And why hasn’t that been tidied away? This can all be handled easily though if you make sure that you have wire tidies everywhere. Have a computer set up with hidden wires and you’ll be able to make your aesthetic look great.
11. Consider a single colour scheme. Whether it’s all white or all blue, you can consider a singular colour scheme that makes your office pop. While you’re not required to stay neutral when you decorate your office space, there is something chic about an office that’s primarily white. For example, white walls can make the room feel bigger, and you won’t feel so cramped and confined while you’re working. White furniture can feel reflective, and it can make you feel like you’re working in a chic space. That can make you feel way more motivated when you are trying to work.
12. Don’t overcomplicate your office space. Everything you need for an office in a small, tiny, cramped space. But you don’t have to do that. Your home office could just be a simple table in the corner of the room, which is just as practical as it is OK. Creating an office space that you love is more about what you’re going to do within it, so keep it simple with minimal decor and just a little bit of natural plant life. This will help it to look effortless without looking tacky.
13. Lean into your built-in storage when you can. If you have built-in storage, use it from storage to desk or counter space. A built-in space can really be something you can build on. Make sure that you choose styles and similar colours to what’s already in place, and then you can add your own personal zest to it to bring it to life.
