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11 Tips for Decorating Your Home Office
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The best guide to creating a stylish,beautiful,and functional office in your dwelling.
Whether your home office is designated space for conducting a business,your remote workspace or simply a nook for paying bills and organizing your program,you deserve more than a metal desk and extra seat stuffed into a corner. Why? An office that reflects the design and comfort of the rest of your home is a place you’ll want to burn the midnight oil.
Location,Location,Location
You will likely spend many hours in your home office,so don’t stiff yourself on space (e.g. squishing a very small desk into a windowless closet to preserve the rarely-used guest room).
Additionally,consider traffic flow and your ability to resist distractions. Do you work best in the thick of action,or should your office be tucked away in a quiet space? If clients will be stopping by,a personal space with ample seating is a must.
2. Don’t Sacrifice Form for Function
Your desk,shelves and storage must serve you,not the other way around. Consider your workflow and what items you need at your fingertips before buying furniture,and then look for pieces that are both functional and beautiful.
Home office furniture should match other rooms in your home instead of screaming”soulless cubicle.” If your home has traditional decor,warm wood and soft,comfy chairs or a loveseat are ideal if you have the space. A contemporary home office can feature decorative pieces or modern metal furniture.
3. Invest in a Excellent Chair
You spend hours parked in your office chair; a beautiful,ergonomically correct,comfortable seat is worth every dime.
4. Paint the Walls a Color You Love
For some people,that’s a bright,cheery color like orange or lime green. Other people need a calming shade like botanical green or sea foam blue to perform. Find out more about how certain colors can affect your mood.
5. Give Yourself a View
Position the desk where you are able to stare at something more interesting than a blank wall (even if you do love the shade) when you glance up from the computer. A window’s natural light is ideal,but if you’re in a windowless space,hang a pretty picture above the desk,or place your chair to face the door.
6. Choose Homey Accessories
Unless you’re going for a contemporary look,select extras that enhance the cozy feeling of your home office,such as a pretty mug for a pencil holder,trendy notepads and sticky notes,and a decorative waste basket. Wrap your bulletin board in a gorgeous fabric,and conceal utilitarian bookshelves behind drapes made from the same material. Hang inspirational prints on the walls,whether that’s simply your children’ framed artwork or a classic painting.
7.
Many home offices are not swimming in square footage,so using space efficiently is imperative.
Hang floating shelves on the walls to have newspapers and office equipment off the desk,and use vertical file folders on the desk to store important papers within arm’s reach. If you tend to make piles,get a nice basket to tame your mail,papers and notes. If you prefer a clean background,designate one drawer for your”to-do” papers. Wooden or metal block storage is an enjoyable alternative to bookshelves,because each space may be used for books,knickknacks or baskets of odds-and-ends.
8. Master Your Technology
There’s not much you can do to beautify the computer,phone and printer,but you can conceal unsightly cords. Begin by ensuring your gear is near outlets and easy to access if you will need to unplug. Encase cords on the desk in a fabric cord cover,and feed the cords to a desk grommet,a plastic or metal cap that helps direct cords through a hole in the desk and hides them underneath. Tame the cord jungle on the ground with cable winders,tubing,or a wire organizer that’s attached to the desk and lifts the cords off the floor.
9. Let There Be Light
Here’s a bright idea: make sure your office has plenty of light to lower eye strain and headaches. Position the computer monitor so there’s no glare from a window or overhead light,and put a small lamp on the desk for task lighting.
10. Inspire Yourself
Set up a mini-shrine — a few cherished knickknacks,a piece of framed art,a special photo on your desk — that motivates you to create and/or get the work done so you can get out of there. A print of Paris can channel your inner muse,or a photo of your children might remind you that you’re doing it all for them.
11. Get a Custom Desk
Many people spend a lot of time sitting in an office furniture desk and working on their computers. Top quality furniture can improve productivity and help workers avoid back pain and other potential health problems.
