How To Style Your Home Office

"Job happiness is directly proportional to the distance you are from the home office." ~ Nelson DeMille

 

If you work from home in any capacity, whether it is as a blogger, freelance writer, or starting up your own small business, you need an office. Many of us make the mistake of trying to work from the kitchen table or the couch, and while not impossible, it makes productivity very difficult. It is so much easier to get distracted by what is on the TV, or just to put that load of washing up or dust that corner of the lounge. However, if you are tucked up in an office away from these sorts of distractions, you are much more likely to work quicker and better - giving you more time to relax.

 

The beauty of a home office is that it does not have to be boring. It isn't like a generic office in a building with the same bland walls, uninspiring desks, and uncomfortable chairs. No, it is entirely your domain and can be decorated and accessorized in whatever way suits you best. Here, we are going to look at some of the things you will need in your office and some of the things that you might want to make it a space you want to go and work in day in, day out. 

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Your Desk

 

"Happiness is a very small desk and a very big wastebasket." ~ Robert Orben.

 

Now, you can't have an office without a desk. It is the most important piece of furniture in the room, so choose wisely. It wholly depends on the style of the room you are thinking about having as to the style of your desk - plain white worktops work well in a modern and minimalist room while something a little more olde-worlde is crying out for a Mid Century Desk. The main thing is to make sure the desk is a comfortable working height and has any storage space that you might need. 

 

Your chair

 

"If it's the right chair, it doesn't take too long to get comfortable in it" ~ Robert DeNiro.

 

While it can be tempting to go for the biggest, comfiest looking chair, it might not always be the best one in terms of ergonomic design. When you are seated, your feet should always rest flat on the floor, with your thighs parallel to it. Your chair should provide you with ample support for your back and support the natural curve of the spine. Your desk should be around the height of your elbows, which will then allow your forearms to rest parallel to the floor. This will reduce muscle and joint fatigue and keep you working comfortably for longer.

 

Organization

 

"A place for everything, everything in its place" ~ Benjamin Franklin

 

One of the key functions of your home office space is to keep you organized, so this needs careful consideration in the planning stages. Home offices can get very messy very quickly - there is no management team walking around and sending passive-aggressive memos about the state of desks. To keep the piles of paperwork and clutter at bay, it can be tempting to spend a small fortune on all sorts of baskets and boxes. However, while they might all look great, they are pretty pointless if you do not use them properly.

 

Before you stock up on storage solutions, pay careful attention as to how you will actually organize your things. Think about what works well in the rest of your house. If you are the sort of person who files away household bills into folders as soon as they are opened, then you might want to continue that method of organization through to your home office by purchasing and using a filing cabinet. If you are the sort of person who takes photos of receipts and essential paperwork and stores them digitally, then carry that through and do not waste your money on a filing cabinet. Do not get sucked into the organization hype and stick to what works well for you.

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Artwork

 

"Art is something that makes you breathe with a different kind of happiness" ~ Anni Albers.

 

When it comes to office space, you want a colour scheme that is relatively neutral and plain. This is to minimize those distractions and keep your space a calm and productive space. Off-whites, soft greys and light blues tend to work really well, whatever style you are going for. However, to break up the solid blocks of colour and to give it an injection of your own personality, look for inspiring pieces of artwork. Whether this is a big, bold canvas or some inspirational prints is up to you - and do not forget a few personal photographs of the people that you love and that inspire you to work hard.

 

Hide the cords

 

 "Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." ~ Buddha

 

Have you noticed Buddha did not include wires from all of your various devices in that? That is because they most certainly can be hidden - and should be!

You can have the cleanest and most simple office space that you want, but if there are cords trailing about, the room is going to look disorganized and messy. These days we do not just have lamps with cords, but computers, printers, mobile phone chargers and all of the other technology that we might use in a typical day. You might need them in your office, but it does not mean that you have to stare at them all day. To minimize the mess, mount power strips under your desk or at the back. Use command hooks and cable ties to hook up and feed any wires that go into that power strip underneath or at the back of furniture, so they are out of sight. You will be surprised at the difference that such a simple thing can make to the overall aesthetic of the room.

 

Nourish your body and soul.

 

"When you nourish your body with pure energy, you transform from the inside out" ~ Bill Phillips.

 

Now, we do not mean build a full kitchen in your office, but a little snack bar with some of your favourite healthy snacks can be a great idea. Nuts, protein bars, fresh fruit and an emergency bar of chocolate can all be useful alongside a coffee machine and your water bottle. Keep your favourite music on hand to elevate your mood or help you concentrate.

 

Light It Up

 

"Life is always about seating and lighting" ~ Graydon Carter.

 

One of the biggest downfalls of most offices is the lighting. Too often, they are over bright and stark, or they are not bright enough! The latter makes the room feel unwelcoming and sterile and can cause headaches, and the former can cause eye strain and make you feel sleepy. 

 

The best option is always natural light - a desk placed by a big window is always going to help you be more productive and reduces the risk of seasonal affective disorder (SADs) because you are getting an injection of sunlight. However, this is not always possible, especially as many people have their home offices in the small box rooms, loft conversions and former garages of the house. If this is the case, artificial lighting that mimics natural light is the next best thing. A well-lit office is always a much more productive one.

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Add homely touches

 

"It is for homely features to keep home. They had their name hence." ~ John Milton

 

While you do not want your office to be too relaxing - after all, you go there to work, not chill out, it also needs to feel warm and welcoming and a part of your home. Carry on the themes from the rest of your house, and incorporate touches and items that you love. If you are a plant lover, add lots of succulents and greenery on your desk, on shelves and windowsills. If you are into hygge, have a lovely soft rug to rest your feet on and a snuggly throw over the back of your desk chair. Just because it is your workspace does not mean it needs to feel sterile and unwelcoming. A room that brings you joy will also bring productivity!

 

Working from home should never feel like an ordeal. Your office should feel like a space that is warm, inviting and inspiring, somewhere that evokes creativity and ideas, and that makes you want to turn your best ideas into reality. A bland and drab room is not going to make you feel like that. Spend some time planning the space carefully and making it somewhere you want to spend time, and watch your productivity levels shoot through the roof!

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