The home office has become an essential space for people working from home on a daily basis. There are a wide range of tips and guidelings that can be followed in order to design a space that provides maximum comfort, inspires productivity and assures healthy work-life balance. Keep on reading to find out how to design and decorate a home office without spending a fortune.
- Distraction-free zone
A key component of a well-designed home office is the space. Having a separate room for an office is a perfect arrangement, however, not everyone can afford to devote an entire room for work-related purposes. Many people, therefore, decide to set up a work station in a living room corner. With some creativity, you can even fit your home office into a closet. See how Jen from Iheartorganizing did it. Whatever you decide, it is important to choose the spot that is free of distractions.
- Furniture
You can't have a well-organized workstation without simple office furniture. The problem is, they may cost a small fortune. If you’re working with a budget, look around for a bargain. Discount stores and chain supermarkets often have a limited-time offer on affordable office furniture. Apart from that, regularly browse Craigslist to score great second-hand stuff. Also, yard and car boot sales are an inexhaustible sources of inexpensive accessories and furniture.
- The desk
Many people, fed up with constantly chasing after the perfect office desk decide to build one from scratch. Popular DIY websites provide detailed, step-by-step instructions, proving that building functional furniture has never been easier. Just take a look at Martha Stewart's take on a steel pipe and oak industrial desk.
- Storage
People working from home often complain about the lack of storage space for all their files and paperwork. Get some storage units to avoid scattering office equipment all over the room. Self-standing cabinets and wall-mounted shelves are huge space savers. Get inspired by Outofstock suspension bridge shelving unit.
- Light
Provide good sources of light for your home office. Place your desk next to the window to get as much daylight as possible. Apart from that, create some eye-catching lamps. Take a look at globe lights or umbrella chandeliers, which you can build with just a few ordinary everyday objects.
- Wall decor
Corporate offices are playing it safe with the colour of walls and overall wall decor. Luckily for you, you can transform a plain looking, uninspiring wall into a work of art. Look around for some colourful wallpaper, or get creative with a paint job. For an additional wow effect, print out motivational posters and put them in nice frames for a more inspirational look.
- Accessories
Undeniably, your home office needs some basic accessories, such as pen holders, desk storage and organizers. Designer office accessories can be pretty expensive, nevertheless, you can achieve a designer look by making use of jars, kitchen fixtures and old frames. How? Hot glue a pyramid of five or more mason jars to create an eye‑catching pen storage centrepiece, use magnetic knife racks to hang metal accessories and turn a glass frame into a DIY wall organizer.
As you see, it is possible to put together a great-looking home office even on a tight budget.
Kelly Smith is a dedicated tutor and writer. Currently, she develops her passion at Career FAQs, one of the leading providers of career and educational resources in Australia