Working from home has become commonplace, which means that more and more people are spending their whole day in their home office getting work done. While the work-life balance for this can’t be beaten, you might find yourself distracted and stressed in your home. Most people want a relaxing and personalized environment to work in, especially at home. Reducing stress is critical, which means that it’s likely your home office needs a few updates to make it the perfect place to get things done without too many distractions. Here are some tips to help you update your home office. The good news is none of these need to be overly expensive, and most of these tips can be done on almost any budget.
Declutter
The first thing you need to stop doing is using your home office as a dumping ground for the random things you find around your house. Decluttering might mean storing things in your garage that you don’t need in the house, finding a permanent spot for the random stuff that keeps making its way to your desk, and creating a better flow for your work. Before you can even make any big changes, you’ll need to make sure that your home office has only the things that you need the most in it. When you use your office daily, having it decluttered will keep you more focused on doing the things you need for work.
Create a Theme
Having a theme does a few things. First, it helps you create a cohesive decorating palette to work from. Second, it gives you a simpler way to choose colors and desktop accessories that suit your particular style. A theme also makes it easier to figure out what needs to change and what can stay in your office. Some people choose themes like the ocean, bright summer days, or luxury to give them a great way to decorate their office. You’ll love some of the creative ways you can use these themes in your office décor.
Paint the Walls
Paint is the easiest, and the relatively cheapest DIY project you could ever do. And in a small room like an office, it shouldn’t take too much time. Some colors are great for a workspace. Yellow is bright, cheery, and can help you get in the mood for work. Whites and pale colors can brighten up an otherwise small space. Blues can have a calming effect. It’s important to choose a color that will help put you in the right mood and frame of mind for getting work done from home. Whether you need creativity, focus, energy, or simplicity, there are colors that support all of those.
Rearrange the Furniture
There is a tendency to put the furniture on the walls of a room. While this can seem like a simple solution, it often leaves a room feeling very flat. Arranging the furniture in a new way may mean floating the desk in the middle of the room, letting it face the door, and more. There are multiple ways to arrange a room so that it flows nicely and is conducive to working from home. Looking at a wall all day long can feel as stifling as being in a cubicle. Use principles of room design or Feng Shui to create better energy in your office. You’d be amazed at how the placement of certain things in a room can immediately make you feel more at ease or more anxious.
Rehab Your Furniture Pieces
While getting a new desk and shelving would be ideal, sometimes you need to wait a while before you can get just the right furniture for your office. In the meantime, you can update the look of your home office by adding paint and other details to your existing office furniture. Whether you like farmhouse chic design or something more modern, paint, hardware, and peel and stick wallpaper can all go a long way.
No matter the style of furniture, there is a way to give it the feel you want without spending a small fortune. Let’s face it, office furniture isn’t cheap, and if you can leverage what you already have, you can save big money, but still get the feel of an entire office that has been remodeled.
