6 ways to update your home office
If you work or study from home, you probably spend most of your day in your home office. If you're looking to give your work from home space a refresh, read on for our handy home office decor tips.
1. Declutter your space
It's always a good idea to start by removing any clutter, and giving your workspace a clean and tidy. Not only will it set you up to make the rest of your decor changes, it's also a great way to clear your head and get into a freshly productive mindset.
If there's paper piling up on your desk, sort through categorize what you can throw away or recycle, what you can file away, anything that can be kept as a digital copy only. Whilst you're saving these, why not have a quick digital declutter too? Inboxes can fill up with old emails, and your memory may be taken up with old files, so take the opportunity to make more space on your laptop.
Work through drawers and stationery, removing anything you no longer need, and cleaning out the space as you go. Now you're all set to get a new storage system in place!
2. Invest in storage
Once your home office is clean and decluttered, you can start to organise it into a storage system that works for you. If your desk has drawers, you can find a huge range of sleek drawer compartments and dividers online - never again will you have to spend ages hunting for what you're looking for.
Thanks to the fact that satisfying home office storage is currently a big social media trend, you'll have no problem finding other clever ways to keep your desk in order. Desktop organisers with holders for your devices, and cable tidies to keep your desk looking neat, are both great options.
If your desk doesn't have drawers or shelves, you could buy some small desktop drawers to hold small stationery; woven baskets make pretty storage for files and folders under your desk, and wall-mounted shelves keep decorative items out of the way.
3. Switch up your colours
One of the most effective ways to give any space a totally new look is by changing the colour, and the same goes for home office decor.
If you have a whole room dedicated to your home office, let the feeling you're trying to create dictate a new colour palette. If you work best in a zen, relaxed space, soft whites, greys and muted greens are a great way to go, especially paired with natural elements like a wooden desk and jute rug.
If you want to feel energised and inspired, pink or yellow are great options for adding vibrancy while still being stylish. Or, if you prefer something more classic and sophisticated, a navy blue or dark olive green are perfect colours to create a dark academia theme.
If your desk sits in another room of your house, you can still distinguish the space by sectioning off the area using paint - a painted archway or wide stripe over your desk is a bold and stylish statement.
4. Keep comfort in mind
Perhaps most importantly in any work space, you need to be comfortable enough to spend the majority of your day there. An inadequate desk and work space can lead to headaches, back ache, tendonitis and even carpal tunnel syndrome. To avoid these, make sure that you have a proper ergonomic desk chair, and that your screen and keyboard are at the optimum to avoid, back, wrist and eye strain.
Have you thought about a standing desk? These are becoming increasingly popular among people who work from home, for their great health benefits. Not only can a standing desk improve posture and reduce strain, it can also boost your circulation and keep you focused. You could even go a step further and invest in a desk treadmill, to fit under a standing desk. Walking while you work is a great way to keep your cardio up and boost your mood.
Finally, make sure your space has good lighting. Natural light is ideal, but if there's not a good source close to your desk then a mixture of ceiling, wall and task lighting is important.
5. Home office accessories
For the space to really feel like you, it's time to add accessories to your home office. This is all about carefully selecting items you might already have, or finding new pieces to add to the space, without creating clutter.
Depending on what's already on your desk, it might be a case of making simple tweaks to refresh the look. For example, if you have photos with sentimental value, you could put these in matching frames to look more cohesive. Any extra items can be displayed and kept out of the way on a wall-mounted shelf.
If you're looking to add new accessories, framed prints are a great option - hang them on the wall or place on shelves to avoid cluttering your space. There's also an endless array of cool home office gadgets to browse online, from cup warmers to keyboard cleaning kits.
6. Add some greenery
Having houseplants in your workspace has many proven benefits, including boosting happiness, reducing stress and increasing creativity (green is conducive to creative thinking).
If you're working in a small space and have limited decor options, plants are an easy way to create a theme and add a pop of colour. Mix and match pots in your favourite styles, from classic terracotta earthenware to modern monochrome styles.
Make sure the plants will have enough light and space – staring at a dead plant will do nothing for your motivation! Creating a plant care routine of feeding and watering your leafy office companions can make for a nice ritual to start your working day.
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