Many home offices are boring, bland, and not really decorated.
They often have either large traditional stained wood furniture that is too big for the room and doesn't accommodate technology very well, or cheap discount store wobbly furniture that could topple over at any minute.
Electrical and data cords are typically laid across the floor in an unorganized fashion and papers are stacked because there are not filing systems in place.
There is no reason for a home office to be sterile and purely utilitarian.
Here are a few ways to make your home office more happy.
Clutter
Start by cleaning up your home office because clutter makes everyone unhappy.
Invest in a paper shredder and get rid of outdated paperwork.
Find a permanent spot for the items you have to keep.
Remove items from your office that belong elsewhere.
Create a system for how to purge or file paperwork as it enters your home office.
Consider hiding ugly file cabinets in a closet or behind a decorative screen.
Either hide your electrial and data cords or go wireless.
Find creative ways to hide your router and other technology items.
Furniture
Purchase furniture that actually works for you and your home office necessities instead of furniture that only looks pretty.
You may only need a small table to rest your laptop when it is not on your lap, or you may need a full blown computer workstation to accommodate your 3 monitors, 2 desktop computers, 2 cell phones, headset, landline phone, and a printer.
Also make sure that you get a comfortable chair to sit in. If you plan on sitting for long periods of time, choose comfort and ergonomics over aesthetics.
Consider purchasing quality commercial grade office furniture from a used office furniture dealer for a great price and professional installation. These dealers buy office furniure from companies that no longer need it, and will make sure that the furniture has been properly cleaned and is in an as-new condition.
Make sure to consider getting a sit-stand desk #ad so you are not sitting all day.
You might need to have your office furniture custom built to fully utilize a small space or to accommodate your specific needs. It might be custom built freestanding (like a table) or attached to your home (like kitchen cabinets).
Make sure to consider electrical and data outlet placement when selecting furniture. Desks floating in the middle of the room often have a problem trying to hide electrial cords.
Grommets (holes in the top of the desk for electrical cords to reach an outlet) should be considered.
Don't forget to consider modesty when selecting a desk that faces the door. Many desks offer modesty panels that go on the front to partially cover the legs of the person sitting at the desk.
Make sure your office is functional before you attempt to make it happy and pretty.
Color
Now that everything is in place and functional, we can work on making your home office happy.
FIrst, find a starting point to create the happy design for your office.
The starting point could be colorful artwork, a fun rug, graphic wallpaper, beautiful curtains, or the fact that you love the color pink.
Next, build your overall home office design off of that starting point.
You may want to be surrounded by bold color, or maybe you prefer a more serene environment with just a little touch of color.
Select complimentary items that coordinate with your starting point item.
You can get a colorful decorative pillow, some pretty file boxes, an elegant lamp, or some beautiful curtains.
Lighting
Good lighting is essential for a home office.
Natural lighting is best, so let the sunshine in.
Having a view out your window will make you happier and let your eyes occasionally rest from staring at a computer screen all day.
Most home offices have an overhead light source, but also consider getting a decorative lamp so you can change the light level as needed throughout the day.
Also consider replacing your basic overhead light or ceiling fan with something more decorative that compliments your design aesthetic.
If you have an overhead cabinet or shelves, consider adding under cabinet lighting so you have plenty of light on your worksurface.
TextureAdding texture to your office makes it feel less sterile and more happy.
Consider using wicker baskets, textural looking wood elements, shiny items, soft items, glossy items, and mirrored items to add texture.
Consider your other senses when decorating your happy home office.
Do you want music in your office?
Would you like an essential oil diffuser #ad so your office smells nice?
What about a place for snacks or a small refrigerator to hold beverages?
Remind Yourself Why You WorkTo stay happy while working, try to continually remind yourself why you work.
Are you working to afford an amazing vacation?
Are you working to save for a new home?
Surround yourself with items that remind you why you work so hard so you can be happy putting in the long hours.
You can decorate with family photos, paintings of far away places, or souveniers from past travels.
Accessories
Finish off your home office design with meaningful accessories.
Make sure you don't clutter your home office with cheap mass-produced accessories that just take up space.
You can use artwork from your travels, figurines that were a gift from a friend, hard back books, family photos in beautiful frames, and fresh flowers you picked from your garden earlier in the day.
Use accessories that are dual purpose, such as decorative glass jars that hold office supplies.
The best looking desktop accessories are repurposed decorative items that don't come from the office supply store.
Instead of all basic black or silver office products, consider using colored file folders, push pins, binder clips, stapler, and desktop accessories to complete the look of your happy home office.
Other Articles You Might Like
